CV Template and instructions

CV Template & Instructions for MD Applicants

 

CV Template and Instructions for General Medicine Applicants

This document serves as both the official template and the detailed instructional guide for preparing your Curriculum Vitae (CV) for application to the School of Medicine (SUMS). Adherence to these guidelines is mandatory.

Use the following structure exactly. Where bracketed text appears, replace it with your personal information. Use a clean, professional font (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri) at size 11 or 12 for the body text.

Contact InformationObjective/SummaryEmail: [Your Professional Email Address]Dedicated and high-achieving applicant committed to pursuing a rigorous education in General Medicine. Seeking to leverage strong foundational knowledge and proven leadership skills to excel in the demanding MD curriculum at SUMS and contribute positively to future healthcare systems. (Limit to 3-4 concise lines)Phone: [Your Country Code and Phone Number]Address: [Current Full Address, including City, Province/State, Country]LinkedIn (Optional): [Your Customized LinkedIn URL] (Use a consistent chronological order, listing the most recent/current education first.)

Institution Details & Dates[Name of Medical School - SUMS MD Program]Expected Graduation: [Month, Year]Expected Location: [City, Country]Status: Admitted/Matriculating[Name of Previous University/College, if applicable]Dates Attended: [Start Year] – [End Year]Degree/Major: [e.g., Bachelor of Science in Biology]GPA/Equivalent: [e.g., 3.8/4.0 or Equivalent Percentage][Name of High School/Secondary Institution]Graduation Year: [Year]Location: [City, Country]Final Achievement: [e.g., High School Diploma, A-Levels, IB Diploma]GPA/Percentage: [Specify metric, e.g., 95% Overall or 4.0/4.0]

(List significant honors, scholarships, or recognition received during secondary or pre-medical education. Quantify whenever possible.)

Name of Major Scholarship/Award: Awarded [Year]. (E.g., Dean’s List for 6 consecutive semesters; Top 5% of graduating class.)

Name of Academic Competition/Honor Society: Achieved [Result, e.g., First Place in Regional Science Olympiad, Membership in National Honor Society].

Name of Specific Academic Prize: Received for excellence in [Subject area, e.g., Chemistry or Human Anatomy].Language Proficiency Level (Use Official Descriptors)[Native Language 1]Native/Mother TongueEnglish[Fluent/Advanced Proficiency/C1 Level][Other Language][Conversational/Intermediate/Basic Working Proficiency].(Focus on depth of involvement, responsibilities held, and skills developed. Use action verbs. Aim for 3-4 substantial entries.)

[Name of Organization/Club/Initiative] | [Start Date] – [End Date]

Role: [Your Title, e.g., President, Volunteer Coordinator, Treasurer]

Contribution Detail: Successfully organized [Number] community events, resulting in a [Quantifiable outcome, e.g., 20% increase in student participation].

Skill Development: Enhanced team leadership, resource allocation, and cross-cultural communication while managing a team of [Number] peers.

[Name of Volunteer/Service Group] | [Start Date] – [End Date]

Role: [Your Title, e.g., Hospital Volunteer, Tutor]

Contribution Detail: Provided [Specific activity, e.g., patient companionship or administrative support] for approximately [Total Hours] hours in a fast-paced clinical/community setting.

Key Outcome: Demonstrated reliability and empathy when interacting with diverse patient populations.

(Include part-time jobs, internships, shadowing experiences, or extensive research assistance. If you have no formal work experience, rename this section "Relevant Experience" and focus on academic projects or extended responsibilities.)

[Job Title/Role] at [Company/Institution Name] | [Start Date] – [End Date]

Description: [Briefly describe the nature of the work or project.]

Key Responsibility: Managed [Specific task, e.g., inventory tracking or client intake forms], requiring meticulous attention to detail and adherence to protocols.

Skills Demonstrated: Proficient in data entry, time management under strict deadlines, and professional correspondence.

(Divide this section clearly for readability.)

Technical SkillsSoft Skills (Inferred from Activities)Software: MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), [Specific Statistical Software, e.g., SPSS], [Specific Lab Software]Communication: Active Listening, Cross-Cultural Communication, Formal PresentationLaboratory Skills: [List specific techniques, e.g., PCR, Spectrophotometry, Titration]Professionalism: Time Management, Resilience, Conflict ResolutionOther: [e.g., Basic Data Analysis, [Specific Coding Language if known]]Leadership/Teamwork: Mentorship, Collaborative Problem-Solving

References available upon request.
(Do not list contact information for references here unless specifically instructed to do so by the application portal.)

Applicants must carefully read and adhere to all instructions below before finalizing and submitting the CV. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the disqualification of your application.

Maximum Length: Your completed CV must not exceed two (2) pages in length, regardless of the amount of experience you possess.
Conciseness: Every entry must be written concisely. Use bullet points and strong action verbs rather than long paragraphs. Aim for clarity over exhaustive detail.

Data Integrity: All dates, names of institutions, awards, and GPAs listed must be 100% accurate and verifiable. Any discrepancy found during verification checks will be treated as academic dishonesty.
GPA Conversion: If your academic transcripts use a grading scale other than the standard 4.0 GPA (e.g., percentages, honors classifications), you must clearly state the original scale used (e.g., "92% out of 100%" or "Grade A+"). Do not attempt to self-convert to a scale unfamiliar to the admissions committee unless explicitly instructed to do so.

Sole Language: The CV must be completed entirely in professional, formal English. Do not mix languages.
Tone: Maintain a professional, objective, and enthusiastic tone. Avoid casual language, slang, or overly subjective claims without evidence.

The primary purpose of this CV is to demonstrate your suitability for demanding medical studies. Therefore, prioritize sections in the following order:

Education: This is paramount. Ensure your academic performance (GPA, honors) is clearly visible on Page Academic Achievements: Strong proof of academic rigor is essential.

Motivation & Responsibility (Extracurriculars): Show evidence that you possess the teamwork, leadership, and service orientation required of future physicians.

Experience: While valuable, work experience is secondary to academic excellence for initial admission. Only list experience that clearly demonstrates transferrable skills (e.g., responsibility, adherence to standards).

Consistency: Use consistent formatting throughout. If you bold the institution name in the Education section, bold all institution names in the Work Experience section. Use the same indentation and bullet point style everywhere.
Readability: Ensure there is adequate white space. Do not cram text together. Use the two-column layout provided in the template for the Contact/Objective section to maximize space efficiently while maintaining clean aesthetics. Visuals: Avoid: Photographs, graphics, unusual borders, colored backgrounds, or non-standard fonts. The template should remain strictly black text on a white background.

Begin every bullet point in the Experience and Activities sections with a strong action verb that describes your contribution or achievement.

Examples of Strong Action Verbs:

Instead of: Was responsible for scheduling.

Use: Coordinated weekly patient transport schedules.

Instead of: Helped organize the fundraiser.

Use: Spearheaded the annual fundraising campaign, increasing donations by 15%.

Before submission, the CV must be proofread meticulously by yourself and preferably by a native or highly proficient English speaker. Check for spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, and consistency in tense (past tense for completed roles, present tense for current roles).