If there is one skill that separates passing from failing candidates, it is cue handling. Role-players are trained to deliver cues. Every single case will contain at least one cue early in the consultation. If you miss it, you miss the case.
Two Ways to Handle Cues
Option A: Follow the Cue Immediately
| ✅ FOLLOWING A CUE | Patient: I’ve had this cough for a few weeks, and my wife keeps saying I should get checked because her dad died of lung cancer. | Doctor: I’m sorry to hear about your wife’s father. It sounds like that experience has been weighing on both of you. Can you tell me more about what’s worrying you? |
Option B: Park the Cue and Return Later
| ✅ PARKING A CUE | Doctor: I noticed you mentioned things have been difficult at home. That sounds important, and I’d like to come back to that — is that okay? First, let me get a clear picture of the headaches. |
| ⚠ COMMON PITFALL: If you park a cue, you MUST return to it. A parked cue that is never revisited is a missed cue — and missed marks. |
The “No Means No” Rule
If you follow something you think is a cue and the patient shuts it down, do not persist. Accept it and move on. Continuing to push down a dead end wastes time.
The “Elephant in the Room” Principle
If the case notes contain an abnormal result or a previous serious consultation, address it early. The patient is thinking about it. Leaving it unaddressed creates tension.
| ⭐ KEY POINT: Every SCA case contains at least one cue early in the consultation. If the patient mentions something emotionally loaded, personally relevant, or slightly unexpected — that is your cue. Follow it. |