The SCA does not require you to use a specific consultation model. Examiners mark performance, not model adherence. But you need a framework for structuring 12 minutes efficiently — otherwise you will spend 9 minutes on history and run out of time for management.
Calgary-Cambridge
Initiating the session → gathering information → physical examination → explanation and planning → closing the session. The most comprehensive model, the most widely taught in UK GP training, and the best evidence base. Maps most directly to the three SCA marking domains. Risk: can feel rigid if applied mechanically rather than adapted to each patient.
Neighbour (Inner Consultation)
Connecting → summarising → handing over → safety-netting → housekeeping. More intuitive and natural-feeling than Calgary-Cambridge. Emphasises the internal experience of consulting. Risk: less structured data gathering may miss important information.
Pendleton
Strengths-based feedback model — more a framework for post-consultation reflection than a consultation structure. Useful for analysing consultations after the fact. Less useful as a real-time consulting framework.
How AI Tools Map
Clinitalk feedback implicitly references consultation theory frameworks when analysing your recorded consultations. MedTutor marks against SCA domains which align with Calgary-Cambridge structure. SCA Prep uses RCGP criteria. None of these tools explicitly teach a model — they assess performance against marking criteria.
Practical Advice
Learn Calgary-Cambridge as your base — it provides the most structured framework for hitting all three SCA domains within 12 minutes. Then adapt it to your natural style. The model should be invisible in a good consultation — it is scaffolding, not a script.
Read the RCGP Consultation Toolkit (free) for the definitive breakdown of what examiners mark.
Where iatroX Fits
Consultation models structure how you deliver clinical content. iatroX ensures you have the clinical content to deliver — adaptive knowledge revision ensures you are not searching for management plans during the consultation.