Your ERAS application is the main document programs read. A separate resume or CV is still useful for away rotations, observerships, research positions, advisors and letter writers, and it helps you prepare for interviews because it forces you to organize your experience. It must always match your ERAS application exactly.
Resume or CV: which do you need?
In the United States, a CV is a complete academic record and a resume is a shorter summary. For a residency applicant at this stage, one to two pages that read like a clean CV is usually enough. Ask the program or the rotation coordinator if they request a specific format.
Recommended structure
- Contact details: name, professional email, phone and city. Leave out a photo, age, marital status and a national ID number unless a program asks.
- Education: medical school, degree and graduation date, plus other degrees.
- Examinations and certifications: USMLE or COMLEX results you choose to list, ECFMG certification status for international graduates, and BLS or ACLS certification.
- Clinical experience: rotations, observerships, sub-internships and US clinical experience, with the site, dates and your role.
- Research and publications: in a standard citation style, with posters and presentations listed separately.
- Work experience, leadership and volunteering: include scope and results.
- Honors and awards: with the date and the awarding body.
- Skills and languages: include language levels where relevant to patient care.
Write strong bullet points
Start each bullet with a past-tense action verb, state what you did and add the result or scale when you can. Keep every statement accurate and verifiable.
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| Helped with a quality project | Led a team of four students in a quality project that reduced missed follow-up appointments in a primary care clinic by tracking referrals weekly |
| Volunteered at a free clinic | Provided intake, vital signs and health education for about 20 patients per weekly session at a student-run free clinic |
| Did research on diabetes | Collected and analyzed data for a retrospective study of 300 patients with type 2 diabetes and presented the findings as a poster |
Formatting tips
- Use a plain, readable font, consistent spacing and clear headings, and save the file as a PDF.
- List items in reverse chronological order within each section.
- Account for time gaps with a brief line, such as "exam preparation" or "family leave," so the dates read honestly.
- International graduates should write dates in a clear, unambiguous format and translate any local terms for degrees or positions.
Before you send it
- Check that every date, title and number matches your ERAS application and documents.
- Read it aloud to catch errors, and ask an advisor or friend to review it.
- Remove anything you could not discuss in detail during an interview.
- Update it after each new experience, and keep a master version with everything so you can tailor shorter copies.