Content: Honest and Tight
More importantly, Darves’ research confirms what we guessed: most medical training programs can recommend CV templates for physicians seeking structural guidance. For those seeking an initial practice opportunity, she suggests the following content and ordering of information:
- Name and contact information
- Education — undergraduate through internships, residencies, and fellowships — including specific clinical roles and any leadership roles
- Licensure (status of applications planned or underway, if any)
- Board certification or status
- Professional experience (medicine-related only), including procedure and patient volumes as applicable to the specialty, along with administrative roles or duties
- Activities and committee memberships, including roles and brief descriptions of associated accomplishments
- Honors, awards, and professional affiliations
- Publications and presentations
Careers by Kevin MD.com offers similar advice, noting: “Although a CV generally contains more information than a standard resume, the keys to a successful CV are still brevity and a stellar list of accomplishments.”
In a February 2, 2019, article on KevinMD.com writer Eve Harris offers a list of CV content in a slightly different order than Darves suggests. “After contact information,” she says, “a physician’s CV should include
- Education (school name, school location, degree earned, graduation dates)
- Academic Honors/Activities/Leadership Positions
- Research
- Internships/Clinics/Residencies/Fellowships (employer name, employer location, specialty area, dates)
- Practice Experience (name of practice/hospital, location, title, type of practice, brief description)
- Specialty Area
- Publications
- Presentations
- Professional Memberships
- Licensure/Board Certification
- Other Work Experience (employer name, employer location, title, dates of employment, brief job description)
- Professional Awards/Honors
- Language Skills
“Also, if you’re a foreign medical graduate, list your citizenship/visa status. Being forthcoming shows a potential employer that you are honest and, if necessary, ready to make the visa process as smooth as possible for them,” Harris writes.
All dated entries should be reverse-chronologically listed (from present to past) in a month/year format. Darves’ sources agreed physicians should be prepared to explain any gap of more than three months in a cover letter or conversation; they should never attempt to cover up a gap.
One medical-group CEO told Darves of a candidate who spent a year working in an emergency room before starting medical school and another who took a year off during his training to care for his dying mother. “Most of the time, it’s just a matter of letting people know why there’s a gap,” the executive said.
Darves’ NEJM Career Center article offers a good discussion of what to include, or possibly exclude, in a physician CV. To the extent possible, tailoring contents (like opening statements, hobbies or personal interests) and cover letters to a desired employer’s expectations is optimal.
“Sources agreed that physicians should keep to the standard ordering of information while attempting to position potentially distinguishing details (like special awards or recognition) on the first page, if possible,” Darves writes. Also, the experts with whom she spoke generally agreed that the following information generally should not be included on the physician CV, under most circumstances:
- Birthdates, Social Security numbers, and any other official identification number.
- Marital status.
- References. (Including references before they’ve been requested can make it look like you’re trying too hard.)
- Extensive publication details — stick to title, journal name, publication date and author name(s).
- Conference attendance, unless you spoke at the event.
Sweat the Details
“The CV should be crisp, clean, and clearly written — no grammar or spelling errors — but also succinct,” a human resources administrator with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) advised Darves. As of the article’s writing, SCPMG employed more than 9,000 physicians and its physician recruiters received more than 4,000 CVs a year.
Suggestions for ensuring your CV makes the screener’s cut include:
- Proof, proof, proof — and, if possible, have someone else review your CV before submitting it. When applying for a posted position, be sure your CV and, especially your cover letter, clearly relate to the desired position.
- “Pay attention to seemingly minor formatting details that, if not handled properly, could frustrate potential readers who review scores of CVs as part of their job,” Darves writes. For example, a footer including a page number and the physician’s name should appear on each page.
- Think of the receiver when naming your CV file: hiring managers suggest file names with the physician’s last name, then first name (and maybe the submission date).
- Save your CV in PDF format. While not ‘bullet-proof,’ it’s a deterrent to someone’s altering your document along the way.
Pass the 6-Second Test
In her early-2019 post, “11 Resume Tips to Keep Your Application From Getting Passed Over,” The Fit Careerist (and former recruiter) Corrie Alexander says the average read time per resume is 6 seconds.