Writing your medical CV

Are you a doctor who wants to progress in your career but aren’t sure what information to include in your CV?

We have developed this guide that outlines the importance of your CV to reflect you and your career and explain in detail each of the areas that you should include. You can request a copy of our free sample or template resume to use whilst creating your own medical CV. 

If you would like a free copy of our sample or template CV, please email enquires@pulsejobs.com

The importance of a clear and concise medical CV that showcases your skills and experience 

When applying for a medical job in the UK, there can be a high volume of applications for one role. The consultant, hiring manager or panel in the hospital are sent a pile of doctors CVs to review and shortlist for consideration. The shortlist attend an interview before finding out if they have been unsuccessful, need to attend another interview or are successful and offered a permanent or fixed-term job.

Consultants review CVs in small windows of opportunity between day to day duties, patients and responsibilities within the department. Our job is to make sure when your CV is sent over, all of the important, valuable and necessary information is clear and can be understood at just a glance. We work with every doctor on an individual basis formatting their CV specific to the job vacancy but here are some tips from our team about what to include on your resume.

Let’s begin

Format your medical CV

On average, an employer scans a CV for 6-7 seconds to decide if they want to continue reading. A simple but impactful CV that is neat and easy to read is more likely to catch the attention of the hiring manager.

• Use one font type which is easy to read. We recommend Calibri, Times New Roman or Arial.
• Don’t include any unnecessary personal details like date of birth, marital status, number of children or photographs.

Personal statement

Your statement or summary is a short paragraph at the start of your CV which summarises why you are a suitable candidate and why the hiring manager should shortlist your CV. Think about 5 or 6 sentences that answer the below questions:

• Who am I?
• Why am I right for this job?
• Why hire me?

Education and qualifications

Include your primary medical qualification and any post-graduate qualifications including location and date of completion. If you have passed PLAB, IELTS, OET or any other qualifications include them along with the date that you took or passed the exam.

Professional memberships

List any medical and professional societies and associations that you are a member of, even if they aren’t in the UK. Not only is it recognition for the stage you are at in your career, but it also demonstrates your ongoing commitment, passion and drives within the field.

Medical experience

The work history in your CV is where the hiring manager will determine if you have suitable experience for the grade you have applied for. We want them to see your most recent, relevant and senior placement first:

• Start with your current job and then work backwards in reverse-chronological order.
• Include the starting and leaving month and year for each placement to ensure there are no employment gaps.
• Stick with the same format for every job to keep it tidy
• Highlight your most relevant experience with a few bullet points after each job.
• If you do have any gaps in employment add them into your work history with a short explanation such as “Preparing for an exam” or “Maternity Leave”

Example:

Senior Clinical Fellow in Medicine

ABC Hospital (Aug 2020 – Sept 2021)

• Supported doctors diagnosing a range of patients
• Reviewed patient records and made care recommendations.
• Delivered medication to patients
• Kept clear, concise patient records

Training and courses

Hospitals provide training courses annually for doctors but there are popular courses available for doctors to book privately. Some of the in-demand and recognisable courses include:

• ALS: Advanced life support which is valid for four years

• APLS: Advanced paediatric life support which is valid for four years
• ATLS: Advanced trauma life support which is valid for four years

The hiring manager can determine what training they would need to provide based on the training you have listed on your CV. This section can showcase your training as attributes to being the perfect candidate for the job, especially if it is for a more niche speciality.

Conferences

Conferences are a great way to keep up to date with industry knowledge and skills. Share a list of the recent conferences you have attended. This demonstrates passion and commitment to your field and is another nod towards the knowledge and interest you already have in the role you are applying for.

Achievements

The main purpose of your CV is to sell yourself so if any achievements are relevant or you are particularly proud of, here’s your chance to showcase them. The hiring manager wants to hear if you were a top candidate in your cohort or have achieved an award or recognition within the medical field – they don’t need to know where you finished in sports day in school!

Research and audits

If you have a passion for research or your academic work has fuelled your interest in the speciality in which you are applying, take the time to list your accomplishments and work. Even if you aren’t applying for a research role, all of these elements build a picture of the type of doctor you are, your drives, ambition and motivators.

Hobbies and interests

Hobbies and interests allow you to give the hiring manager or consultant a glimpse at your non-medical interests. A work-life balance is important and it’s nice to see the person at the heart of the CV.

Languages

Being able to speak and understand multiple languages is a great addition to your resume but not mandatory. List any languages that you are comfortable conversing in. The hiring manager may be able to envision you as a strong addition to a busy and culturally diverse department where patients may not be able to speak English.

Referees

Finally, you will need to provide details of two referees who will are more senior than you (ideally a consultant) and will be able to write a clinical reference for you. These will need to be from your current employment and the employment before that. Some employers ask for three years of references so you may need to provide additional references depending on how long you’ve worked in each of your jobs.

We hope you have found this information useful. If you would like a free copy of our sample CV or CV template, please email enquires@pulsejobs.com