Lesson 1 – First Contact with a Patient.

Duration: 50 minutes.

Let’s take a look at today’s lesson

This lesson will look at the first time we meet a patient. We will look at some phrases we can use. After, I will ask you some questions about the subject.

Lesson Key: (L) = Listening (U) = Understanding. (R) = Reading.

Theme: First Patient Interaction

Warm-up (5 min): Practice greetings and introductions.
Vocabulary (10 min): Learn key words and phrases for first contact.
Reading & Dialogue (10 min): Read and listen to a short doctor–patient conversation.
Guided Practice (15 min): Role-play first contact with a patient.
Homework (5 min): Write and practice 5 short patient introductions.

Quick questions.

What happens when you meet a patient for the first time?
Do you take notes to help your patient?

1. Key Vocabulary & Phrases

Greeting:
“Good morning / Good afternoon / Hello.”
Introduction:
“I am Dr. Silva, a lung specialist.”
“I am Dr. Silva, a pulmonologist.”
Asking:
“What brings you here today?”
“How can I help you?”
Symptoms:
cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, fatigue.
Follow-ups:
“Since when?” / “How often?”
“Can you describe it?”

2. Short Reading

Patient dialogue:

Doctor: Good morning, Mr. Jones. I am Dr. Silva, a lung specialist.
Patient: Good morning, doctor. I have been coughing a lot.
Doctor: I see. Since when?
Patient: For about three weeks. I also feel short of breath.
Doctor: Thank you. We will check your lungs today.

Listening

Listen to the audio and read the text at the same time.

Transcript:
I have had this cough for almost three weeks. It is dry most of the time, but sometimes I bring up a little mucus.

The cough is worse at night, and it makes it hard for me to sleep.

I don’t have a fever, but I feel tired and sometimes a little short of breath. I already tried some cough syrup, but it didn’t help.

3. Guided Practice

Role-play activity:

One of us will be the doctor, one is the patient.
Doctor: greet, introduce, and ask about symptoms.
Patient: choose 2 symptoms from the list and answer.

Example prompts:

“Doctor: What brings you here today?”
“Patient: I feel tired and I have chest pain.”

Sample Dialogue

Doctor: Hello, good afternoon. I’m Dr. Almeida, a lung specialist.
Patient: Good afternoon, doctor.
Doctor: What brings you here today?
Patient: I have been coughing every night.
Doctor: I understand. Do you also feel chest pain?
Patient: Yes, sometimes when I cough.
Doctor: Thank you for explaining. We will examine you now.

4. Reflection Task

Write 5 short example sentences a pulmonologist could use to introduce themselves to different patients.
Write 3 short example sentences a pulmonologist could use to ask patients about their symptoms.
Examples – Practice saying them aloud:
Hello, I am Dr. Silva. I will check your breathing today.
How long have you had these breathing problems?
Do you feel chest pain or tightness when you breathe?