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1. Curriculum Vitae (CV) Writing School of Medicine
September 5, 2007
Erin Lowery
VCU University Career Center
Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services
Virginia Commonwealth University
3. Purpose of a CV What is your purpose in writing a CV?
To obtain an interview
To supplement an application
To prepare to complete applications
To prepare a recommender/reference
To apply for a scholarship/award/grant/fellowship
To provide a bio
Who is your audience/reader?
Be strategic
4. CVs vs. Resumes A Curriculum Vitae is used for academic, teaching, research, higher education and medical positions
A CV tends to be more comprehensive and longer than a resume and contains a detailed account of ones background
A CV always starts with Education
A CV includes categories not commonly seen on resumes, including presentations, publications, research experience and interests, academic appointments, committees, conferences, fellowships, grants
5. CVs vs. Resumes Resume
Industry
Private, Non-profit
Format
Brief, concise, focused
Length
One page, maybe two
Curriculum Vitae
Industry
Medical Institutions
Research Organizations
Educational Organizations
Format
Detailed, descriptive
Length
Varies with experience
6. CV Content *Use the categories that fit your experience
Core Content Areas:
Name and Contact Information
Education
Honors
Certification/Licensure
Experience
Research Experience
Publications
Presentations
Organizations
Additional Categories:
Objective or Professional Interest Statement
Computer/Technical Skills
Leadership
Additional Experience
Committees
Academic Appointments
Professional Development training, professional organizations, workshops, conferences
Community Service/Volunteer
Foreign Languages
Interests/Hobbies
7. Name and Contact Information Do not write Curriculum Vitae on your CV
On top of page:
Name slightly larger font size (14 or 16)
Contact information legible font size (11 or 12)
Address
Phone number(s) (cell screen calls, professional voicemail)
Email address (remove hyperlink, professional)
8. Name & Contact Information~Examples~
Jamie T. Student
907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284 ? 804.123.4567 ? studentj@vcu.edu
_______________________________________________________________
JAMIE T. STUDENT
907 Floyd Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23284
(804) 123-4567
studentjt@vcu.edu
_______________________________________________________________
Jamie T. Student
Current Address: studentjt@vcu.edu Permanent Address:
907 Floyd Ave. 804.123.4567 123 Lovely Ln.
Richmond, VA 23284 Fairfax, VA 32145
9. Education List all degrees in reverse chronological order
MCV/VCU
Abbreviating degrees is appropriate; writing them out is preferred
GPA optional for graduate or professional school
Indicate graduation with honors
Do not include high school graduation
10. Education~Examples~ EDUCATION
M.D., anticipated May 2007
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA
(in the tradition of the Medical College of Virginia)
B.S. in Biology, magna cum laude, May 2002
The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA
EDUCATION
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine Richmond, VA
Doctor of Medicine Expected: 05/2007
The College of William and Mary Williamsburg, VA
Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude 05/2002
Major: Biology, Minor: Psychology
GPA: 3.88
11. Honors Honor Societies
Scholarships awarded
Other significant awards
May separate into undergraduate and medical school if you have many items
Alphabetical or reverse chronological order
Include graduation with honors in Education section (cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude)
12. Honors~Example~ HONORS
Medical School:
Deans Merit Scholarship (2006-2007)
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society (inducted 2006)
MCV Alumni Association of VCU Scholarship (2004-2006)
Undergraduate:
Samuel L. Wurtzel Scholarship (2000-2004)
William and Mary Athletics Scholarship (2000-2003)
Phi Beta Kappa (inducted 2003)
Order of Omega Honor Society (inducted 2003)
Golden Key International Honour Society (inducted 2002)
Deans List (all semesters)
13. Experience Focus on relevant experience
Include significant experience obtained before medical school
Include volunteer/community service completed during medical school
Do not include experience that is part of the Medical School curriculum
Include work experience that explains time gaps
14. Experience May divide into additional categories:
Relevant Experience
Additional Experience
Research Experience
Teaching Experience
International Experience
Health Care Experience
Volunteer Experience or Community Service
15. Experience Descriptions Elaborate on your relevant experience
Use bullets, avoid paragraphs
Begin descriptions with strong, descriptive action verbs
Include complete but succinct descriptions
Avoid the use of personal pronouns
Focus on skills and accomplishments rather than including a comprehensive list of job duties
For less relevant experience, focus on transferable skills
16. Action Verbs Use strong, descriptive action verbs to describe your experience
If it is a current experience, use the present tense
If it is a previous experience, use the past tense
Avoid gerunds (-ing)
Vary your action verbs (refer to action verb list in CV guide)
Avoid duties include or responsible for
Refrain from using handled or dealt with when referring to people
17. Medical Action Verbs Examine
Perform
Interpret
Prescribe
Administer
Diagnose
Counsel
Evaluate
Treat
Confer
Monitor
Assess
Refer
Specialize
Repair
Consult
Communicate
Document
Teach
Implement
Supervise
Manage
Collaborate
Plan
18. Experience~Example~ EXPERIENCE
Fan-Free Clinic Richmond, VA
Medical Clinic Assistant January 2007-Present
Assist physicians - take vital signs, obtain patients medical histories and conduct physical exams.
SMILE Program Richmond, VA
Volunteer August 2005-May 2006
Served as a buddy to children during and following cancer treatments.
American Medical Student Association Washington, DC
Intern, Health Policy and Politics May-August 2003
Conducted research on medical malpractice.
Scheduled and conducted lobby visits.
19. Community Service/Volunteer~Example~
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Chesterfield Youth Center, Richmond, Virginia, October 2006-June 2007
Tutored underprivileged children in math and science
Coordinated a community health fair with a team of volunteers
Camp Bruce McCoy, Chesapeake, VA, May-June 2006
Took an interdisciplinary team approach in working with campers with traumatic brain injury
Adapted activities for a variety of functional levels
Habitat for Humanity, Newport News, VA, July 2005
Collaborated on a team to build affordable homes for low-income families
20. Research Experience Institution or organization and department
Principal investigator, supervisor or advisor
Research topic or title
Your title/role
Dates (months and years)
Short description of project and your role
21. Research Action Verbs Analyze Assess
Clarify Collaborate
Collect Compare
Conduct Determine
Consult Disprove
Document Evaluate
Examine Extract
Formulate Gather
Identify
22. Research Experience~Example~
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
National Institutes of Health Summer Research Fellowship Program
National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research Bethesda, MD
Research Assistant 05/2005 08/2005
Principal Investigator: Frank Balis, MD
Assisted with a clinical research study of cancer patients
Conducted interviews of patients and assisted in conducting physical exams
The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Health Physics Austin, TX
Research Assistant 06/2004 05/2005
Project Title: The Leaching of Cesium-137 from Cement-Based Matrices
Supervisor: Dr. Anthony Stark
Investigated the effect of cement-based matrices on the inhibition of radioactive leaching
Collected and performed statistical analysis of data
23. Publications and Presentations Include published articles
Publication year or in press if accepted but not yet published
Use correct medical bibliographic citation
Include relevant presentations, including poster presentations at conferences or association meetings
Include presentation title, name of conference and association, location, audience, and date
24. Publications and Presentations ~Examples~
PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
Stark, A.E., P.L. Jeffries and J.T. Student. 2005. The leaching of cesium-137 from cement-based matrices. Journal of Health Physics, 142(5): 1492-501.
Presented at the Annual Conference of the Health Physics Research Society, Washington, DC, April 23-25, 2005.
PRESENTATIONS
Fillmore, P.D., P. Gerding and J.T. Student. Effect of an intra-corneal fluid interface following keratotomy on intraocular pressure measurement by applanation. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, April 25, 2006.
25. Organizations Focus on relevant organizations
Highlight leadership positions
Include memberships in professional organizations and student organizations related to field
Include years of membership
Can be combined with Honors or another section
List in reverse chronological order or alphabetically
26. Organizations~Example~
ORGANIZATIONS
American Medical Student Association (member since 2005)
President, local chapter (2007-present)
VCU School of Medicine, Honor Council Representative (member since 2005)
Richmond Academy of Medicine (member since 2005)
Medical Society of Virginia (member since 2005)
American College of Physicians (member since 2004)
27. CV Organization and Appearance
Consistent organization is critical to an effective CV
The appearance and organization of the CV is just as important as the content
Skim
in less than 10 seconds
28. CV Organization Avoid templates
Consistent organization
Use horizontal space
Balanced page
Fill the page
White space between sections and entries
Use tabs, not space-bar to indent
Use print preview
If you use more than one page, include Name, Page # & avoid stragglers on all subsequent pages
Use bold, CAPS, italics and underlining strategically and sparingly
Be consistent with heading style and margins
Use one font style and size (except for your name and/or headings)
Font: Times New Roman or Arial
Font size: at least 11
Margins: at least 1.0 inch
Avoid paragraphs
Use bullets, not dashes
Avoid numbering your sections
29. CV Appearance - Proofread Use all periods or no periods at the end of bullet points
Dashes used in dates consistent size, consistent spacing
Check for spelling and grammatical errors
Spellcheck does not check words in all caps
Avoid personal pronouns
30. CV Appearance - Final Copy Avoid graphics, pictures (exception: picture included in residency application), color ink
Print on laser printer
Use high quality, 100% cotton paper in white or off-white
Dont staple or fold
Dont print on both sides of paper
If mailing, use large envelope
31. References/Recommenders References page not necessary for residency application because recommendation letters are required
For future job searches:
List 3-5 professional references on a separate document following the CV
Copy and paste your contact information at the top of the page
When listing references include name, title, organization/institution and department, business address, phone number, and email
Dont write References available upon request on your CV
ALWAYS ask permission from person giving you the reference
Inform your references of the positions youre applying for so they are prepared
Offer your references/recommenders a copy of your CV
32. References~Example~
REFERENCES
Judy Smith, M.D.
VCU School of Medicine
Department of Neurology
417 N. 11th St.
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: (804) 828-9350
Fax: 804 828-9355
jsmith@vcu.edu
33. VCU University Career Center
Erin Lowery
erlowery@vcu.edu
University Student Commons
Monroe Park Campus
www.students.vcu.edu/careers
Hours: Monday Friday, 8 a.m. 5 p.m.