Curriculum Vitae


The curriculum vitae (meaning “course of life”) represents a succinct summary of your academic achievements over the course of your lifetime. This important document should be completed early in your first year of medical school, with additions made over time to represent the continuity and temporal accuracy of your current (and past) accomplishments.

The prudent medical student will begin compiling a CV as an MS1. The document should include:

  • All undergraduate/graduate education
  • Educational honors
  • Relevant publications and research
  • Relevant work and volunteer experience
  • Personal information you wish to share
  • Non-traditional students will need to account for all time between undergraduate and/or graduate school and the time medical school began. All time gaps must be accounted for.

Having your CV prepared and updated will prepare you not only for applying to residency programs during the fourth year, but will also give you the ability to quickly apply for scholarships and research grants throughout medical school.

While there are no exact rules for style for CV outline and completion, it is important to pay attention to some “musts” and to some additional suggestions to have a perfect, easy to read, and most importantly, error-free professional document.

There are several excellent on-line resources for viewing CV examples such as this website and the AAMC Careers in Medicine website. The CVs displayed represent various styles that may be employed when constructing your CV. While they may serve as models for how to consider structuring your document, do note that they vary in style and form and are only displayed as potential examples for you to view and consider. Most importantly, there is not just one, “perfect” CV.  It is ultimately your choice in the final construct of your document.

Happy writing!

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