Formal medical letters place patient identifiers at the top of the letter or in the subject line: "Re: Patient Name, DOB, MRN." This allows immediate recognition. Some templates use a dedicated header block.

Formal medical correspondence uses: Day Month Year (no commas). Example: "12 October 2024". Avoid US format (October 12, 2024) with comma or numeric-only (12/10/24) which causes international confusion.

Standard discharge summary order: 1) Admission date and discharge date, 2) Reason for admission (chief complaint and diagnosis), 3) Hospital course, 4) Procedures, 5) Discharge medications, 6) Follow-up plans. Reason for admission provides context for entire summary.

Formal closing should express gratitude and openness for collaboration. "Thank you for your attention to this matter" and "Please do not hesitate to contact me" followed by "Yours sincerely" (if name known) or "Yours faithfully" (if unknown).

Discharge medications must clearly differentiate pre-admission medications (continued, discontinued, dose changed) and new medications. "Discharge medications" section should include drug, dose, route, frequency, and duration.

OET writing sub-test requires 180-200 words. Exceeding this may result in penalties as it tests concise, focused professional communication. Real letters can be longer but OET exam has strict word limits.

Relevant medical history provides context for current presentation, helps differential diagnosis, identifies medication interactions, and highlights risk factors. Only include history directly pertinent to the referral question.

Use "Dr." for physicians regardless of gender or marital status. "Ms." is for non-physicians. "Mrs." assumes marital status. "Dear Dr. Smith" is professional, respectful, and standard.

Use "Yours sincerely" when recipient is named (known person). Use "Yours faithfully" when beginning with "Dear Sir/Madam" (unknown). Never mix, e.g., "Sincerely yours" is American English.

Social history should include occupation, smoking, alcohol, living situation (support system), and functional status. These factors affect treatment adherence, prognosis, and discharge planning. Marital status alone without context is insufficient.