In this blog, you will learn what the purpose of a medical school resume is, what to include in your resume, and how to create a perfect resume to make your medical school application stand out . Finally, you will get to read an outstanding example of a medical school resume!
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A medical school resume is a concise summary of your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, research experience, and work history, tailored to highlight your qualifications and potential as a candidate for medical school. It serves to present a comprehensive snapshot of your personal and professional development relevant to pursuing a career in medicine.
And although it's not required by many of the medical programs in the US and Canada, a well-crafted medical school resume can be a great way to demonstrate your accomplishments and stand out from the crowd by showcasing your relevant experiences. It’s always recommended that you check our each of your prospective school’s application timeline and medical school requirements prior to starting your medical school resume.
If the thought of preparing a medical school resume strikes you as daunting, don’t worry, you’re not alone! Working with an academic advisor with years of experience helping students craft stellar application materials may be worth considering. Take it from our former student, Lily:
Because medical school resumes aren’t always a mandatory application component, many students often wonder if admissions committees review each resume they receive; and the answer is, probably not. There are thousands.
However, most admissions committees will scan your resume, looking for something that may catch their attention, while taking a closer look at your medical school personal statement , AMCAS Work and Activities , and other application components.
Some schools may even use automated systems to sort through the resumes, searching for certain keywords within the text that will pre-qualify the curriculum vitae or resume for further review.
That means you must be very strategic in the keywords you use for subheadings and titles, knowing exactly what is expected of you.
Here are a few examples of keywords to include in your medical school resume:
Some sections of your resume are not ‘must haves’ whereas others are extremely vital.
No matter how confident you are in your final copy, we strongly recommend that you have an expert, or at the very least, someone with experience, review your medical school resume. If you need assistance, BeMo is happy to help you, just like we’ve helped thousands of others:
Now, let’s look at the information you must include in your medical school resume and how to organize it in different sections.
Here are some tips for formatting your medical school resume:
Finally, save your resume as a PDF to ensure readability and that the format won’t change when opened in a different computer.
The following sample demonstrates which sections and types of experiences you may include in your own resume. Pay close attention to actionable verbs and keywords used by the writer.
JOHNNY JOHNSON
[Phone Number] | [Email]
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE: HONORS BIOLOGY 2010 - 2014
McGill University, Montreal, QC
GPA: 3.95/4.0; Dean’s Honor List Sciences Graduate
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHER May 2012 - Aug 2014
Vogel Lab-McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT Oct 2011 - Apr 2012
Vogel Lab-McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
CLINICAL RESEARCH ASSISTANT Jun 2011 - Aug 2011
Department of Psychiatry-McGill University, Montreal, Quebec
SOCCER COACH Sep 2016 - May 2017
McGill Intramurals, Montreal, Quebec
HOSPITAL VOLUNTEER October 2014 - May 2016
McGill University Health Center- Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec
First Class Honors in Biology 2014
Dean’s Honors List Graduate – Bachelor of Science (Graduating Student) 2014
Science Undergraduate Research Award May 2014 - Aug 2014
NSERC Cellular Dynamics of Macromolecular Complexes Undergraduate Fellowship May 2013 - Aug 2013
NSERC Cellular Dynamics of Macromolecular Complexes Undergraduate Fellowship May 2012 - Aug 2012
Advisory Board Scholarship in Science 2012
Dean’s Honors List Graduate – Bachelor of Science (Continuing Student) 2012
McGill Science Undergraduate Society’s (SUS) award for best new initiative of the year 2014
McGill Science Undergraduate Society’s (SUS) award for best event of the year 2013
PRESIDENT May 2013 - August 2014
The McGill Biology Student Union, Montreal, Quebec
VICE PRESIDENT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Sept 2011 - April 2012
The McGill Biology Student Union, Montreal, Quebec
Want a quick recap? Check out our video:
No. Not all medical schools require a resume as part of the application documents. However, a well-crafted medical school resume can be a great way to demonstrate your uniqueness and stand out from the crowd, showcasing your relevant experiences.
2. If it’s not a required medical school application component, can I still submit the medical school resume?
If your school of choice does not require a medical school resume, you can simply submit your biographical information, educational background, and work experience through the application system you’re using.
3. What do medical school admissions committees look for in a resume?
First, they are looking for your educational background to see that you will be able to handle the medical school coursework. This can be demonstrated with your academic record, GPA, and MCAT score.
They also want to see all the relevant professional, clinical, and research experiences, including jobs, volunteer work, internships, and community involvement.
4. What should I include in my resume?
There are some must-have sections like your contact info, education, and experiences that you can't leave out. Other optional sections include a professional objective, skills and interests, teaching experience, research groups and publications. Do not include a cover letter. For your medical school application, you already have a personal statement and other essays that would replace the cover letter used for job applications.
5. What information should I add to the education section?
You should at least include the following:
6. What if I have a low GPA?
If your science and cumulative GPA are lower than the medical school GPA requirements of your chosen schools, it will be difficult to convince the admissions committees that you are a strong candidate. However, there are a few things you can do to get into medical school with a low GPA .
7. If one of my resume sections is weaker than others, does that hurt my chances of acceptance?
It’s impossible to have experiences in every section of the medical school resume. However, there are some activities you should prioritize if you want to attend medical school. Try to have some quality clinical and shadowing experiences, because they signal that you know what it takes to be a physician.
If you’re applying to programs that value medical research, make sure to gain some quality research experience before you apply. Additionally, demonstrate your versatility and interests outside of academia – this will help admissions committees understand your personality and character.
8. How important is a medical school resume? Do I really need to write one?
If your schools of choice require a medical school resume as part of the application, you must submit one. If not, you can choose to forgo this application component. A resume can really help you organize your timeline and show progress – something medical schools truly value.
9. Should I bring a copy of my resume to the medical school interview if I am invited?
Yes. It is a good idea to have this document with you during the interview.
