This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of advice for medical problems and seeing doctors from the real IELTS exam.
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Dave
IELTS Essay: Advice for Medical Problems
Some people today prefer to get advice for medical problems and do not want to visit a doctor.
Why is this?
Is this a positive or a negative development?
Many individuals today would rather seek out medical advice themselves instead of seeing a licensed professional. In my opinion, this is a result of online convenience and it is a positive development on the whole.
The main cause of this transition is the proliferation of information available on the internet. In the past, an ailing individual had little recourse other than to visit a doctor for tests. Now, there are a variety of question and answer websites as well as diagnosis ones that are free of cost and faster than a trip to a hospital. The slight conveniences of saving some money, time, and effort may not seem decisive, but mass behaviour is often driven by marginal advantages. For instance, posting a question to a forum such as Reddit.com where qualified professions may provide free advice is a powerful incentive to avoid a costly and time-consuming consultation with an experienced doctor.
Though there are risks associated with misdiagnosis, seeking advice online is generally more reliable. Doctors vary in their quality and numerous studies in recent years support the counter-intuitive conclusion that websites actually provide more trustworthy advice. This is a result of the accumulation of many years’ worth of data and the standardizing of detection, prognosis, and treatment. For example, the website WebMD.com allows users to search for their symptoms online, discover a range of possible causes and then decide themselves on the best path forward. This may include a visit to a hospital if further tests are required that can only be conducted in person, but at least the patient has saved time and money at the initial stage of diagnosis.
In conclusion, fewer people today visit doctors because there are cheap, convenient alternatives online and this is largely positive. There are risks that must be guarded against but this change cannot be reversed.
Analysis
1. Many individuals today would rather seek out medical advice themselves instead of seeing a licensed professional. 2. In my opinion, this is a result of online convenience and it is a positive development on the whole.
- Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
- Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here.
1. The main cause of this transition is the proliferation of information available on the internet. 2. In the past, an ailing individual had little recourse other than to visit a doctor for tests. 3. Now, there are a variety of question and answer websites as well as diagnosis ones that are free of cost and faster than a trip to a hospital. 4. The slight conveniences of saving some money, time, and effort may not seem decisive, but mass behaviour is often driven by marginal advantages. 5. For instance, posting a question to a forum such as Reddit.com where qualified professions may provide free advice is a powerful incentive to avoid a costly and time-consuming consultation with an experienced doctor.
- Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
- Explain your main idea.
- Develop it with specific examples.
- Keep developing it fully.
- Stay focused on the same main idea.
1. Though there are risks associated with misdiagnosis, seeking advice online is generally more reliable. 2. Doctors vary in their quality and numerous studies in recent years support the counter-intuitive conclusion that websites actually provide more trustworthy advice. 3. This is a result of the accumulation of many years’ worth of data and the standardizing of detection, prognosis, and treatment. 4. For example, the website WebMD.com allows users to search for their symptoms online, discover a range of possible causes and then decide themselves on the best path forward. 5. This may include a visit to a hospital if further tests are required that can only be conducted in person, but at least the patient has saved time and money at the initial stage of diagnosis.
- Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
- Explain your new main idea.
- Include specific details and examples.
- Continue developing it…
- as fully as possible!
1. In conclusion, fewer people today visit doctors because there are cheap, convenient alternatives online and this is largely positive. 2. There are risks that must be guarded against but this change cannot be reversed.
- Summarise your main ideas.
- Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean? Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.
Many individuals today would rather seek out medical advice themselves instead of seeing a licensed professional. In my opinion, this is a result of online convenience and it is a positive development on the whole.
The main cause of this transition is the proliferation of information available on the internet. In the past, an ailing individual had little recourse other than to visit a doctor for tests. Now, there are a variety of question and answer websites as well as diagnosis ones that are free of cost and faster than a trip to a hospital. The slight conveniences of saving some money, time, and effort may not seem decisive, but mass behaviour is often driven by marginal advantages. For instance, posting a question to a forum such as Reddit.com where qualified professions may provide free advice is a powerful incentive to avoid a costly and time-consuming consultation with an experienced doctor.
Though there are risks associated with misdiagnosis, seeking advice online is generally more reliable. Doctors vary in their quality and numerous studies in recent years support the counter-intuitive conclusion that websites actually provide more trustworthy advice. This is a result of the accumulation of many years’ worth of data and the standardizing of detection, prognosis, and treatment. For example, the website WebMD.com allows users to search for their symptoms online, discover a range of possible causes and then decide themselves on the best path forward. This may include a visit to a hospital if further tests are required that can only be conducted in person, but at least the patient has saved time and money at the initial stage of diagnosis.
In conclusion, fewer people today visit doctors because there are cheap, convenient alternatives online and this is largely positive. There are risks that must be guarded against but this change cannot be reversed.
Answers
For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:
seek out find
medical advice suggestions from doctors
instead of over
licensed professional doctor
online convenience easier to do on a website
positive development on the whole good overall
transition change to
proliferation spread
information available what can be found online
in the past formerly
ailing sick
little recourse other than to no choice but to
tests conducted to find out about your illness
variety many types
question and answer websites forum sites
as well as and
diagnosis identifying what’s wrong
free of cost no charge
trip travelling to a place
slight conveniences minor helps
decisive makes a real difference
mass behaviour how people act
driven by motivated by
marginal advantages small edges
posting putting up online
forum where people can ask and answer questions online
qualified professions doctors
powerful incentive good motivator
avoid stay away from
costly expensive
time-consuming consultation takes up a lot of time
experienced have done the job a long time
risks associated with misdiagnosis dangers related to a mistake in identifying what is wrong
reliable trustworthy
vary change according to
numerous studies in recent years support the counter-intuitive conclusion much research recently shows the unlikely fact that
actually in fact
trustworthy reliable
accumulation adding up
years’ worth a lot of time put into it
data information
standardizing made all the same
detection finding out
prognosis how the illness with continue
treatment medicine
WebMD.com a site with information about illnesses
users people using the site
symptoms the results of an illness
discover find out about
range variety of
possible causes potential sources
decide themselves figure out on their own
best path forward treatment options
conducted done
initial stage early on
convenient alternatives good other options
largely mostly
risks threats
guarded against protected from
reversed changed back
Pronunciation
Practice saying the vocabulary below and use this tip about Google voice search:
siːk aʊt
ˈmɛdɪkəl ədˈvaɪs
ɪnˈstɛd ɒv
ˈlaɪsənst prəˈfɛʃənl
ˈɒnˌlaɪn kənˈviːniəns
ˈpɒzətɪv dɪˈvɛləpmənt ɒn ðə həʊl
trænˈzɪʃ(ə)n
prəʊˌlɪfəˈreɪʃən
ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃən əˈveɪləbl
ɪn ðə pɑːst
ˈeɪlɪŋ
ˈlɪtl rɪˈkɔːs ˈʌðə ðæn tuː
tɛsts
vəˈraɪəti
ˈkwɛsʧən ænd ˈɑːnsə ˈwɛbˌsaɪts
æz wɛl æz
ˌdaɪəgˈnəʊsɪs
friː ɒv kɒst
trɪp
slaɪt kənˈviːniənsɪz
dɪˈsaɪsɪv
mæs bɪˈheɪvjə
ˈdrɪvn baɪ
ˈmɑːʤɪnəl ədˈvɑːntɪʤɪz
ˈpəʊstɪŋ
ˈfɔːrəm
ˈkwɒlɪfaɪd prəˈfɛʃənz
ˈpaʊəfʊl ɪnˈsɛntɪv
əˈvɔɪd
ˈkɒstli
ˈtaɪmkənˈsjuːmɪŋ ˌkɒnsəlˈteɪʃən
ɪksˈpɪərɪənst
rɪsks əˈsəʊʃɪeɪtɪd wɪð mɪs ˌdaɪəgˈnəʊsɪs
rɪˈlaɪəbl
ˈveəri
ˈnjuːmərəs ˈstʌdiz ɪn ˈriːsnt jɪəz səˈpɔːt ðə ˈkaʊntər-ɪnˈtju(ː)ɪtɪv kənˈkluːʒən
ˈækʧʊəli
ˈtrʌstˌwɜːði
əˌkjuːmjʊˈleɪʃ(ə)n
jɪəz wɜːθ
ˈdeɪtə
ˈstændədaɪzɪŋ
dɪˈtɛkʃən
prɒgˈnəʊsɪs
ˈtriːtmənt
wɛb ˌɛmˈdiː kɒm
ˈjuːzəz
ˈsɪmptəmz
dɪsˈkʌvə
reɪnʤ
ˈpɒsəbl ˈkɔːzɪz
dɪˈsaɪd ðəmˈsɛlvz
bɛst pɑːθ ˈfɔːwəd
kənˈdʌktɪd
ɪˈnɪʃəl steɪʤ
kənˈviːniənt ɔːlˈtɜːnətɪvz
ˈlɑːʤli
rɪsks
ˈgɑːdɪd əˈgɛnst
rɪˈvɜːst
Vocabulary Practice
I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:
Many individuals today would rather s__________t m_______________e themselves i______________f seeing a l_____________________l. In my opinion, this is a result of o_______________________e and it is a p_________________________________e.
The main cause of this t_____________n is the p________________n of i_____________________e on the internet. I_____________t, an a________g individual had l_________________________o visit a doctor for t_____s. Now, there are a v_______y of q_____________________________s a______________s d____________s ones that are f____________t and faster than a t____p to a hospital. The s_______________________s of saving some money, time, and effort may not seem d____________e, but m_______________r is often d____________y m____________________s. For instance, p__________g a question to a f________m such as Reddit.com where q___________________s may provide free advice is a p_____________________e to a________d a c_______y and t______________________________n with an e_____________d doctor.
Though there are r____________________h m______________s, seeking advice online is generally more r___________e. Doctors v_____y in their quality and n________________s i___________________s s____________________________n that websites a_____________y provide more t_______________y advice. This is a result of the a________________n of many y_____________h of d_____a and the s_______________g of d____________n, p____________s, and t_____________t. For example, the website W_____________m allows u_______s to search for their s____________s online, d____________r a r________e of p_______________s and then d_____________________s on the b__________________d. This may include a visit to a hospital if further tests are required that can only be c____________d in person, but at least the patient has saved time and money at the i_______________e of diagnosis.
In conclusion, fewer people today visit doctors because there are cheap, c________________________s online and this is l_______y positive. There are r______s that must be g__________________t but this change cannot be r_____________d.
Listening Practice
Learn more about this topic in the video below and practice with these activities:
Reading Practice
Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice:
Speaking Practice
Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam:
Health
- How can people improve their physical health?
- What about their mental health?
- In what ways can teachers encourage students to do sports?
- What is the role of doctors in raising health awareness?
- Can social media also play a role?
Writing Practice
Practice with the same basic topic below and then check with my sample answer:
Governments should spend more money on medical research and less on researching the environment.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Dave, thank you very much for your brilliant essays! Not only are they impeccably written, but also they provide a lot of useful information.
Here’s my essay on the topic. But I’m afraid it’s still not even close to a Band 8.
By the way, we have the same opinion on the first question 🙂
Nowadays it is considered a common practice to resort to advice for treating medical conditions instead of visiting a doctor. While this might happen due to the abundance of information available on the Internet, I strongly believe that it has negative implications since health conditions are not tolerant of amateurism.
With the development of modern technologies, in particular the Internet, it has become relatively easy to browse any information on health issues without leaving your house. Even a century ago, one should have travelled a long way to fetch a doctor, which was an extremely complicated endeavor, since a patient would almost certainly have been dead by the time the doctor arrived. Today, on the other hand, a cure may be just one minute away for those who have access to inexhaustible Internet resources. It can be exemplified by the number of people who have stopped visiting doctors and instead started caring for themselves with the help of scientific articles and advice found online.
Although some might argue that the ability to get an immediate response is definitely a positive trend, I would argue that online sources bear negative consequences for those who seek advice on medical issues. Covid 19, for instance, induced millions of people to start heeding advice found on the Internet, which worsened the situation even more, given that the overwhelming majority of sources were fake. As a result of this blind trust, those who fell victim to Coronavirus refused to visit doctors and proceeded with amateur self-medication. The dire consequences, however, might have been prevented if the diseased promptly reported about their health conditions to the nearest hospital and accepted aid from paramedics and doctors.
In conclusion, although the evolution has bestowed upon us innumerable opportunities of accessing once unavailable sources and data, it should be kept in mind that health must be treated by professionals only, without the temptation to resort to self-medication.
Thanks for your comment, ‘test taker’!
Your writing is strong but some collocations are a little off or too strong like ‘tolerant of amatuerism’ – though it is nice phrase. Careful of informal phrases as well.
Some claims a little strong – not everyone would die while a doctor was being fetched – just some! Show off your nuance with vocabulary and grammar by having more nuanced claims.
Hope that helps get you to an 8 – you’re not far off!
Thank you very much for your kindness, Dave! I really appreciate that
No problem!
Trying to get an 8.5 in writing, ambitious but not impossible 🙂
Such a tricky topic, I struggle to find an example for the second body. Thanks! Dave
It is true that many have a tendency to consult the Internet and other sources to treat their illnesses rather than visiting a doctor. The omnipresence of the Internet and poor financial conditions of individuals are responsible for this phenomenon and I am strongly convinced that this development is, in general, negative.
There are two main driving forces behind the trend of refusing to meet a professional doctor. First, the truth is that almost all people nowadays have access to the Internet in which information related to curing different types of diseases is abundantly available. Therefore, it is understandable for them to find cures for their illnesses from online sources, which is more convenient and faster than setting an appointment with a doctor or taking a trip to a hospital. Second, receiving advice for medical issues from the Internet is of great use for the unwell with economically disadvantaged conditions. This is because health care can be prohibitively expensive in several countries such as America, for which is beyond their financial capabilities to pay. Clearly, in this case, getting online advice to cure illnesses is a preferable option.
Nevertheless, I claim that denying advice from a licensed professional when suffering from illnesses may do more harm than good. Although online-based medical treatment can be convenient and affordable, it possibly carries the risk of misdiagnosis. In fact, the medical status might vary from person to person, meaning that patients need a close check from a doctor to receive a suitable prescription. Advice from the Internet, on the other hand, albeit widely available, is not scientifically proven. This means that this form of treatment may be not only ineffective in combatting diseases but also counterproductive, potentially leading to future life-threatening injuries. This is to say the benefits of consulting the Internet to counter illnesses are dwarfed by the drawbacks coming from complications attributable to misdiagnosis patients may suffer.
In conclusion, the trend of patients asking for advice for medical treatment from other sources instead of from a doctor is ascribed to the popularity of the Internet and their underprivileged conditions, and I am adamant that this development should be regarded as negative.
Did you get the results you want? Your writing seems pretty good.
There are various reasons why people prefer to seek advice on health from non-doctors. It’s been long that healthcare industry has moved far from patient centric to business centric. We must have seen or experienced by ourselves this. For instance, we consult a doctor for migraine, they would recommend you a MRI scan along with all the blood investigations which might cost you thousands of bucks. Instead of enquiring personal history or trying to know the patient’s work culture directly suggesting on imaging investigation shows the motive of test. Secondly people are afraid to go to big hospitals as the ambience created in corporate hospitals scares people on the expense they have to meet on treatment. More over people are worried about the side effects of the treatment and they assume home remedies would help them better to deal with the disease.
I feel that seeking medical advice from non-doctors would lead to adverse effects. Expenditure on diagnosis made in the hospitals would cost you more, but at the same time we can come to a conclusion on the approach of treatment. Instead of taking self -medication consulting a doctor will cause you no harm whereas self-treatment might endanger one. Most of the times, when home remedy fails, the patient come to a doctor. Furthermore when we follow a prescription, , we need not worry about the complications associated with the treatment, since it will be taken care by the medical professional.
In my conclusion, it is advisable to have a family doctor who knows your health. It is true that home remedy works to certain extend. But we should know when to do self -medication or take advice from people or when to meet a doctor unless the sequence has to be met by the personal.
Good work, Tamya.
Try to stick to the structure detailed in my answer a little more closely.
Good level of vocabulary but lots of minor mistakes with vocab/grammar!