Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Physicians need to consider a digital resume

Philippa Kennealy, MD, MPH
Physician
October 24, 2010
38 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

As a physician coach to doctor clients making the transition from clinical practice and seeking out new careers, I latched onto a recent article in the Los Angeles Times business section.

Titled “Revive your Resume” by Emily Hughey Quinn, it hints at the death of the traditional paper resume. In its place is the digital resume you create on sites such as LinkedIn and VisualCV.

Take special note – if you’re a physician seeking a non-clinical non-academic career as a physician executive, a medical director or even in another field, your CV is history. Gone is the document laden with degrees, credentials, lengthy education sections and reams of publications and presentations. This stuff doesn’t matter.

Back to the resume.

Advantages of the digital resume:

  • consistent format — the reader of your resume knows what to find where, and what to look for
  • access to people on LinkedIn who may be great contacts, your next boss, or excellent networking resources
  • built-in networking and job-searching opportunities within the same site
  • multi-sensory appeal, if you’re willing engage your creativity and add video, images and even audio (check out the Fortune 500-type guy and the Sassy Creative one — both generate instant impressions)
  • accompanying testimonials and recommendations, visible to all prospective hiring folks

One caveat: Maintain a highly professional public persona online. Clean up your act – check your Facebook privacy settings to ensure that your prospective employer can’t see those drunken 40th birthday party pictures or shut down your Twitter account if there’s anything you wouldn’t the interviewing team across the table to be asking about.

And back to the moribund traditional resume.

  • The job of your cover letter is to get your resume read.
  • The job of your resume is to get you an interview.
  • The job of your interview(s) is to get you the job!

Your resume is all about your job-related achievements. What you did, and what results you (or the company/department) got.

This is very intimidating for many physicians who look blank when asked what they have accomplished. “All I ever did was practice medicine” they tell me. But that is another story … for another day.

Traditional resume (and digital resume) tips:

  • Drop the “Objective” starter paragraph. Replace it with a concise Summary of your strengths and experience related to the job you are interested in, or the direction you are pursuing
  • Show how your experience and skills will address the future needs of the employing organization or business
  • This takes research and imagination on your part – do this well and you are already ahead of 90% of the candidates!
  • Keep “personal and hobbies” information brief and relevant to the position you are applying for. If  your hobbies highlight functional skills that could add value to the position, go for it. Otherwise, skip them
  • Be truthful!!
  • Reverse chronological ordering is best, with Company Name, Job Title, Dates of Employment, a sentence about the company and/or your role, and bulleted points highlighting your achievements and results
  • Two pages is plenty, no more than the last 20 years (some say 10!). If you  have had a long career to date (>10 years), 3 pages is fine
  • Picture the poor person who might be glancing over their 41st resume by the time they get to yours. Be that sigh of relief!

Philippa Kennealy is a family physician and certified physician development coach who blogs at The Entrepreneurial MD.

Submit a guest post and be heard.

Prev

Why the Florida Medical Association (FMA) is angry with the AMA

October 24, 2010 Kevin 11
…
Next

Will the accountable care organization (ACO) be a durable part of reform?

October 25, 2010 Kevin 3
…

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Why the Florida Medical Association (FMA) is angry with the AMA
Next Post >
Will the accountable care organization (ACO) be a durable part of reform?

More by Philippa Kennealy, MD, MPH

  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Why the physician path today is far from linear

    Philippa Kennealy, MD, MPH
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Use a beginner’s mind in your medical practice

    Philippa Kennealy, MD, MPH
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    What Richard Branson can teach doctors

    Philippa Kennealy, MD, MPH

More in Physician

  • The escalating violence in health care workplaces: a critical problem facing the nation’s health care system

    Harry Severance, MD
  • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

    Howard Smith, MD
  • Why allowing yourself to embrace discomfort is necessary for personal growth

    Jillian Rigert, MD, DMD
  • Unconventional health care, flawed studies, and biases: Navigating the complexities for optimal well-being

    Kara Wada, MD
  • Finding your ideal work-life balance: tips for prioritizing personal life and achieving professional success

    Zahid Awan, MD
  • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Why the WHO’s pandemic accord is critical for global health care

      Elizabeth Métraux | Policy
    • The revolutionary Kaiser-Geisinger deal: How health care giants are reshaping the industry and empowering patients

      Robert Pearl, MD | Policy
    • The escalating violence in health care workplaces: a critical problem facing the nation’s health care system

      Harry Severance, MD | Physician
    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • A pediatrician’s journey into integrative medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why allowing yourself to embrace discomfort is necessary for personal growth

      Jillian Rigert, MD, DMD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Anti-VEGF Injections for Diabetic Retinopathy Linked to Systemic Adverse Events
  • Is Berberine Really 'Nature's Ozempic'?
  • More Evidence Backs Gout Benefit for Gliflozin Agents
  • Burnout: The Musical; Debt Ceiling May Stymie Research; Diet's 'Powerful Ability'
  • Dying With Dignity: A Look at the Advantages of the Medicare Hospice Benefit

Meeting Coverage

  • More Evidence Backs Gout Benefit for Gliflozin Agents
  • Reaction to FDA's Approval of Upadacitinib for Crohn's Disease
  • CDK4/6 Extends Reach Into Early-Stage Breast Cancer
  • TAR-200 Led to High Complete Response Rates in BCG-Unresponsive Bladder Cancer
  • More Success for CAR T-Cell Therapy in Rheumatic Disease
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Why the WHO’s pandemic accord is critical for global health care

      Elizabeth Métraux | Policy
    • The revolutionary Kaiser-Geisinger deal: How health care giants are reshaping the industry and empowering patients

      Robert Pearl, MD | Policy
    • The escalating violence in health care workplaces: a critical problem facing the nation’s health care system

      Harry Severance, MD | Physician
    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • A pediatrician’s journey into integrative medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why allowing yourself to embrace discomfort is necessary for personal growth

      Jillian Rigert, MD, DMD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Physicians need to consider a digital resume
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...