Medical students need to prepare for the world that awaits them after graduation. Having spent years learning how to practice medicine and performing various tasks of a full time medical professional isn’t enough to convince prospective employers that you’re the best choice they can make for the position they want to fill.   

Medical students, especially those with experience in academic research and publication credits, need to write a curriculum vitae (CV) rather than a resume.  Many people confuse CVs and resumes, not surprising when you consider that the terms are sometimes incorrectly used interchangeably.    

A CV is used to apply for professional positions and for positions that require describing your academic experiences and your achievements. A CV is typically longer than a resume and the information presented is more detailed. Describing all the important details of your education and accomplishments means preparing a well-written and precise CV rather than a resume that only hits the highlights.    

When writing curriculum vitae, medical students must be extremely careful to present facts and highlight achievements. It’s very easy to inadvertently merge events that should be presented as separate to provide interviewers with the most accurate picture of your past achievements.

A curriculum vitae includes research activities, all the relevant qualifications the subject has achieved and the degrees and certificates you’ve received. If these include thesis, publication, a dissertation or other research work, you should describe these in detail. Include your interests, goals, and extracurricular activities as well.