Medical Student CV Example & Writing Guide

You’re in medical school—the dream of many and the daily struggle of a lucky few. You’re closer than ever to having the “MD” after your name, and so much will change once you receive it.

But first, to take on the medical world, you need a top-class medical student CV proving that you’re ready to put on a white coat.

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We created the sample on the right using our builder. See other good CV examples like this one.

Seeking another CV for medical professions? Study these guides:

• Medical CV
• Nursing CV
• Pharmacist CV
• NHS CV
• Support Worker CV

Medical student CV template

Now here’s how to write a medical student CV they’ll love:

1. Start your medical student CV with an attention-grabbing personal statement

The best way to send your medical school CV to the top of the pile is to stand out with an impressive personal statement. It gives employers a glimpse into your motivations, aspirations, and unique qualities.

A well-written personal statement does three things:

• Introduces you as a medical student
• Shows what you have to offer a potential employer
• Describes how your goals overlap with an employer’s expectations.

Ideally, all this information fits right into the 3–4 sentences and 50–150 words.To make your personal statement preparation smooth and easy, answer the following questions:

• How would you describe yourself as a student, using one adjective?
• What is your current position or status (medical school student, medical school candidate, etc.)?
• What’s your most impressive/relevant achievement?
• How you’re particularly well-suited to the role?
• How would you like to help an employer?

Since you might not have much work experience, focus on your volunteer history, student activities, or relevant interests.

Remember to tailor your medical student CV to every job that you apply for. This means using job-related keywords to make your CV ATS-friendly and secure your next recruitment stage.

This medical student CV example shows how:

Medical student CV example—personal statement

And here’s the last tip: though you start your CV with a personal statement, writing it at the end is easier once your work experience sections and skills are ready. 

2. Describe work experience in your medical student CV

Even though education is the highlight of your medical student CV, the work experience section is still something you should expand on. Though your work experience might be limited, there’s always something you can focus on instead.

Think about volunteer work, work experience programs, internships, or part-time jobs that you took early in your medical career. Describing work experience as a medical student is about showcasing your responsibilities, skills gained, and the impact you made professionally.

Whether you describe a job, an internship, or a program you participated in, showcase what you did in your role with up to 6 bullet points. Start each bullet with a strong action verb and present your tangible achievements.

Review this medical student CV example:

Medical school CV example—work experience

As you can see, achievements can be anything that translates into your new role. If you struggle to draw from your previous experience, emphasize skills you developed during your work experience that are transferable to the medical field. Transferable skills include communication, teamwork, empathy, problem-solving, and more.

3. Showcase your academic achievements in a medical student CV

No matter what medical role you’re applying for with your medical student CV, your educational background and academic achievements are fundamental. Otherwise, you’d be writing a medical student resume instead—one of the key differences between CVs and resumes is that the first one focuses on academic history much more than work experience. 

Start by getting the bare-bones details down:

List your degrees (including majors), schools, and graduation dates in reverse chronological order. Include an expected graduation date if you’re still studying a given degree.

Use this template to present your degree on a CV the right way:

[Degree Class] [Degree Type] [Degree Name]

[University Name] (Years Attended)

Then, add bullet points that speak to your academic performance, relevant skills, and areas of interest or medical specialisation.

Next, include the following subsections under each degree, as appropriate:

• Publications
• Grants
• Fellowships
• Conferences

This medical student CV example depicts this best:

Medical student CV example—education section

Don’t be afraid to expand on your education section—it’s very relevant to a medical student CV. However, remember to stick to brief statements of fact that are pertinent to your application. 

A strong CV summary will convince the recruiter you’re the perfect candidate. Save time and choose a ready-made personal statement written by career experts and adjust it to your needs in the LiveCareer CV builder.

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4. Showcase the most demanded medical student skills

Since you’re already thinking about displaying your unique traits, it’s a good moment to write a skills section. Less is more here. Be selective in what you choose to include. Focus on skills directly relevant to those listed in the job ad.

These lists will give you a sense of different hard, technical skills, and soft skills that might be adequate in a medical student's CV:

Examples of medical student skills for a CV

• Emergency medicine
• Physical examination
• Operating a mass spectrometer
• Capillary electrophoresis
• Quantifying cerebral blood flow
• Ultrasound
• Cannulation
• Research
• Academic writing
• Nasogastric intubation
• Statistics
• Time management
• Active listening
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Coordination
• Interpersonal skills
• Problem-solving
• Perceptiveness
• Detail orientation
• Decision-making

To complete the skills section, add a description to each skill that tells exactly how you’ve demonstrated that particular ability. Like in this example:

Medical student CV example—skills section

Be as precise as you can. Such descriptions help potential employers or institutions understand your qualifications, competencies, and suitability for a specific role or program. 

5. Fill in missing details by adding sections to your medical student CV

A CV is a longer, more comprehensive document than a resume. Stopping at just the education, work experience, and skills sections is simply not the best way to finish your CV. 

Adding extra sections to your medical student CV can enhance your document by providing a more comprehensive view of your qualifications, experiences, and related hobbies and interests.

Here are the examples of additional sections you can add:

• Publications and presentations
• Certifications and training
• Honours and awards
• Specialized interests
• Languages

See the example:

Medical student CV example—additional sections

The idea is to add enough details without padding out your medical student CV with irrelevant information. What’s more, if you have a particular interest or specialization within medicine (e.g., neurology), you can create a dedicated section for it.

6. Write a compelling cover letter to accompany your medical student CV

Just before you put the final touches on your medical student CV, consider writing a cover letter to go with it. Check the requirements and, if in doubt, always include one just in case.

A cover letter is a valuable companion to your medical student CV for various reasons. Above all, it allows you to tailor your application to a specific medical program or job opportunity and explains your motivations, which a CV simply doesn’t do.

A good medical student cover letter follows a standard British business cover letter format and includes the following:

• A professional header
• An appropriate salutation
• A strong cover letter opening
• Your most important achievements
• A quick closing with a call to action
• A cover letter ending with a sign-off

Your medical student cover letter should be between half a page and one A4 page long, counting about 200–350 words. A well-written cover letter typically comprises three to four paragraphs, each serving a specific purpose.

Keep it concise and to the point to make it a valuable addition to your medical student CV. See how to write a cover letter to exploit its potential best.

7. Get your medical student CV format right

Imagine that the person responsible for the triage of your application has it on their screen now. They scroll up and down on it several times, having trouble reading it.

If they’re patient enough, they’ll keep trying. If not, your chances of getting a medical role in the UK healthcare system are already lost.

Why? Formatting your medical student CV is important to make it organized, professional, and easy to interpret. Here’s how to achieve it:

• Leave your contact details at the top of your CV and make them easy to spot.
• Incorporate subheadings and enough spacing to keep your CV structure clean and logical.
• Choose the right CV font, like Calibri or Helvetica. Go simple so as not to distract the reader.
• Always download your CV to PDF unless the job ad dictates otherwise.
• Strive for a one-page CV and keep it concise and to the point.

On top of that, check if your medical student CV goes well with a cover letter. Then, review both to spot possible mistakes and things you would like to rework. Additionally, you can ask for expert advice to ensure your application meets the task.

A cover letter alone simply won’t be enough—you need an impactful CV, too. Create your CV in minutes. Just follow our wizard and fill in every CV section with ready-made content. Get started by choosing a professional CV template.

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Your medical student CV is all ready, and you can await immediate calls. Thank you for reading this article, and good luck with your application!

How we review the content at LiveCareer

Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with LiveCareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.

Sources

• General Medical Council, (2011) Specialties, sub-specialties and progression through training
• Chang J., x Peysakhovich F., Wang W., Zhu J., The UK Health Care System