CV template for sign off

Guidance for CVs for Peninsula Foundation School Portfolios
A CV is a summary of you. It is used in application processes and can be a very
useful adjunct to a generic application form as it can reveal much more than just your
accomplishments. It is a completely personal document and everything from the
structure, the emphasis, the font and even the paper used can be dictated by you
and hence will reflect an element of you as an individual.
The CV is also a very useful way to keep a personal record of what you have done
as your career progresses and keeping it up-to-date makes applying for jobs much
easier as you can ‘cut & paste’ into application forms and are less likely to forget
details.
You can also show it to colleagues throughout your career, who can advise as to
what aspects you should be focusing on from a progression point of view. We need
not emphasise that the CV must be honest and any false information or
embellishment is fraudulent and is treated as such.
Length: Keep it succinct and use headings. Space sections so they are neat, clear
and easy to read. As you progress you will end up with more and more pages but in
your early career the CV will be short and some sections may seem empty but this is
the same for everyone, so don’t worry.
SUGGESTED STRUCTURE-
Most medical CV’s will look fairly similar and this is an example of the structure:
Personal details - Name
Address (current and postal if different)
e-mail (try not to have too ‘whacky’ an address)
phone numbers
GMC number and registration status
Age & Nationality is optional
(if applicable add visa and work permit information)
Education- School and Medical School and dates.
Qualifications- with dates and results. A-levels (just subjects & grades) and GCSE
results summary (ie x A*, y A’s, z B’s etc)
Prizes, Bursaries, Awards and Scholarships- any you may have been awarded
possibly with a brief line of explanation.
Special Study Modules and Electives – when, where, what you did and who you
worked for. You should briefly describe the experience, including your role, highlight
what you learnt and possibly reflect on what you gained personally. Keep it short and
clear.
Clinical Work Experience –Dates (month/year), grade, specialty, possibly
consultant/ clinical supervisor if appropriate, employer (hospital/ practice etc). Start
with current placement and most work back. Briefly emphasise what experience you
gained. Be reflective about what you personally got out of it. Include taster
experiences used to explore career choice.

This section could sound very similar to other candidates so as you progress you will
tend not to include your medical student experiences.
Non-clinical Work Experience – Include dates, company name, your role and
some information about what you did there. Highlight the transferable skills, how you
contributed to the role and what experience you gained.
Volunteering – You can arrange the information in a distinct section, or incorporate
it into your work experience section as long as you clearly show it as a voluntary
activity and show the transferable skills.
Interests, Responsibilities and Achievements– everyone arranges these
differently depending on what they have done. They show a lot about you as an
individual and always be thinking about potential transferable skills.Your interests
are important as they show what you like to do, how you have contributed outside of
work/study, and how you have developed yourself. Try not just list your interests but
put them into a meaningful context and explain the extent to which you participate.
This often can form an ‘ice-breaker’ first question at interview. Responsibilities can
include roles within clubs and societies - treat them like a job role and show the skills
you have used and gained. Your achievements may overlap with either of the
above. Again, provide some information about the work you put in, what you got out
of it, and how it has helped you develop. This is where everyone differs and
remember…. you will get found out if you are less than truthful. If you don’t love 16 th
century Danish poetry or weren’t treasurer of the tiddlywinks club don’t put it down as
your interviewer is bound to be a Danish tiddlywinks champion!!
Additional Skills – such as IT and languages. Name the packages and/or
languages and indicate your level of proficiency.
Courses- formal educational courses/ meetings attended: title, date, educational
body, venue and possibly brief summary of what you learnt.
Teaching- brief details of:
a) relevant formal (non medical school) teaching you have attended (eg F1 teaching
programme)
b) any teaching you have delivered (date, title, audience: students/nurses etc, ?as
part of a formal teaching programme)
Audit- title, date, department, ?first cycle/re-audit, brief explanation including
changes suggested/ effect on practice. Aim for at least one audit a year as a doctor.
Publications & Research- a box you need to start filling for some of the more
competitive specialities. Quote any publications by the full journal reference and give
short explanations.
Presentations- title, meeting presented at, venue, date & short explanation.
Career Aim –Short and purposeful, demonstrating your direction.
References – usually two referees are required for specialty application. Check that
they are happy to act as a referee for you and provide their name, job title, work
address, phone (?secretary direct line) and an e-mail address for easy contact.