IELTS Band 8 Strategies for Busy Physicians From Non-native English-Speaking Countries

Non-native English-speaking physicians often encounter challenges when pursuing job and education opportunities in English-speaking countries. This article focuses on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, which is a requirement for applying to work, study, or obtain a visa in native English-speaking developed countries. The article details how the author, who is a physician from India, employed strategies that resulted in an overall band score of 8, consisting of 8.5 in listening, 9 in reading, 7.5 in writing, and 7.5 in speaking. The author had a moderate level of English proficiency before the 31-day preparation period, which involved one hour of daily practice and four-hour intensive practice for three days. To prepare, the physician used various resources, including Cambridge IELTS 15 and 16 books, two free practice tests from the British Council, a free 14-day course, and two full practice tests from Macquarie University. The author employed diverse strategies to improve their listening skills, such as listening to English content without subtitles, practicing with IELTS-like tests, and listening to tests at faster speeds. To overcome reading challenges, the author completed three reading passages during practice, read medical journals and books, and familiarized themselves with medical terminologies. For the writing section, the author practiced different question types and used language-checking software for feedback. Lastly, for the speaking section, the author practiced various topics, familiarized themselves with the exam format, and recorded themselves to identify and correct errors. This success story demonstrates how non-native English speakers can use a combination of resources and strategies to enhance their skills in all four sections of the IELTS exam at a nominal fee.