4 Medical Doctor Resume Examples, Templates & Tips

A doctor is responsible for diagnosing, treating patients, and prescribing medications. They collaborate with other healthcare professionals to ensure comprehensive patient care. Doctors play a vital role in the healthcare system, working in hospitals, clinics, and private practices to improve patient health outcomes​. Here’s a guide that will help you find a job at an institution you desire—read on and see my recommendations for a great doctor's resume.

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Doctor Resume Example

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Entry-Level / Junior Doctor Resume

An entry-level doctor, also known as a junior doctor or resident physician, is responsible for diagnosing and treating patients under the supervision of senior doctors. They perform physical exams, order and interpret diagnostic tests, and provide basic patient care. Entry-level doctors also document patient information and collaborate with healthcare teams to ensure optimal patient outcomes. Here’s a sample entry-level doctor resume:

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Mid-Level Doctor Resume

A mid-level doctor, often referred to as an attending physician, has more responsibility and autonomy in patient care. They lead medical teams, make critical medical decisions, and mentor junior doctors. Here’s a sample mid-level doctor resume:

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Senior Doctor Resume

A senior doctor, often holding titles such as senior consultant or department head, leads medical departments, oversees patient care, and drives clinical research initiatives. Here’s a sample senior doctor resume:

Resume Templates for Doctors

We’ve analyzed 11 million resumes made in the Zety Resume Builder, and here are the top 3 doctor resume templates:

Cascade

Use this resume template

A two-column resume is perfect for entry-level candidates who want to keep everything on one page. However, Cascade was selected by most doctors, not only those at the beginning of their careers. Choose it, and you will easily create a resume that stands out.

Concept

Use this resume template

A unique resume template. What looks like a two-column resume delivers a separate section for dates, making your relevant experience easy to read through and understand. Concept is one of my favorites, and many doctors agree with me. No wonder why, it’s truly a great resume template.

Diamond

Use this resume template

A unique, eye-catching resume template combines minimalist design with creative use of resume icons. Plus, Diamond has a massive header, something I am a great fan of, as it helps you get remembered after the very first glance at your resume.

How to Write a Doctor Resume:

1. Structure Your Doctor Resume Template

Does layout matter in doctor resumes? It’s critical. They don’t want to hire Zoidberg. So prove to them that you know all the ins and outs of resume anatomy and design your resume correctly.

Here’s how to format a resume for a doctor:

• Format: reverse-chronological resume format.
• Fonts: use respected, simple resume fonts.
• Font size: 11–12 point (resume headings are 2–4 points larger).
• Subheadings: put a little white space around them for readability.
• Resume margins: 1-inch margins all the way around.
• Line spacing: 1 to 1.15 inch.
• Resume length: our study found that doctors tend to create resumes that are around 2.5 pages long.
• File type:save it as a PDF unless the job posting says not to.

Here are the parts of a resume you should include:

• Header: add the right contact information.
• Summary: a short rundown of the medical successes that make you a great fit.
• Experience: your past jobs, with descriptions and key achievements.
• Education: a short picture of your schooling, with accomplishments.
• Skills: a brief list of your skills that best fit this job.
• Additional sections: your license, volunteering, awards, etc.

Wondering how many positions to include on a resume? Read our guide: How Far Back Should a Resume Go?

2. Start With a Doctor Work Experience Section

How to convince your future employer that you’re the one they’re looking for? By showing you’ve already done the physician job they’re hiring for. That comes down to how you list work history on a doctor's resume. You’ve got to bone-screw yourself to the job to stand out.

Here’s how it’s done:

• Start with your most recent role.
• Add your job titles, the facility name, and location, and your working dates.
• Write 3–6 bullet points to describe your physician job duties and responsibilities.
• Tailor your resume so it fits this M.D. role.
• Spotlight your best medical accomplishments with numbers to show size.
• Use the PAR (Problem-Action-Result) formula to give your resume more power.
• Begin your sentences with action words to get attention.

Here are some resume keywords that use action words:

Doctor Keywords for a Resume

• Diagnosing medical conditions
• Conducting physical examinations
• Ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests
• Prescribing medications
• Managing patient care
• Collaborating with healthcare teams
• Documenting patient information
• Providing patient education
• Developing treatment plans
• Ensuring regulatory compliance
• Performing surgical procedures
• Monitoring patient progress
• Implementing treatment protocols
• Conducting patient follow-ups
• Administering therapies

And here are some action verbs great for your resume:

Doctor Action Verbs

• Diagnosed
• Examined
• Treated
• Prescribed
• Managed
• Collaborated
• Documented
• Educated
• Developed
• Ensured
• Performed
• Monitored
• Implemented
• Conducted
• Administered

Next—what about an entry-level doctor's resume? Read our guide: How to Put Shadowing a Doctor on a Resume

3. List Your Education (It’s Harder than it Sounds)

Doctor resumes can’t just say you graduated. That’s like having a Medtronic Bennett ventilator and using it to fill balloons. To get noticed, list your degree and school name. But—

Add one or two academic accomplishments. 

Here’s what you should always do when creating a resume education section:

• List your degree
• State the university name
• Add a date of your graduation
• Include your minors and majors

Here’s what you can also include, especially if you’re writing an entry-level resume:

• Latin Honors
• Relevant Coursework
• High GPA
• Relevant Awards
• Dean's List
• Extracurricular Activities
• Study Abroad

Pro Tip: Don’t have any big medical school accomplishments? That’s fine. Use the extra space to add more physician accomplishments from past roles.

4. Impress Your Future Employer with Your Doctor Skills 

Your doctor's resume needs the right skills. Which soft skills or hard skills do hospital administrators and recruiters like? First, let me show you a list of your potential skills.

Doctor Resume Skills

• Family Medicine
• Internal Medicine
• Differential Diagnosis
• Budgeting
• Pediatrics
• Oncology
• Pharmaceutical Knowledge
• Critical Care
• Anesthesia
• Cardiology 
• Leadership Skills
• Efficiency
• Time Management
• Teamwork Skills
• Communication Skills
• Attention to Detail
• Compassion
• Work Ethic
• Active Listening
• Business-Minded

Your resume doesn’t need that many skills. Let’s narrow it down and focus only on those most important.

Here’s how to do it right:

1. Make a list of skills and resume keywords this clinic wants (they’re in the job ad).
2. List your hard skills and your soft skills. Look at your experience and education for clues.
3. Find matches between the two skills lists.
4. In your medical skills resume section, list 5–10 of the best-matching skills.
5. Include both hard skills and soft skills in your resume for doctors.

Pro Tip: Need more information about the doctor job to customize your resume skills? Conduct informational interviews to learn what the facility needs most.

5. Include Relevant Certifications to Your Doctor’s Resume

Certifications and licenses are crucial to a doctor's resume. They validate your professional qualifications and legal authorization to practice medicine. Placing these sections prominently ensures they are easily noticeable to potential employers, streamlining the verification process and enhancing your credibility.

Here are a few:

• Addiction Medicine Certificate
• Hospital Medicine
• Emergency Medicine
• Brain Injury Medicine
• Family Medicine Obstetrics

Pro Tip: Place your certifications and licenses between your education section and your skills. This approach creates a logical flow, showing progression from academic training to professional qualifications.

6. Put Additional Activities to Your Doctor Resume

Did you know that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 24,200 openings for doctors are projected each year, on average, over the decade? Still, the competition will be fierce. The next way of convincing your future employer you’ve got what it takes to put on their scrubs? Adding some more information to your resume in additional sections.

You can include:

1. Volunteer Work

Have you done pro bono medical work? That’s a great way to show you know a canule from a cantaloupe, especially if you’ve got little on-the-job experience. Plus, volunteering works well for your health! 

2. Second Languages on a Resume

Do you speak French? Spanish? A second language on a doctor resume can make a good impression. That goes double if the hospital’s patients speak that language too.

3. Conferences or Publications on a Resume

Have you attended medical conferences? Given talks on heart disease? Written research papers or articles? Those things can give you another chance to show your Christian-Barnaard-level skills.

4. Memberships in Professional Organizations

Listing your association in a doctor's resume shows the clinic owner you’re a top choice. See these examples:

• American College of Physicians
• American Medical Association
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• American Society of Internal Medicine
• College of American Pathologists

5. Hobbies and Interests

This section is great for highlighting your personality, making you an even more unique candidate. It can also confirm some of your soft skills by mirroring them, i.e., you can mirror being a team leader by including being a leader of a music band in this section.

Pro Tip: Are you struggling to find physician jobs? Go to conferences and join a professional association like the AMA. Professional networking matters, especially in the medical field.

6. Write a Doctor Resume Summary or Resume Objective

You’ve got your entire resume ready. Well, almost. Your final procedure is to summarize it all in a resume profile.

There are two types of it: 

• A resume objective is for entry-level and junior doctors.
• A resume summary is for experienced doctors. 

To do them write, simply structure them using one of the formulas below: 

Doctor Resume Summary

Doctor Resume Objective

Pro Tip: Struggling with what to say in your doctor's resume profile? That’s why I put this chapter here. Write it last after your entire resume is ready. Just pick the most important, relevant, and impressive stuff! 

7. Add a Cover Letter to Your Doctor Resume

A cover letter for doctor jobs should show your passion and medical competence. Make 

it short but memorable.

Here’s how to do it right:

• Format your cover letter before you start to write it.
• Use the hiring manager’s name in your doctor cover letter.
• Write a cover letter first sentence that makes the hospital administrator want to read the rest.
• Show a few quick highlights of how you fit the role.
• End your cover letter with a powerful closing statement that asks for the interview.

Pro Tip: Do doctor resumes need cover letters? Every time. It’s true that some recruiters don’t read cover letters. But almost half depend on them. Don’t risk it.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Did you wind up at this doctors resume sample by mistake? See these other medical resume examples:

• Medical Resume
• Medical Assistant Resume
• EMT/Paramedic Resume
• Nursing Resume
• Physician CV
• Medical Billing Resume
• Medical Student Resume
• Resume for Medical School
• Healthcare Resume
• Physician Assistant Resume
• Resumes for 500+ Jobs

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This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

• https://www.pcc.edu/staff/wp-content/uploads/sites/114/2018/07/SampleresumeStatementsusingPAR.pdf
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm
• https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/volunteering-and-its-surprising-benefits.htm
• https://www.theabpm.org/become-certified/subspecialties/addiction-medicine/
• https://www.hospitalmedicine.org/professional-development/hospital-medicine-certification/
• https://www.abpsus.org/emergency-medicine
• https://www.abpn.com/become-certified/taking-a-subspecialty-exam/brain-injury-medicine/
• https://www.abpsus.org/family-medicine-obstetrics
• https://www.acponline.org/membership?&gclid=Cj0KCQiApaXxBRDNARIsAGFdaB9R6UcWpxnTqOtE5FbqtWyZbtVNYxYyCPj3l4nfH09z_u8_34X-OegaAo1nEALw_wcB&jcpid=8a8ae4cd619867ed01619c95c7811ff7&jsf=de309cb7-d5ea-4071-80f9-454a0824bd4f:33443
• https://www.ama-assn.org/
• http://www.niams.nih.gov/
• http://www.acponline.org/
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