How to Prepare a C.V. and Cover Letter that Gets Attention

The Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) of a physician differs from other industry professionals in that it contains a factual presentation of your professional history and accomplishments, going into detail only when necessary to provide further explanation. However, the cover letter that accompanies your C.V. continues to serve the function of summarizing and presenting key accomplishments, and conveying who you are as a doctor and a person.

Knowing how to organize and present your thoughts on paper is a must. Here's some advice to help guide you as you write your cover letter and C.V.

Cover Letter

• One page only; the more focused, the better.
• Address your letter to a specific individual at the prospective employer’s organization or physician recruiter's firm. "To whom it may concern" letters are responded to last. If you don't know whom to contact, phone the organization and ask for a suggestion.
• Highlight your strengths. Include not only your clinical skills, but also your leadership ability and people skills. Be enthusiastic and convey your passion for medicine and helping patients.
• Describe your current work environment and relevant patient care experience. If your productivity as measured in patients seen per day or revenue generated is impressive, cite those results.
• Explain your particular philosophy for patient care. If you've received high scores on patient-satisfaction surveys, be sure to include these statistics.
• Point out personal interests and hobbies, which help to humanize you and can be used as topics of conversation during an interview. For example, if you're drawn to the employer's locale because you love the outdoors, be sure to mention this.

C.V.

• It should be two to three pages at most.
• Center your name, address, phone, and email address at the top.
• List your education in chronological order beginning with most recent on the left; institutions in the center; and degrees, residencies and fellowships on the right.
• Provide details on your licensure and certification.
• Cite your work experience, with dates on the left; employers, positions and special responsibilities on the right. A common mistake is to note responsibilities and skills separately at the top of the C.V., and then list employers, positions and dates later. It will be clearer if they are combined.
• Fill in any gaps in your work history and be sure to account for all your time.
• If you have significant committee experience, cite committee names, dates, and goals. Briefly describe your roles.
• If you’ve had professional articles published, indicate the publications noting that they're available on request. If you're trying for an academic job, list article titles, publications and dates.
• Mention your honors and awards. If you were selected for Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society or as chief resident, include it. These honors are meaningful and impressive.
• List three to four professional references including their names, titles, organizations, addresses, and phone numbers. If you're a resident, it is best to ask your chief resident, program director, and the attending physicians with whom you interact. Fellow residents and nurses are considered personal, not professional, references.
• Retire the line, "References are available on request." Naming names says that those people will speak well of you. Ask their permission first and brief them on the types of positions for which you are applying. It’s also a good idea to get a general idea of what they'll say.
• Proofread your cover letter and CV carefully! Misspellings and grammatical errors are never acceptable. Unclear language, poor organization and formatting blunders such as misaligned columns or inconsistencies in spacing look sloppy and inevitably reflect poorly on you. If necessary, ask a friend to proofread for you – this will help bring any errors to light and help you to make your best first impression.