What is the Calgary-Cambridge consultation model?

The Calgary-Cambridge model is a five-stage framework for medical consultations: initiating the session, gathering information, physical examination, explanation and planning, and closing the session. Two parallel tasks — providing structure and building the relationship — run throughout.

Who developed the Calgary-Cambridge model?

The model was developed in 1996 by Suzanne Kurtz and Jonathan Silverman from the universities of Calgary and Cambridge. It is now the dominant communication framework in UK and Australian medical curricula.

Is Calgary-Cambridge tested in AMC Handbook AI RolePlay?

Yes. AMC Handbook AI RolePlay marking domains for communication and professionalism map directly to Calgary-Cambridge tasks. Examiners reward candidates who initiate properly, explore ICE, share decisions, and safety-net.

What is ICE in Calgary-Cambridge?

ICE stands for Ideas, Concerns, and Expectations — a structured way to ask the patient what they think is happening, what worries them, and what they hope you will do. It transforms generic data gathering into patient-centred care.

How does Calgary-Cambridge differ from SOCRATES?

Calgary-Cambridge is a whole-consultation framework covering the entire patient encounter. SOCRATES is a symptom-specific mnemonic for taking a pain history, which sits inside the 'Gathering information' stage of Calgary-Cambridge.

What is open-to-closed funnelling?

Open-to-closed funnelling means starting with broad open questions ('Tell me about the pain'), then narrowing to focused closed questions ('Does it radiate to your left arm?'). This builds rapport and avoids missing important detail.

AMC Handbook AI RolePlay Frameworks · Updated 2026

Calgary-Cambridge Consultation Model for AMC Handbook AI RolePlay

The five-stage consultation framework taught in every Australian medical school. Master this structure and your AMC Handbook AI RolePlay communication marks will look after themselves.

Why Calgary-Cambridge?

The Calgary-Cambridge guide, developed by Suzanne Kurtz and Jonathan Silverman in 1996, is the dominant consultation model in UK and Australian medical curricula. It breaks a consultation into five sequential stages with two parallel tasks — providing structure and building the relationship — running throughout. AMC Handbook AI RolePlay marking domains for communication and professionalism map directly onto its tasks, so a candidate who visibly follows the model will rarely fail communication.

Stage 1 — Initiating the session

Greet the patient by name and introduce yourself with your role.
Confirm identity and demonstrate respect.
Establish the reason for the encounter with an open question — "What brings you in today?"
Listen for the opening statement without interrupting (golden minute) and screen for additional concerns — "Anything else?"
Negotiate the agenda for the consultation.

Stage 2 — Gathering information

Use open-to-closed funnelling: start broad, then narrow. Explore the presenting complaint with structured mnemonics such as SOCRATES for pain. Then cover background:

Past medical and surgical history.
Medications, allergies and adherence.
Family history.
Social history — smoking, alcohol, drugs, occupation, home.
Systems review tailored to the differential.

Critically, elicit ICE — the patient's Ideas, Concerns, and Expectations:

"What do you think might be causing this?" (Ideas)
"Is there something in particular you're worried about?" (Concerns)
"What were you hoping we could do today?" (Expectations)

Stage 3 — Physical examination

Even when the station is examination-only, narrate what you would like to examine, why, and ask consent. Maintain dignity (cover sheet, chaperone offered) and verbalise findings to the examiner if instructed. Keep the examination focused and time-aware.

Stage 4 — Explanation and planning

This is where many AMC Handbook AI RolePlay candidates lose marks. Effective explanation involves:

Chunking and checking. Give a small piece of information, pause, and confirm understanding.
Plain English. Translate jargon — say "blood clot in the lung" not "pulmonary embolism".
Shared decision-making. Offer realistic options and invite the patient's preference.
Address ICE explicitly. Loop back to the concerns they raised earlier.

Stage 5 — Closing the session

Summarise the plan in two sentences.
Safety-net: state the red flags that should prompt return — "If the chest pain returns or you become short of breath, go straight to ED."
Arrange follow-up with a specific timeframe.
Offer written information.
Final check — "Is there anything else you wanted to ask?"

The two parallel tasks

Throughout all five stages, two tasks run continuously:

Task	What it looks like in practice
Providing structure	Signpost between stages — "Now I'd like to ask about your medications." Summarise periodically.
Building the relationship	Empathy, eye contact, calibrated body language, acknowledging emotion, demonstrating respect.

Drill the model with AI roleplays

Reading the framework is not enough. Mostly Medicine's AMC Handbook AI RolePlay roleplay engine simulates real AMC Handbook AI RolePlay stations and grades each consultation against Calgary-Cambridge stages, ICE elicitation, and safety-netting.

Start practising free →

Frequently asked questions

What is the Calgary-Cambridge model?

A five-stage consultation framework — initiating, gathering, examining, explaining, closing — with two parallel tasks of structure and relationship.

Who developed it?

Suzanne Kurtz (University of Calgary) and Jonathan Silverman (University of Cambridge) in 1996. Subsequent editions have refined the language but the structure is unchanged.

What is ICE?

Ideas, Concerns, and Expectations — three short questions that reveal what the patient thinks, fears, and wants. Eliciting ICE is the single biggest differentiator between average and excellent consultations.

How long should I spend on each stage in 8 minutes?

Roughly: 1 minute initiating, 3 minutes gathering, 1 minute examining (if relevant), 2 minutes explaining and planning, 1 minute closing. Adjust to the station's instructions.

Is Calgary-Cambridge the same as the Cambridge model?

Yes — "Cambridge model" is a colloquial shorthand for the full Calgary-Cambridge guide.