Top Tips & Resources
We’ve compiled a list of valuable resources and some top tips to help you develop your CV. Importantly, look out for opportunities via MedSoc newsletters, network with people, keep track of evidence and enjoy every step of the way!
Top Tips
1.Look out for the opportunities and filter. Look at ClinSoc Bulletin and society specific bulletins the Clinical school Facebook page for opportunities and be selective.
2.Combine your hobbies and skills to create something new. For example, a friend of mine was interested in helping the homeless, was good at teaching and knew first-aid. They used this to develop a course that teaches CPR to homeless people- those who need this training most. You can write/sing/dance/act? - join the panto crew! You can code? - build a website that’s useful to people! You are good at teaching? Find a gap in education and teach what you are interested in.
3.Talk to people. Each doctor has been on their own journey to get to where they are and they often have useful careers/life advice. You will find doctors you look up to and want to be just like, ask them what they’ve done.
4.Show commitment to a specialty. Submit your projects (you can use those part II projects!!) for posters and presentations at conferences. Look out for essay prizes. You can find some on the RSM website or other sites via a simple google search.
5.Keep track of your evidence. Scan in certificates, results certificates, project transcripts, and save all these documents in one place. When it comes to applying for training pathways after FY2 they ask for your portfolio where you will need evidence for everything you put in your CV.
Resources
Interested in surgery? Look at the Project Cutting Edge website. It tells you all the meaningful ways that you can start building your portfolio.
Interested in a particular specialty? Look out for conferences for medical students in those specialties. They provide handy careers advice.
Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) website essay prizes section.
ClinSoc bulletin, Surgical Society mailing list, specialty-specific mailing list.
The biggest message: have fun along the way. The whole point of building a CV is to show you have done things that add value to you or other people. It should be fun not draining.
