Tips on Residency Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Faizan@ · 01-19-2008, 01:02 AM

As you begin your search for a good medical residency program, you will, no doubt, be getting your personal statement, CV, medical school transcripts and other documents in order. Your Curriculum Vitae is a very important part of your residency application material and it is vital that you pay close attention to what you write. Organizing and presenting your medical career information the right way, will impress the residency program directors and will help you get an academically sound residency program in the ERAS / NRMP match. These tips should help you stay one step ahead in the game.
· Fonts: Having several different fonts, distracts the residency program director and makes your Curriculum Vitae (CV) look cluttered. Limit yourself to a single font type.
· Fonts that make your residency Curriculum Vitae look great include Times New Roman, Verdana and Arial.
· Styles: Avoid using italics and underlining. Using the same style and Font, but bold facing or capitalizing the sub-headings gives a better look.
· Do not use distracting lines, borders or boxes in your residency CV.
· Font size: Use a minimum size of 12. Your name, headings and titles may be 14. Boldface your name and headings.
· Your name, contact address, telephone number and e-mail address should be prominently placed on the first page, usually at the top center.
· Consider providing your permanent address as well, so that residency programs can contact you if any unexpected openings arise.
· E-mail: If you have a difficult or long e-mail, consider opening a new e-mail address for your residency search, that is less than 6 characters long.
· Use action verbs wherever you can, in your residency CV.
· If you are an International medical graduate (IMG) or a Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG), make sure you mention your visa status.
· Avoid labeling your residency CV as “Curriculum Vitae”. It is obvious that it is a CV.
· If you have already published medical papers, title them as “publications”. On the other hand, if you have medical research that has been submitted or is in progress, use the title “research experience”
· Using Indent strategically can make your residency CV look clear and neat.
· Headings in your residency CV should include…
· Education (Medical school, Pre-medical, Undergraduate)
· Professional experience (list dates and locations)
· Honors (awards and scholarships)
· Qualifications/Certifications (USMLE Step 1, 2, 3 - scores optional, ECFMG certified, Board eligible or certified)
· Clinical Skills (list procedures you are proficient in, ACLS, FCCS-Critical care, ATLS, PALS)
· Research (medical publications, ongoing research and posters).
· Visa Status (for International / Foreign Medical Graduates - IMG / FMG)
· Personal (hobbies, interests, languages- Spanish).
· Activities (membership in professional medical associations-ACP, AMA, AAP, ACOG, hospital committees).
· References
· Keep your residency Curriculum Vitae short and compact. A well-written CV should not exceed 2 pages.
· Do not forget to align your right and left borders by selecting (highlight) the whole page (text) and clicking “Justify”. Most residents forget to do this and leave their CV looking uneven with an indented right margin.
· While ERAS match residency applicants transmit their documents electronically, fellowship applicants are required to print and mail their work. Don’t compromise on quality when printing your CV and Personal statement. Use a laser printer and professional heavyweight resume paper. Ivory and White are safe colors.
· Have your colleagues or residency program director proofread and comment on your work.

maik7upurz · 01-19-2008, 06:04 AM

Thanks we glad you know how to use copy and paste;

Residency and Fellowship.com - Residency CV Tips

MedGrunt · 01-19-2008, 06:21 AM

Thanks for putting the info on the forum Faizan. It'll definitely help members. Keep up the good work.

Faizan@ · 01-19-2008, 07:59 AM

thanks maik7purz for disclosing it

But I did not claim it to be mine, and i dont think there is any harm in it as long as it helps others. I had myself problems writing a proper CV for myself, so I searched on the net and found this article to very helpful, so thought about posting it here, I hope it helps others too

MastahRiz · 01-19-2008, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maik7upurz

Thanks we glad you know how to use copy and paste;

Residency and Fellowship.com - Residency CV Tips

If you don't have anything nice to say...

lymphoma · 05-12-2008, 11:23 AM

so did u get a residency Faizan?