A physician CV built around the training timeline
A medical doctor’s CV is organised differently from other professions: the heart of it is a credential and training timeline that credentialing offices verify line by line. This builder structures medical school, residency, fellowship, board certifications, licensure, and CME into a clean, consistent document.
Who reads a physician CV and what they look for
The physician CV serves two distinct audiences with different priorities.
Credentialing offices at hospitals and health systems do not read the CV for narrative — they are verifying each entry against primary sources. For them, completeness and accuracy are everything. A missing license number, an institution name that does not match what ABMS or the relevant board has on file, or a gap in the training timeline will trigger a query. The credentialing process cannot proceed until every discrepancy is resolved.
Clinical department heads and physician recruiters care more about the fit between your training and their practice environment. A cardiac surgery fellowship at a high-volume academic centre signals something different than one at a community program, even if both are fully accredited. Including subspecialty interests, the volume of procedures, and any named leadership roles (chief resident, program director of a specific rotation) gives them that context quickly.
How it works
The header combines your name with credentials (MD, DO, FACP, etc.) and shows your specialty and NPI. The education and training block always renders medical school first, then each residency and fellowship newest-first, with the year range leading every entry — the chronological format credentialing bodies expect. Board certifications, licensure, and hospital privileges are free-text lists rendered as bullets so you can include issuing board, license number, and status. Publications and presentations are numbered. When you enter CME credits, the tool adds a section noting the total AMA PRA Category 1 Credits for the current cycle. Empty sections are dropped automatically.
Section-specific guidance
Medical school — Include the degree (MD or DO), the institution’s full official name, and the year of graduation. The city and state are optional but help when institution names are unfamiliar.
Residency and fellowship — Lead with the specialty or subspecialty, then the program and institution, then the year range. If you held a chief resident position, note it on the same line. Multiple fellowships go in separate entries.
Board certifications — Include the full board name (e.g., American Board of Internal Medicine), the exact specialty or subspecialty certified, and the year of initial certification. If the certification is time-limited and you are recertified, show the most recent year. Lapsed certifications are typically omitted.
State licensure — List every active state license. Include the issuing state, license number, and status (active/inactive/pending). Credentialing offices will cross-reference these against state medical board records.
Hospital privileges — Name the hospital and the type of privileges (active, courtesy, consulting). If you have privileges at multiple facilities, list each separately.
CME credits — State the total AMA PRA Category 1 Credits for the current two-year maintenance cycle and the renewal date. Some specialties use different CME frameworks; add a note if applicable.
Publications and presentations — Even a small number of peer-reviewed papers or invited lectures signals academic engagement. List with standard citation format, numbered in reverse order.
Tips and example
Enter licensure as Massachusetts #12345 (active) so the state, number, and status are all captured on one line. For board certifications, include the issuing board and year: for example ABIM — Cardiovascular Disease, certified 2020. Keep training entries in year-range form like 2014–2017. The output is plain text that pastes cleanly into Word; use it as an accurate, well-ordered foundation, verify every license and certification detail against primary sources, and apply your preferred template before submitting to a credentialing office or recruiter.