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RCP/21/05/2012

RCP insight
How to write a medical CV
By Dr Clement Lau BMedSci (Hons), MBChB with Honours






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Introduction
Applying for jobs can be a daunting experience. This is not helped by the fact that competition for
places can be fierce. Standing out from the crowd has become more important than ever. The
curriculum vitae (CV) can be the key document to clinch that dream job and can be the difference
between success and failure. Think of your CV as a concise summary of your achievements and an
essential tool to identify gaps in your experience. It is not your portfolio. That is much more detailed
and contains the actual evidence of your achievements. Use it to help motivate you, find
opportunities to excel and reach those career goals. Clearly it is worth making sure your CV is written
well and this guide will give some important tips and advice on making it shine.
General advice
The most important part of the CV is making sure it is aimed at the job you are applying for. The best
way to do this is to match it to the person specification of the job. This is what the employer is
looking for. If you fulfil these criteria then your chances of getting the job will be much higher. For
example the CV for a research post would be markedly different from one to speciality training.
Keep your CV concise and easy to read with a
clear structure. Ensure any outstanding
achievements are highlighted to catch the
readers attention. Get advice from others,
especially more senior doctors, who can help
personalise your CV. They might also offer
their own CV for you to read and offer
feedback on your CV. Dont get worried or
anxious about seeing other peoples CV and
comparing it to yours. It might be good to
spur you on and improve your own!
Presentation of your CV
There are numerous ways of presenting your CV. There is not one right way but there are a few
points to keep in mind when writing your CV:
Length this will vary depending on your experience and achievements to date. Keeping it
brief with good quality information displayed succinctly is the best approach. For speciality
training this may only be two to three pages long. Avoid waffle and long sentences because
this will distract from the overall appearance of your CV.

Format - use a generic, common and readable font such as Arial or Times New Roman. Avoid
colours and too much formatting such as excessive use of bold and underlining. Ensure
spacing and layout is kept consistent. Print on white paper to make it easy to read. Some like
to use extra white or glossy paper. This is acceptable as long as it doesnt distract from the
content.

Conciseness avoid blocks of text, use bullet points instead. This will make important
information stand out and make it easy to pick up points from your CV which can be further
explored in the interview.


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Structuring your CV
Separate your information into sections.
This will make your CV easier to read and
allow the reader to jump to pertinent areas.
There are many formats and sections you
could employ but I would recommend the
following:
Personal details include your full name at
the top, correspondence address, contact
details including phone number and email
address, date of birth and nationality. I
would also include your GMC registration
number after your personal details.
Personal statement this can be included at the start or right at the end of your CV. Personally I
prefer it at the beginning because it makes it clear to the reader why you stand out from the crowd.
This should be a short paragraph about your experience, current skills and career goals.
Education and qualifications list your university qualifications here in reverse chronological order.
Include the educational institution and year of qualification. If you have passed royal college or
membership exams include it in this section. Many people wonder about including school exams
such as A levels. I would recommend not including these if you have passed your primary medical
degree as it will save space and focus the readers attention on the important information.
Prizes and awards if you have any prestigious awards or prizes include this on the first page of
your CV to really make it stand out from the crowd.
Career or employment history as with all sections of your CV start with the most recent job first.
Include any future planned placements or jobs. It is prudent to include the dates, employer, work
location and what grade you were.
Clinical skills and experience here you should
include any particular skills, such as specific
procedures or experiences, which would
complement the person specification of the job
you are applying for. Basic competences should
not be included, instead detail particular aspects
which are more outstanding.
Courses and conferences list courses you have
completed, their duration, provider and
completion date. This will show your commitment
to lifelong learning and professional development.
Remember to include career fairs or conferences which may be specific to the speciality you are
applying for.
Research experience how much you include here depends on what job you are applying for. If
you have no research experience then omit this section rather than leave it blank. Include the title of
your research, duration, funding and a brief summery of your research aims and results.
Clinical audit this section must be included in your CV. Include the audit topic and results,
location, your role and the audit standards.
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Publications list your most recent publications. If you have a lot of publications you may wish to
categorise them such as original research, case reports, audit etc. Include all your published material
even if this isnt in PubMed or peer reviewed.
Presentations this includes all poster and oral presentations. State the location, type of
presentation and whether it was local, regional, national or international.
Teaching experience teaching is an essential aspect of being a doctor and is specifically detailed in
the GMCs Good Medical Practice. It may be preferable to list important teaching programmes you
have designed and organised yourself as this is more impressive than one off sessions. State the
teaching methods and audience, medical students for example. If you wish to develop teaching or
medical education in your career then explain this in a brief sentence.
Management and leadership skills doctors of all levels will have gained management and
leadership experience. There is a great emphasis on these skills in job person specifications.
Experience could include society committee roles, participating in rota management, audit lead role,
organising and leading a teaching programme.
Personal interests include this section towards the end to show that you are a well-balanced
individual with interests outside work.
Referees include two referees. One should be your most current clinical or educational supervisor
and the other someone from a recent previous post. Include their full name, job title and full contact
details.
Getting it right
Polish off your CV by proof reading it and
getting your colleagues to review it. A mistake
or glitch on your CV will stick out like an
eyesore. A well written CV should show off all
aspects of your career and experience. A good
way to do this is to keep a master copy CV
which is regularly updated and edited according
to different jobs you may be applying for. This
means you wont miss out important points and
you wont be caught out and flustered when
you actually need your CV!

Dr Clement Lau, Foundation Year 2 Doctor
BMedSci (Hons), MBChB with Honours