In case you missed it a few weeks ago, I hosted a CV and Personal Statement workshop for all medical students. Not sure if I am as good of a speaker as this guy, but we had a good crowd and had some good discussions. Below is the link to the recording of the workshop as well as a summary of the highlights:
CV Tips
1) Be consistent
- Font type, font size, spacing, timeline, wording.
2) Be descriptive
- The benefit of a CV is being able to describe your entries. Take advantage of this.
3) Be you
- If you have unique experiences, make sure to highlight that in your CV in someway. Consider a special section for mentoring or lectures you have given or international experiences you have had.
4) Be timely
- You CV should be a living document. Have a way that you continually update it.
Personal Statement Tips
1) Be solid
- For most students, this is not the time to write the best story every written or be super creative. You don’t have to write a poem and then make it into the shape of a stethoscope or anything like that.
2) Be grammatically correct
- One of the basic purposes of the statement is to show programs you can put together a coherent thought it English.
2) Be focused
- Think of your Personal Statement as the opening statement to residency programs. You will have the opportunity to say more about yourself on interview day.
3) Be brief
- Unless you have an extremely unique story or you have some bumps on your record to discuss, your statement should not be more than 1 page.
Remember to get feedback on your CV and Personal Statement from you advisor, mentors and other trusted friends. I am also happy to take a look at them and give you some feedback. Just email me: mpmckenn@iu.edu and I will check it out. I try to have a turnaround time of 2 weeks, although I have a bit of a backlog to get through. Good luck!
