• Keep it concise. Unlike its European counterpart (a CV), a resume should not be a lengthy document. The ideal physician resume is one page. The somewhat less than ideal (but still acceptable under certain circumstances) resume is two pages. Period. There are no circumstances that accommodate for the twenty-page resume. An easy way to edit down your document is to remove any personal interest sections or references, as these are no longer appropriate on a professional resume.
• Highlighting versus elaborating. Let’s say you are a physician with an extensive research background in your respective field. Naturally you’d like to explain each study; after all, you invested a significant amount of time researching. Fight this instinct. A resume is designed to highlight professional experience, not to explain it in detail. Put yourself in the shoes of your potential employer. You’re tired, you’re busy, and you have a stack of physicians’ resumes to flip through. Would you rather look at a simple, neat list of research studies or chunks of paragraphs describing the laboratory setting? Highlighting. It’s a beautiful word. Wow them with snapshots of your experience; do not overwhelm them with a narrated slide show.
• Reverse chronological order. In each section, begin with your most recent experience and move backwards. Not only will this aid your potential employer in creating a mental timeline of your professional history, it tends to show you in the best light. Typically the most relevant experience you have is also the most recent. For example, if you had a section on your resume for Education and Training, your fellowship (most relevant) would be listed before your residency (still relevant) which would be listed before your medical school (less relevant) which would be listed before your undergraduate school (barely relevant), according to reverse chronological order.
• If you’re a foreign medical graduate, potential employers like to see your citizenship/visa status. And it actually works toward your advantage to be upfront about this regardless of your status. If you are a U.S. citizen, you can include this information if you went to a foreign medical school – otherwise, if you did your undergrad, medical school, and residency in the US, it will be assumed. Likewise, including your visa status shows a potential employer that you are upfront and honest, ready to make the visa process as smooth as possible for them.

These are just a few tips, but they will help you make sure that your resume is cleaner, easier to read, and more likely to get you interviews. For further assistance, don’t hesitate to contact the experts at The Doctor Job!

Med students, go ahead and mourn those lazy summer days because you probably won’t see them again for several years. Sure, during your undergraduate studies you could take time off to relax before fall—but medical school is just a tad different. The summer between your first and second year at medical school is the last summer where you could, in theory, sleep in until noon, read the latest best-seller, or perfect your Nintendo Wii skills. The job of this article, however, is to convince you to do otherwise.

The break directly before your second year of medical school is an ideal time to further investigate which specialty you’d like to pursue professionally. It’s the question Grandma Fran asked you over Christmas, the question you ponder before falling asleep, and the question you’ve tried to answer by visiting various grand rounds. Well, consider researching various specialties your unofficial assignment during the summer in between MS-I and MS-II.

Of course, many might argue that MS-II and MS-III are designed to give you a taste of potential specialties. Well, that’s a valid point. But wouldn’t it be nice to have more than a taste of a particular specialty before uploading your residency applications? I would prefer a whole bite, or a whole piece of the cake for that matter. The summer prior to MS-II is the perfect time to get some hands-on training in different specialties. The information/experience you gather while shadowing a physician in your field of interest, will set the tone for the rest of your medical school experience. Not only will it sparkle on your resume, it will provide you with confidence and direction as you enter rotations.

There are several options when gaining real-world summer medical training. You can participate in a clinical externship, become involved in a community preceptorship, or simply volunteer at a local health clinic—to name a few. There are also national programs such as the National Health Service corps, which offers a month-long rotation practicing primary care in underserved areas. Whichever path you choose, make sure it is in the most appealing specialty to you. While training, talk to various doctors, ask them about their typical work load, scheduling flexibility—whatever questions are most likely unanswered in a text book about that specialty.

But what about your golden, summer tan? Well, there’s always spray tans. Or, you could schedule a week-long vacation at the end of the summer to celebrate all your hard work. You’ll come back refreshed, rested, and better equipped to pick the right specialty.

Okay, future doctors, keep that image in mind as you sit down to write your own personal statement, staring at the blank Word document on your computer screen. You are just one of many hopeful applicants with a hefty research background, great clinical skills, and a solid foundation of medical knowledge. You need something that separates you from all the other over-achievers (probably lovely people, but competition nonetheless) vying for your slot. Do not fear. You have something they do not, something that separates you from the rest: Your story. The time your little brother, Joey, fell of his bike and you nursed him back to health, the time you brought a stethoscope to Mrs. Anderson’s class for show and tell, the time ___________ (fill in the blank).

Personal anecdotes like this are diamonds to the tired residency program director. They shine in the heap of other personal statements, many dull and lifeless. Sure, it’s crucial to include the generic yet important information: Research experience and interests, brief overview of schooling, why you’re drawn to this particular specialty/program, future goals, etc. But there are plenty of empty crannies throughout your personal statement just waiting to be filled with personality. For example, when talking about research experience, can you recall a particular study that stood out from the others? Did it leave an impression on you? Affect the type of doctor you want to become? Why? Elaborate.

A great way for a medical student or foreign medical graduate to add a dash of personality into his or her personal statement is to choose an overall focus directly related to a personal anecdote. Like a ribbon gliding down the page, this overall focus should smoothly connect the different sections of the personal statement. For example, let’s use the show and tell stethoscope. This statement could start in the classroom with a vivid description of the pride you felt in showing the stethoscope to your classmates. Translated, this show and tell item represents your interest in medicine and your desire to share that interest with others. Throughout your personal statement, describe how your interest and desire to practice medicine continuously grew throughout your life. This affords you a structure to discuss medical school, medically related volunteer programs, research experience/interests, grand round experiences, precept activities, and future goals.

While this idea may seem obvious, many medical students and foreign medical graduates chose formality over personality, not understanding the potential that results in your personal statement from connecting the two. Such residency applicants fear that a personal story might appear unprofessional, thus decreasing the likelihood of admittance into their desired residency program. In actuality, quite the opposite is true. The busy (potentially exhausted) residence/fellowship program director wants to be engaged by a well-written, personal personal statement. Wouldn’t you?

Are you posting resumes all over the physician job bards, and can’t understand why you’re not getting interviews?

Have you sent resumes to all of the doctors and hospitals you know personally – and not getting responses?

Take 5 minutes and a few easy steps to improve your search for a physician job!

1. Open your resume. Where is the contact information? Is it at the top of the page where it can be found easily? Your contact information should be included on your resume (not just on the cover letter) and should be very easy to find. It needs to include your phone number and email address.
2. Check the email address on your resume. Is it correct? Is it an email you check at least once a day, if not more often? Many of your potential employers are busy physicians themselves. One of the easiest ways for them to contact another doctor about a job is through email. If you are not in the habit of checking your email every day, get in the habit – at least until you find a job.
3. Check the phone number on your resume. Who will be answering that number? This is the number one mistake we see doctors make in their job search. Is the phone number correct? Is it a number that you can actually be reached on? When you leave your number on your resume, be sure you are not making these common mistakes:
   • Don’t leave your home number if your 93 year-old grandmother who barely speaks English is the person who is most likely to answer the phone during the day.
   • Don’t leave your office number if you don’t want your current employer to know you’re looking for a job.
   • Don’t leave the general number to the hospital that will the caller feeling foolish because they don’t know your personal extension.
   • Don’t leave a number that you’re only available on 1-2 hours out of the day. The goal is to make it EASY for a potential employer to call and offer you a job.
4. Check the voice mail on the number you have on your resume. Is your voice mail set up? Is it full? If a potential employer calls you and is unable to speak to you, they will want to leave a message for you to return their call. If they are unable to leave a message, chances are they’ll move on to the next doctor looking for a job. They can’t hire you if they can’t talk to you.

By doing these simple things, it will be easier for other doctors to call and offer you a job. While this advice may seem obvious, all of these are mistakes that we see physicians make on an alarmingly regular basis.

Remember, if an employer can’t reach you – they can’t hire you.

However, it is very common that we hear from physicians in January and February who are still looking for J-1 waiver jobs for the July and August.

Is it too late for these doctors to find a position and get a J-1 waiver?

Yes and no.

If a physician was hoping to get a J-1 Waiver in some of the more popular states like New York, it is very likely that all of the waivers for the year have been granted by January. That’s why we recommend physicians start their search early!

However, just because an area like New York may have already granted all of their Conrad 30 waivers, does not mean that a physician is destined to return to their home country for a 2 year wait time. It is still possible to continue living and working in the United States, even if the doctor delayed search for a J-1 opportunity.

How can a resident find a J-1 waiver job as late as February or March?

Expand Your Search Geographically.

While it is true that the waiver positions in areas like New York or California fill very quickly, it is also true that areas like Wisconsin or Alabama may have positions open as late as May! If a doctor was hoping to be in a specific state that no longer offers J-1 waivers for the year, the next step is to find the states near by that will be most likely to have spots available.

Is that as good as living and working in your original first choice state or city? Of course not. That’s why we recommend physicians start their search early!

But it’s not too late to find a job if a doctor is ready to start planning smart.

Find a Job.

This may seem obvious, but I am always amazed how many calls I get from physicians who are desperate to get a J-1 waiver before their visa deadlines – and these doctors haven’t even begun their job search!

If it is February or March and a resident does not have a job lined up that qualifies for a waiver, it is time to ramp up the job hunt. Immediately. A doctor who waits for the very last minute is nearly guaranteed to wind up with a poor job and a low salary – or no job (and no visa).

Before a physician can even begin the process of applying for a waiver, they must have secured a position with an employer. If that requires the help of recruiters, networking, or a service like The Doctor Job – the doctor must be willing to do whatever it takes to secure a good job quickly.

Finding a J-1 waiver opportunity is not impossible even as late as February or March. It can be done, but it must be done wisely and quickly!

If the most intelligent, accomplished physician in the world can’t present a well-written CV and cover letter, none of the accolades will mean much to prospective employers. Remember that the employer reading the resume probably doesn’t know anything about this doctor except for what he/she sees on paper. Friends and colleagues might overlook a sloppy email because they know the physician is a brilliant surgeon or internist or nephrologist, but an employer will think only one thing: “This doctor doesn’t seem very intelligent.”

But what do writing skills have to do with medical skills, you ask yourself. I shouldn’t have to be a flawless writer because my strengths lie in other areas. This is true to an extent. But while a physician is not expected to deliver pages of glorious prose, he or she should be able to portray a coherent, intelligent manner. After all, a physician’s job includes a great deal of communication. Not only does a physician need to communicate effectively with patients and colleagues every day, but perhaps be required to communicate on a greater level; for example, at national meetings or group presentations. If this is an important part of the job a physician is applying for, it is essential that the doctor be capable of communicating clearly from the get go.

The main reason that employers get so irked by poorly written materials is that there’s no excuse for them. All you need to do is have one or two grammar-conscious friends or family members proofread your documents. This is probably the simplest thing you can do with regard to your job search, and it will have the greatest impact. It’s not enough to just use the spelling/grammar check on Microsoft Word. This feature might catch a misplaced comma or a misspelling, but it won’t be able to help you with a poorly constructed sentence, a repetitive phrase, or a misused word.

Foreign Medical Graduates: If English is not a doctor’s native language, it is even more essential to have the resume and cover letter and other materials reviewed by others before sending them out. Physician employers and physician recruiters will already be questioning the applicant’s English skills, just based on the fact that English is a second language. By having flawless grammar, spelling, and punctuation the foreign physician avoids giving the employer further ammunition to disqualify their credentials with poorly written materials.

Before you can impress anyone in the operating room or the clinic, you need to impress them on paper. Conveying your thoughts and showcasing your achievements clearly and concisely will go a long way toward helping you obtain the job of your dreams.

4) Make sure to factor in lifestyle considerations. Before choosing a specialty, the potential physician should spend time evaluating his or her goals for the medical career AND personal life. If you plan on having four kids, two dogs, and a vacation home you retreat to bi-monthly, you need to select a career that will allow for that. Don’t choose a specialty such as Surgery or Obstetrics that will have you on call all hours of the night and weekends. On the other hand, if you are a George Clooney style bachelor whose goals includes a penthouse apartment in a chic zip code and a lease on a private jet, it might be in your best interest to go for the 24/7 job (and the salary that comes with it). Be truly honest with yourself about what you’re capable of handling and what you really want out of life. It might be very possible that a specialty you absolutely love doesn’t quite mesh with your plans for the future. This is something that it’s better to figure out now than after three divorces.

5) Consider the technological aspects of each specialty. Some specialties are continually incorporating modern technologies, innovative techniques, and state-of-the-art equipment. If you are a physician who is constantly upgrading your computer, buying the newest iPod model, and photo texting all of your friends, then a technologically-heavy specialty is probably for you. If you still have a dial-up modem and a rotary phone, then you want to stick with a specialty that relies more heavily on patient interaction, medication, and hands-on healing.

6) Are you a people person? Bedside manner is important for some specialties, but some physicians just don’t have that type of personality. While most physicians will say that they are a people person, are you really? Are you the type of person who chats up a stranger in the check-out line, or the type who ducks behind a large curtain to avoid having to exchange hellos with an attending? While most specialties require a large dose of patient interaction, there are plenty that do not. Consider a career in Radiology, Pathology, or Anesthesiology if you love clinical medicine, but could take or leave the personal side of medicine. Conversely, if you are an excellent communicator and you love having relationships with your patients, practicing Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Ob/Gyn or Pediatrics will be right up your alley.

Once in a while when I am assisting a medical student or FMG with a personal statement for residency applications, I get this question: What specialty (or specialties) do you think I should choose?

While I like to think of myself as very wise and insightful, I can’t imagine why anyone would ask me this question. Having only known these individuals for a few days, I am hardly qualified to determine what they should do with the rest of their lives.

Choosing a medical specialty requires a lot more time and effort than you’d put into choosing a breakfast cereal. But it seems that many medical students make the decision lightly. Even if you don’t have a ton of time to spend carefully evaluating each specialty, there are some basic things you should keep in mind when making this important decision.

1) Unless you absolutely must, don’t base your decision on what program you think will be easiest to get into.

I understand that for some medical students or FMGs, the main objective is to actually get accepted into a residency program vs. choosing the specialty that best suits them. If you feel your chances of gaining acceptance are slim, then yes – it makes sense to go for the specialties that are less competitive.

But if you feel strongly about a certain specialty (and you have decent credentials), by all means go for it! After all, someone has to get into those competitive specialties. Why shouldn’t it be you? If you feel that Dermatology, Radiology, Ophthalmology, or Orthopedics is your calling, don’t be afraid to put at least some of your eggs in that basket. You can always apply to a “fall-back specialty” (such as Family Medicine) in case your ideal one doesn’t work out.

2) A great clinical rotation doesn’t necessarily equal a great career in that specialty.

When I was a high school student I absolutely loved my biology class. As a result, I thought that biology would be an excellent major for me in college. I was wrong. It turned out the only reason I absolutely loved my biology class was that I absolutely loved my biology teacher. He was dynamic and engaging, and he challenged me to do my best. The actual subject of biology, absent of this teacher, bored me to tears.

So before you make a decision based on the fact that you loved your Ob/Gyn or your Pediatrics rotation, really think about what it was you liked about that experience. Make sure it was the subject matter itself that fascinated you rather than the cute resident who supervised you or the excellent turkey wraps in that hospital’s cafeteria.

3) Remember that your passion, or lack thereof, about your specialty will come through in your application & interview.

Think of a food that you absolutely detest. Now pretend you must eat a giant forkful of this food and convince the person sitting across the table from you that you think it is delicious. Not so easy, right? Even if you manage to get the word “yum” out between gags, chances are you won’t fool anyone.

Now while you might not detest a certain medical specialty the way you detest liver pate, it will still be clear to the person interviewing you that you aren’t totally thrilled about entering this career. Why? Because the same person interviewing you will be interviewing lots of candidates who ARE thrilled about this career. While you are reciting cliché phrases about a career in surgery being great for you since you have good eye-hand coordination, your competitor will be proudly displaying photos of himself at 8 years old dissecting a grasshopper.

More “things to consider” will be forthcoming in my next post…

Follow these important tips to ensure you don’t make this mistake:

1) Don’t draw attention to the fact that you are not a U.S. Citizen.

I’m not saying you should hide this fact, but you also don’t need to make it the first thing on your CV. When I look at a CV and the very first thing I see is: Citizenship: Taiwan, the very first thing I think about this person is “Needs visa sponsorship.” The beginning of your resume should focus on your best attributes, not your citizenship. Therefore, I recommend that you include citizenship/visa information at the very end of your resume.

2) Ensure that grammar/spelling are perfect.

Whether you’ve spoken English fluently for 20 years, or you’re still in the learning stages, there is no excuse for a resume that isn’t written in perfect English. A potential medical employer reading a poorly written resume will think “If he/she can’t write English well in a professional document, how will he/she communicate with patients?” If you struggle with grammar, have a native English speaker proofread your resume and cover letter carefully before you send it out.

3) Make sure your resume is in reverse chronological order.

One of the biggest mistakes I see on resumes is that candidates do not list their most recent activities/training first. If you are a resident, your residency should be the very first thing on your CV. When you put the oldest information first, you are again drawing attention to the fact that you did your schooling outside of the U.S.

4) Cut out irrelevant or old activities/achievements and make sure you explain anything that might not be understood.

One of the biggest complaints I hear about CVs from foreign physicians is that they are filled with activities that are either outdated (such as high school extracurriculars) or confusing. A lot of academic honors and activities that exist in other countries don’t exist in the U.S. If you list something on your resume, make sure you either include an explanation or the U.S. equivalent.

If I had 30 seconds to do a quick resume make-over for a physician client, the first thing I would tackle would be the resume’s organization. When I look at a physician’s resume I immediately form an impression of his/her medical experience based on what is at the top of the page. If the CV lists a medical degree from a foreign country, my first thought is “foreign medical grad.” If the CV lists a medical degree with a date prior to 1980, I think “old.” (Blunt, but true) If the CV shows a long list of jobs that are each two years or less in duration, my impression is “job-hopper.”

Are these assessments all correct? Yes. There’s no way of getting around the fact that a doctor graduated from a foreign medical school, is getting up there in years, or has held a lot of different clinical positions in a short period of time. What can be tinkered with is when that information is revealed to a prospective employer.

For instance, if you are an FMG but you have been practicing in the US for 10 years, your practice experience is what you want to highlight. If you graduated in 1967, don’t draw attention to that fact by making your degree the first thing employers see. If you’ve moved around a lot in your career, but you have strong credentials, make your undergraduate and medical education and post-graduate training the focus so that employers have a chance to be impressed by your strong points before they take note of any weaknesses.

To figure out the ideal way to structure your own medical resume, jot down the three most impressive things about your experience. This could be 1) the fact that you were Chief Resident, 2) that you went to an excellent medical school, and 3) that you published an article in a prestigious journal.

Now, if you are a fairly recent medical graduate, your residency and medical school might be at the top anyway since you have not had much practice experience. If not, there is a quick and easy way to bring attention to these things while still giving attention to your practice history: create a “Summary of Qualifications.” Adding this category to the top of your resume will give you a chance to put all of your best attributes in one place AND put them in a prominent location.

You can also play around with the categories you use. Don’t feel that you have to use the resume categories found in a template. Be creative and use categorization to your advantage.

For example, one recent physician client did a fellowship in sports medicine after practicing general pediatrics for 10 years. He wanted to make a career change to focus on sports medicine. Instead of doing the usual categories of “Post-graduate Training,” and “Practice Experience,” I created a “Sports Medicine Training & Experience” category. That way, I could list all aspects of his sports medicine experience (including fellowship, research, extracurriculars, event coverage, etc.) in one place. This helped paint him as a “sports medicine physician” rather than as a pediatrician who happened to do some training in sports medicine.

When it comes to your resume structure, pay attention to the first impression you’re giving off. If you feel that an employer will like what he/she sees in the first 15 seconds, then you can feel confident that your resume is structured well.