How to Build A Curriculum Vitae (CV) for Medical Students

by | Jun 30, 2024 | Professional Development

Author: Amina Khan and John Buford
Editors: Sneha Polam and Samantha Licciardi

Updated: January 4, 2024

A curriculum vitae (CV) allows for others to have a sum of an applicant’s academic career, highlighting their honors, as well as significant accomplishments, publications and projects that they have been a part of. Having a properly formed curriculum vitae is essential in the steps of applying to residency programs, as well as grants and fellowships. A curriculum vitae, otherwise known as a CV, is additionally a necessary resource to provide when requesting a recommendation letter, as a CV will highlight and emphasize the applicant’s strengths. 

I. Differences Between a Curriculum Vitae and a Resume

The terms resume and CV have often been used interchangeably, but there are significant differences between the two. One of the most notable is the length, with resumes having a length limit of 2 pages, whereas a CV does not have an accepted limit on the length, with it being variable from applicant to applicant. Furthermore, a resume places an emphasis on one’s skills, as these are often utilized for a job application, with work experience being listed first. A CV differs in that it has a heavier focus on education, with this being listed first as CVs will be used when applying to academia related positions. 

II. What to Include in Your Curriculum Vitae

Education, research experiences and publications, relevant work or teaching experiences, leadership, and volunteer experiences should be noted. Relevant accomplishments could include: local or national honors/awards, speaking engagements, conference attendance and certifications. Publications listed should be, if possible, timely with the CV. For example, the most recent items should come first within the CV. While a CV is the summary of an academic career there are limits to how long that encompasses. In general, by the second year of medical school most undergraduate items on a CV can be removed. An old experience can stay if the experience is longitudinal enough, or relevant enough to the current attitude of the CV. Any work, leadership, or volunteering also requires a hint of explanation. Any experience should be able to be summarized in a few bullet points. Examples of CVs and detailed guidance on how to format experiences are listed below.

III. Formatting and Updating your Curriculum Vitae

It is important to organize all information in reverse chronological order to ensure that the newest information appears first. Additionally, maintain a consistent font and ensure font size is between 10-12 point. In order to show differences between sections, use white space and bold or underline section headings. 

In general it would be best to update the CV every six months, or even more frequently, so that previous activities are not forgotten. When updating your CV, creating a new copy each time is crucial. This allows a candidate to track changes and revert to previous versions if needed. It also allows for customization for different applications without losing the original content and can help maintain different formats for various purposes. With each new version, rename the document to the date it was revised. Additionally with each revision, pay close attention to the formatting of the CV as content can shift easily. 

IV. Common Mistakes to Avoid

A great CV might not get someone hired, but it keeps the candidate in the conversation about being hired. By contrast, a poor CV for an otherwise great candidate can be enough to sink an application. The CV is the first thing anyone sees about a candidate, and it would behoove the candidate to put their best foot forward with a clean and organized CV. It is also best to avoid design overkill, like color coating different lines, complex margins, or unnecessary tables. The goal is to impress by the content of the CV, not by the design of the CV. Likewise, it is likely for the best to leave any headshots off the CV. 

It would benefit the applicant to not only proofread their CV, but also to get multiple eyes on their CV. This could include someone from the desired profession, an advisor, or someone unfamiliar with the CV writer entirely. Different people may catch items missing, inconsistencies in format or verbage, or redundancies in the CV. 

V. Steps to Prepare an Effective Curriculum Vitae

Utilizing a three step process ensures that a CV can be properly prepared. 

  1. Firstly, one should brainstorm. This can be done efficiently via compiling a list that addresses information one believes would be beneficial to include in their CV, including education, employment, research and extracurricular related experiences. This should then be organized based upon category. 
  2. Following this, supporting information should be collected, with emphasis on timelines, as well as summaries and locations of experiences. Alongside this, if one is including publications and/or presentations, there should be citations detailed for each. 
  3. The next step requires that proper descriptions be written for each experience outlined, including who was worked with, who was served and clinical issues addressed. It can also be important to take note of major insights from each experience. 

In doing the aforementioned, an applicant ensures that they are allowing themselves to be properly considered for academia related roles via the preparation of a thorough, effective CV.

VI. Conclusion

A meticulously crafted CV serves as a key component in professional advancement and is a summary of an individual’s academic and professional qualifications and accomplishments. It not only outlines past achievements but also opens doors for future opportunities and continued professional growth and development.

CV Resources & Examples:

Citation Resources: 

How to Cite an Adopted Resolution on a CV:

Last name, A., Last name, B., Last name, C. (Month Year). TITLE OF RESOLUTION (F-20-14). Student Osteopathic Medical Association Fall House of Delegates.

Pub Status: Adopted (Month Year).