Doctor Resume:
Guide Expert & IA 2026

A physician cv is typically more detailed than a resume and functions as a professional biography: it documents training, licensure, publications, teaching, and leadership. A resume is shorter and more marketing-focused. For clinical hiring, your cv must support verification, so dates, locations, and board status should be precise and consistent.

Use a clean, one-column format with standard headings and month/year dates. Put contact information at the top, then education and training, then experience, then certifications and licenses. Credentialing teams look for a consistent document structure, clear institutions and cities, and an audit trail that matches primary source verification.

There is no fixed length of a cv, but mid-career physicians are often effective at 3–6 pages depending on publications and leadership scope. Prioritize relevance: keep older training concise, group minor activities, and highlight outcomes and roles tied to the prospective position. Academic candidates may be longer due to scholarship.

Yes, but curate them. Include the most relevant publication items (recent, clinical, guideline-related, or quality improvement work) and keep formatting consistent. One short section is enough. Community employers typically prioritize clinical fit and teamwork, but publications can distinguish you as a candidate and support leadership credibility.

Often, yes—especially when changing specialty focus, relocating, or targeting a faculty appointment. A cover letter can explain the role you want, your clinical niche, and why the organization fits. Keep it one page and align it with your cv accomplishments. See our cover letter resource: /cover-letter.

Update your cv every 3–6 months, or immediately after major events (new certification, committee appointment, presentation, promotion). Maintaining an up-to-date document reduces stress during recruitment and makes credentialing faster. Keep a running list of outcomes, teaching hours, and QI metrics so updates take minutes, not days.