6/18/2013Senior Day 2013-2014

1. Concise (2-4 pages)2. Reverse Chronological order (should be

able to figure out the sequence in 30 seconds)

3. Use comments to explain important training/ experience/ leadership positions that are meaningful to you (see links) and to make your CV stand out

Marketing tool The first opportunity to introduce him or

herself to a potential employer Easy to read Becomes a “map” as you develop your

career –if you keep it updated Consider goal-directed CV

Physician CVs can be particularly long due to the lengthy lists of courses, presentations, research and publications a physician may want to include, but, like all resumes, your physician resume should be as clear and concise as possible. ◦ Option: Under Publications, write the number of

publications, topics of interest, and Journals published with “complete list of publications available upon request”

First page=first impression, so do not fill the first page with irrelevant personal information.

Your name and contact information should fit at the top of the first page of the physician CV;

Name Address Phone number Email address save other personal details, such as marital

status and hobbies, for a miscellaneous section at the end of your physician CV.

Reverse chronological order in every section

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 Miscellaneous and Hobbies

Your CV should convey your achievements and provide a comprehensive summary of your academic and professional background.

Make a “top 5” list of your achievements, strengths, or interests. All of them have to be listed, and preferably described in your CV.

Highlight vs. elaborate (wow with snapshots vs. bore the reader with details)

◦ Have you held leadership positions? ◦ Published? Won SAEM CPC?◦ Were involved in teaching medical students,

nurses, other residents?◦ What have you done to make yourself a valuable

commodity to the hospital or practice you’ve worked for? If you plan to do it this year, talk to attending involved and list it now…

Experience List each job, starting with your current position, in reverse chronological order, including the relevant dates and locations.

List relevant experience, skills and procedures learned from each position.

Use bullet points to help employers pick out essential information more efficiently.

Education List all relevant courses and degrees in reverse chronological order, including the dates and duration of each.

Include any awards or honors received during the course of your education. Remember to mention residency

Professional Memberships List all relevant memberships and specialties to which you belong.

Licensure and Certification List all physician licenses and certifications you have received.

Language Skills References Although names don’t have to be

listed, start talking to the people you plan to involve

While dates are important, you don’t want them to be the main focus point on your CV.

There are four key elements to any listing in the Education, Postgraduate Training, or Work Experience sections of a resident or physician CV: ◦ 1) Position or degree,

2) name of organization,3) location of organization, and 4) the dates of your tenure.

Of these four, the position and name of the organization are the most important. Therefore, of the two examples below, B is a much better format than A.

Example A:

1999-2003, St. Francis Hospital, Queens, NY, Internal Medicine Resident

Example B: 

Internal Medicine Resident, 1993–2003St. Francis Hospital, Queens, NY

2. Is your timeline easy to follow?3. How many pages is it? Publications/Presentations/Research* Authored 15 articles published in (peer reviewed) medical

journals including The New England Journal of Medicine and the Internal Medicine Journal. Also published over 25 abstracts. Participated in several important research projects focusing primarily on diabetes treatment and prevention.

*Full listing of publications and research projects available upon request.

4. Is it easy on the eyes?◦ Headings should stand out◦ Simple size 11-12 font◦ Limited use of bold type ◦ Use white space to separate headings

5. Is formatting consistent?

..\xxx Common_descriptors_left_out_of_CVs[1].docx ..\xxx CV_Tips Girzadas.doc

Finally, have it reviewed by a couple of faculty members or friends, and follow-up on comments.

Keep it updated, always - Because you just don’t know what may

come up.