Experienced physicians, as well as entry-level doctors, need a professional resume to apply for most jobs, including those in a hospital. In many cases, you will need a resume both to get hired and to be considered for a promotion. A resume should effectively emphasize your professional history, education and licenses to convince the potential employer to choose you over other candidates. In this article, we will share tips for writing a strong resume for a doctor.
To increase their interview chances, many doctors these days turn to a physician resume writing service, such as https://resumeperk.com/physician-resume. Expert CV writers can prepare a resume for a doctor or other medical professionals, presenting your skills, certifications and experience in an eye-catching way. Moreover, your CV consultant can tailor the resume for a specific job in a hospital to boost your interview chances.
Writing a doctor’s resume: Tips from resume writing services
Keep your resume to 1-2 pages
Hiring managers prefer receiving resumes that take up to 2 pages since this resume length allows them to evaluate the candidate’s fit and accomplishments. If you have 10+ years of experience as a physician and you cannot fit it into 2 pages, consider removing early or irrelevant positions. Be careful: some hospitals may ask you to submit a CV, not a resume. A CV, or curriculum vitae, presents your education, career, and research in full and can take as many pages as you need.
Use a reverse chronological format
If you are an experienced physician, dermatologist, or neurologist, choose a chronological format. It mainly focuses on work experience and career progression. Jobs are listed starting with your current one, and then you list previous employment. Hiring managers prefer this format since they can clearly see the organizations you worked in, job titles and career gaps, if any.
Put licenses and certifications at the top
Some hospital positions require a specific license or certification. If you hold a physician license and additional licenses in other states, make sure the resume reflects this. Also, list all certifications and medical training programs even if they aren’t directly related to your specialty. Such medical certifications as Certified EKG Technician (CET), Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) or Certified Professional Coder (CPC) can give you extra points.
Refine your Summary statement
The Summary of Qualifications section at the top of the document is meant to present your top achievements. Keep it to 3-4 sentences and include the professional highlights that you are proud of as a physician. For example, improving patient care, increasing patient satisfaction, training associates, implementing a treatment methodology, or winning a professional contest are good examples of achievements for a summary section.
Keep your professional experience focused
If you have extensive professional experience, consider removing irrelevant jobs or responsibilities to keep the Professional experience section concise. Write 6-7 bullet points for each role, focusing on the experience which is most relevant to the job opening. Try to mention specific and unique experiences in each role that would differentiate you from other applicants. Add at least one professional achievement with figures for each role to show that you can outperform and make a difference.
Mention relevant hard and soft skills
A doctor’s resume should demonstrate skills relevant to your target position. Not only do these skills present your qualifications briefly to a hiring manager, but also help pass the ATS screening. Here are some examples of skills for a general practitioner:
· Patient care
· Medical records
· Family medicine
· Medication administration
· Patient education
· Staff management
· Test results interpretation
· Empathy
· Cultural sensitivity
· EHR charting
Note that these examples contain both hard and soft skills, since a successful doctor is expected to communicate effectively both with the hospital staff and patients.
Include publications and research work
If you have published articles in prestigious medical journals or even published book chapters, include this in a resume. Research experience and keeping up-to-date with the new findings in the medical field are valued by most employers. If you have an advanced degree or teaching experience, mention that as well. The more details from your professional background you include on a resume, the higher your chance for an interview.
Double-check the important details
Make sure that your name, contact information and credentials are spelled accurately, otherwise recruiters might have trouble contacting you. Proofread the entire resume to correct any mistakes, as the employers often see writing mistakes as a lack of attention to detail. If your resume is neatly formatted and error-free, it will instantly make a strong professional impression.
It takes over 10 years to become a fully licensed doctor, and after that, you need to take additional training to stay on top of your field. So, take resume writing seriously as the success of your job search depends on the quality of your resume, and don’t hesitate to seek a consultation with a resume expert if you think that your resume needs improvement.
