Try This Physician CV Template to Get Interviews

TLDR: Locums physicians can use this physician CV template guide to prepare a vita with their educational and clinical background, licensing, and credentialing information in the proper format. 

Writing a CV that showcases your skillset and is tailored to the position you’re applying for is a sure way to land your next interview. In today’s competitive job market, you’ll stand out from the crowd with a simple, clear, and error-free vita that prioritizes what employers want to see first. That means your document should focus on your actions, results, and contributions.

Getting started on a CV or polishing an existing document might feel challenging at first. That’s why we’ve put together a CV template formatting guide to help you get your document in shape– and score that interview. Before you send out your next job application, take a look at our top tips on how to give your CV the glow up it deserves.

Try Our Physician CV Template

• Physician CV Template Format
• What to Exclude
• FAQs
• Let Era Guide You Through the Application Process

Physician CV Template Format

This CV template formatting guide is designed to ensure your document catches reviewers’ attention to help you score that locums interview you’ve been eyeing. Keep in mind that every field and career stage has its own expectations and requirements– from early career post-residency life to the experienced physician. You’ll want to tailor your vita after you’ve updated your career history, awards, publications and service sections.

How do you format a physician's CV?

Clear and concise is the way to go. But what exactly does that mean? First thing, it means you’re writing a CV that will likely go into an automated Applicant Tracking System (ATS). You need to make sure your document is free from errors and in the correct file format to prevent data loss during uploading: that means your finished CV should be saved as a PDF file. 

Formatting the document itself is all about standardization. Keep your fonts simple, sticking with Times New Roman, Arial or Sans, size 12 and make sure that you only use a single font style in your document. 

Should you use AI to format your CV?

Yes, using it can help your vita stand out. Generative AI can be an incredibly helpful tool. But let’s talk about how to use it correctly and to your best advantage. To do that, we need to remember that GenAI isn’t an expert, it’s a pattern recognition algorithm that can make helpful improvements. 

Remember that using AI to draft materials for you wholesale will result in generic sounding bullet points that might get your materials flagged in an ATS system. Instead, you’ll want to draft your CV first and then use GenAI to optimize your vita for today’s automated job search process.

What prompts should you use to do that?

• Act as a CV editor. Review the following bullet point for a CV for a [physician field] and optimize it for a job application.
• Rewrite the following bullet point for the CV of a [physician field] to be more results-oriented. [List bullet point.]
• Analyze a job posting for [physician field]. What keywords should be included on the application materials?

But let's take a closer look at the order you should place your CV items in to optimize for the best results.

The Header

You should include your name, location, your professional e-mail and LinkedIn profile link in the header of your CV. Many recruiters now advise against including a phone number due to privacy concerns.

Clinical Experience 

This is the place to showcase your previous positions, including previous locums or full time roles. Keep in mind that if you’ve had multiple positions within the past few years, you’ll want to keep the bullet points describing your role in each location concise and results-focused.

Education

Your educational background should include your undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral training. This should include the years you earned each degree and basic details about the type of degree earned. If you are fluent in more than one language, this would also be the place to indicate which languages you speak. 

Format:

Ph.D, University, City, State, Country Month/Year Degree Obtained

M.D., University, City, State/Country Month/Year Degree Obtained

Fluent in [insert language(s)]

Licensure and Certification

This would be the place to include which states you are licensed to practice in and/or affiliation with the Interstate Medical Licensing Compact (IMLC), board certifications, and any other certifications specific to your field.

Honors and Awards

Here, you’ll want to showcase any previous big wins which you’ve been recognized for in the past five years. 

Professional Affiliations

This section should include professional organizations that are both relevant to your field and in which you currently have an updated membership. If you can’t recall whether your membership is up to date, we recommend you confirm that before listing it.

Service and Volunteering

A well-rounded vita should give job reviewers an idea of your personality outside of work and demonstrate ways you’ve given back to your community. This would be the place to list relevant service projects such as volunteer clinics, disaster relief work, and medical education workshops.  

Publications (Optional)

Depending on the role, you may want to list significant publications where you have been the primary contributor and/or investigator. If the role you’re applying for requires this section, you may want to move it further up your CV to be closer to your clinical section. Keep in mind that you’ll want to be selective about which publications are listed, giving preference to your most recent and most high-impact publications. These should maintain a consistent citation style in American Medical Association (AMA) format.

What to Exclude from Your Physician CV

1. Filling career gaps with unneeded information. Do you have a gap between opportunities in your career history? Don’t attempt to fill-in-the-blank in your CV. This is a common error we see and it can put potential employers off your application if they believe you’re engaging in CV padding or including irrelevant career information. Instead, you’ll want to explain the gap in your cover letter.
2. Unnecessary graphic design. Including design elements in your vita might make it look visually appealing– but that appeal may be a red flag to employers who see design as overcompensating. Keep it simple and aligned with the expectations of your field.
3. References. Sometimes physicians include reference contact information in their CVs thinking this may save them time. But some application reviewers look down on this practice. A general rule to save you time during the application process is to provide information when it’s requested of you and not beforehand. 
4. Your photo. Including a photo on a job application document can create an opportunity for unconscious bias. 
5. Personal identification information. Protect your private data. Things like a home address, social security number or birthday should not be on your vita.
6. A list of every conference you’ve attended. Unless you’ve given a keynote address or panel talk, you should not include conference attendance on your CV.

FAQs about Physician CVs

Era experts regularly get questions from physicians about how you should tailor your CV. But there are a few questions you’ll want to keep in mind as you’re editing your drafts for a job application.

How long should a CV be for a physician?

While some CV lengths may vary by field and career stage, you’ll find the average locums physician vita is between 3-5 pages long. 

Be aware that for some physicians with extensive clinical, publishing or teaching experience, a slightly longer vita may be appropriate. But be concise and include the most relevant experiences.

What is the difference between a physician's CV and resume?

Think of it this way: a resume is your job history, a vita is literally a “living learning document.” Vitae are roadmaps showcasing your educational career, continued upskilling and certifications, your work as a physician and your contributions to the field. This is why they tend to be longer and more detailed than a resume.

Do I need a resume if I have a CV for certain roles?

Yes! For some hospital administration roles you may be required to submit an application packet with a CV, resume and cover letter. For these roles, your resume speaks to previous administrative work while your CV addresses your clinical skills, licensure and academic history.

Should I include a professional summary at the beginning of the CV?

Depending on the role, field or application, certain applications may require a professional summary just below your header with your name and contact information. When in doubt, keep in mind that you can always reach out to experts on the job application process to determine whether a job posting has an unstated expectation for CV formatting.

Let Us Guide You Through the Application Process

Let’s be real: the job market is in a sea change – and that might make you feel like you’re treading water. But there’s a team of experts ready to support you as you chart your career path to better opportunities. Era recruiters have extensive experience working with physicians at all stages of their careers to strategize with you as you apply. 

Find the practical advice you need to thrive. Check in with us today.

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Featured photo by Getty Images on Unsplash.