What makes a medical CV different – and how to nail it

iStock.com/ Pichsakul Promrungsee

By Dr Ollie Burton

What to include, how much to include and what to avoid: a beginner-friendly guide to building and maintaining a medical CV.

The first rule of medical CVs is simple: have one written and ready to go at all times

While doctor jobs aren’t acquired by walking into the nearest hospital and handing in your CV at the front desk, these professional documents are still an important part of your working life. So knowing how to create and maintain a curriculum vitae is an essential skill. Here is a beginner-friendly guide for constructing your first medical CV.

Keep one ready – always

The first rule of medical CVs is simple: have one written and ready to go at all times. Much of the networking you'll do in medicine involves someone saying “ping me over your CV” – whether that's at an academic meeting, a conference, or when an opportunity for research comes up.