Essential CV Building Guide for Caribbean IMGs in Preliminary Medicine

Understanding the Residency CV Landscape as a Caribbean IMG

For a Caribbean international medical graduate (IMG) targeting a Preliminary Medicine (Prelim IM) spot, your CV is more than a list of activities—it is a strategic document that answers three questions for program directors:

1. Can you handle the clinical workload of an intern year?
2. Are you reliable and professional in U.S. clinical environments?
3. Are you efficient, mature, and easy to supervise for just one intense year?

Preliminary Medicine positions are often used as a first year before Neurology, Anesthesiology, Radiology, Ophthalmology, PM&R, or as a bridge when you are still strengthening your application. Program directors know they are hiring you for one year of high-volume inpatient work, so your Caribbean medical school residency application—especially your CV—must quickly demonstrate readiness.

This article focuses on how to build CV for residency specifically for Caribbean IMGs applying to preliminary medicine. We will cover:

• How a prelim medicine CV differs from a categorical IM CV
• What sections to prioritize and how to order them
• How to highlight your U.S. clinical experience and SGU residency match–style strengths (applies broadly to all Caribbean schools)
• Concrete examples of entries and phrasing
• Residency CV tips specific to Caribbean IMGs with possible gaps, lower Step scores, or non-traditional paths

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1. Strategic Mindset: What Prelim Medicine Programs Look For

Before building your medical student CV, you need to understand your audience.

1.1. What matters most for Prelim IM programs

Program directors reviewing applicants from Caribbean schools primarily look for:

• USMLE Performance and Progression

  • USMLE Step 1 (pass/fail), Step 2 CK score and first-time passes
  • No unexplained gaps between exams or between school years

• Documented U.S. Clinical Experience (USCE)

  • Core and elective rotations in Internal Medicine and subspecialties
  • Strong evaluations and letters from U.S. attendings
  • Evidence of functioning at “intern level” by the end of fourth year

• Professionalism and Reliability

  • Consistent progression through medical school
  • No red flags: professionalism issues, repeated leaves of absence, major delays without explanation

• Efficiency & Teamwork

  • Evidence that you can work in fast-paced environments:
    • Hospital volunteer roles
    • Scribe work
    • Leadership in student organizations
    • Teaching or tutoring with accountability

• Communication Skills

  • Ability to work in multicultural teams and communicate with patients clearly
  • Activities showing interpersonal skills: peer teaching, orientation leader, translator/medical interpreter

For a Prelim IM spot, flashy research is less important than proof you can start functioning as an intern on July 1. Let this principle guide what you feature most prominently on your CV.

1.2. Caribbean-specific considerations

As a Caribbean IMG, you may be coming from SGU, AUC, Saba, Ross, or another offshore school. Successful SGU residency match outcomes and similar match stories from other schools reflect a pattern:

• Students who front-load U.S. clinical rotations and get strong letters from busy IM services do better.
• Those who organize their CV to highlight U.S. performance, not just pre-clinical grades, are easier for PDs to trust.
• Clear explanation of any gaps, transfers, or repeated semesters is essential—your CV and ERAS application must align.

Your CV should therefore be built to:

1. Neutralize bias (“offshore” school ≠ weak training)
2. Highlight U.S. clinical performance
3. Show that you understand U.S. hospital systems, documentation, and team dynamics

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2. Core Structure of a Strong Prelim Medicine CV

Your CV for residency should be clean, logical, and easy to scan in under 30 seconds. Think of it as a high-level map of your journey from pre-med to early physician.

Here is an ideal section order for a Caribbean IMG preliminary medicine applicant:

1. Contact Information & Professional Summary (optional but helpful)
2. Education
3. USMLE & Other Licensure Exams
4. Clinical Experience (separated into U.S. and non-U.S. if applicable)
5. Research, Quality Improvement, and Scholarly Work
6. Leadership, Teaching, and Service
7. Work Experience (non-clinical)
8. Honors, Awards, and Scholarships
9. Skills (clinical, language, technical)
10. Interests (brief, professional)

This structure will reinforce the key messages programs want: you are trained, tested in the U.S. system, and ready to work hard from day one.

2.1. Contact information & professional summary

At the top, include:

• Full name
• Professional email (e.g., firstname.lastname@gmail.com)
• U.S. phone number
• City/State (for ERAS you won’t list address on CV, but if sending outside ERAS, keep it professional)
• LinkedIn link (optional but helpful if it’s well maintained)

A 1–2 sentence professional summary can help frame your narrative:

Example (for a Caribbean IMG applying Prelim IM):
“Caribbean-trained medical graduate with extensive U.S. internal medicine clerkship experience and strong Step 2 CK performance, seeking a Preliminary Medicine year with a focus on inpatient care, multidisciplinary teamwork, and high patient volumes in preparation for Neurology residency.”

This is not required, but when used, it can quickly place you in context.

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3. Education & Exams: Presenting Your Caribbean Training Effectively

3.1. Education section: emphasize clinical relevance

For a Caribbean medical school residency applicant, list your education in reverse chronological order:

Example:

Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada
Expected Graduation: June 2025

• Clinical rotations completed in: New York, New Jersey, Florida
• Core clerkships: Internal Medicine (12 weeks), Surgery (12 weeks), Pediatrics (6 weeks), Obstetrics & Gynecology (6 weeks), Psychiatry (6 weeks), Family Medicine (6 weeks)

Bachelor of Science in Biology
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Graduation: May 2019

Key tips:

• Explicitly mention that your clinical rotations were in U.S. hospitals affiliated with your school.
• If your school has an established match track record (e.g., like SGU residency match data), you don’t need to cite stats, but mentioning U.S.-based clinical training reassures PDs.
• Don’t crowd this section with random achievements—keep it structural.

3.2. USMLE and exam performance

Most programs scan this area rapidly to screen applicants.

Example layout:

USMLE Step 2 CK – 245, First attempt, August 2024
USMLE Step 1 – Pass, First attempt, April 2023
USMLE Step 3 – Planned for March 2026 (if applicable and honest)

If you have failed an exam, do not hide it—it will show up anyway—but don’t over-emphasize it here. Simply list:

USMLE Step 2 CK – 227, Second attempt, August 2024

The deeper context for any struggle should be included in your personal statement or ERAS experiences, not on the CV itself.

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4. Clinical Experience: The Heart of a Prelim Medicine CV

For a Prelim IM applicant, this is your most critical section. It should immediately prove:

• You have enough inpatient internal medicine exposure
• You understand U.S. documentation, EMR, and hospital workflow
• You have worked in busy, diverse patient populations

4.1. Organizing clinical experiences

Divide into:

• U.S. Clinical Experience (most important; list first)
• International/Caribbean Clinical Experience (core rotations on campus or at local hospitals)

Within each sub-section, list reverse chronological entries.

Example structure:

U.S. Clinical Experience

Clinical Clerk, Internal Medicine – Inpatient
Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY
Aug 2024 – Oct 2024 (12 weeks)

• Managed 6–8 patients daily under supervision, presenting cases during morning rounds.
• Performed focused histories and physicals, composed daily progress notes in EPIC, and pre-charted laboratory and imaging data.
• Assisted with transitions of care, including discharge summaries and follow-up planning.
• Worked closely with residents as the primary medical student on a high-volume teaching service.

4.2. What to emphasize for preliminary medicine

For each entry, emphasize elements that mirror intern responsibilities:

• Patient load and responsibility (“followed 6–8 inpatients daily”)
• Documentation and EMR (e.g., Epic, Cerner)
• Team communication (sign-out, multidisciplinary rounds)
• Procedures (if allowed: IVs, ABGs, EKGs, etc.)
• Location type (community vs academic vs safety-net hospital)

Avoid generic bullet points like “completed 12-week IM rotation.” Instead, be specific and action-oriented.

Stronger example bullets:

• “Presented new admissions and overnight events during daily morning report, integrating lab and imaging data into concise assessments and plans.”
• “Co-managed patients with multiple comorbidities (CHF, COPD, ESRD, uncontrolled diabetes) and contributed to evidence-based management decisions under resident and attending supervision.”
• “Coordinated follow-up appointments, communicated discharge instructions to patients and families, and collaborated with case management and social work.”

4.3. Subsections within clinical experience

You can further divide U.S. experience into:

• Core Internal Medicine Clerkship
• Sub-internships (Sub-I) / Acting Internships (AI)
• Electives relevant to Internal Medicine and your eventual specialty (e.g., Neurology for a future Neuro applicant)

For a Prelim IM applicant, a medicine Sub-I is particularly valuable. On your CV:

Acting Intern, Internal Medicine
St. Barnabas Hospital, Bronx, NY
May 2024 – June 2024 (4 weeks)

• Functioned in the role of an intern under supervision, writing daily progress notes and orders that were co-signed by residents.
• Participated in direct patient handoffs, night float coverage, and rapid response evaluations.
• Received informal feedback from residents and attendings noting readiness for intern-level responsibilities.

This type of description reassures PDs that you can hit the ground running.

4.4. Non-U.S. (Caribbean/Home Country) clinical experience

Include your on-island rotations or home-country hospital experiences, but keep them concise and secondary to U.S. rotations:

Clinical Clerk, Internal Medicine – Outpatient
General Hospital, St. George’s, Grenada
Feb 2023 – Apr 2023 (8 weeks)

• Assisted in evaluating patients in a high-volume primary care clinic with limited resources.
• Gained experience managing chronic diseases with constrained access to advanced diagnostics.

This helps show breadth, resourcefulness, and global perspective.

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5. Research, Leadership, and Service: Strengthening a Prelim IM Profile

While prelim positions often prioritize service and clinical readiness, these sections can differentiate you from other Caribbean IMGs with similar scores.

5.1. Research and quality improvement (QI)

Not all prelim applicants will have publications, but quality improvement (QI), case reports, or poster presentations can be very relevant.

Example entry:

Quality Improvement Project: Reducing 30-Day Readmissions for Heart Failure
Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, Internal Medicine Department
Jan 2024 – May 2024

• Retrospectively analyzed 120 hospital readmissions for congestive heart failure, identifying medication reconciliation gaps as a key contributor.
• Collaborated with residents and nursing leadership to develop a discharge checklist that emphasized medication counseling and follow-up appointments.
• Presented findings at the hospital’s QI conference; project adopted for a 3-month pilot phase.

Residency CV tips for this section:

• Use structured bullets: Objective – Methods – Outcome.
• If unpublished, list as “Project” or “Abstract/Poster” rather than “Publication.”
• Highlight anything that involved hospital workflow, patient safety, or interprofessional collaboration—these are directly relevant to intern life.

5.2. Leadership and teaching

For a Caribbean IMG, leadership and teaching show maturity and communication skills—highly valued in preliminary medicine year interns who need to be reliable from day one.

Potential entries:

• Peer tutor for basic sciences or Step 1
• Small-group facilitator or anatomy lab TA
• Orientation leader for incoming classes
• Leadership in student orgs: Internal Medicine Interest Group, Global Health, EMIG, etc.

Example:

Peer Tutor, Internal Medicine Clerkship Exam Preparation
St. George’s University School of Medicine
Jan 2023 – Dec 2023

• Led weekly small-group sessions for 8–10 third-year students focused on clinical reasoning and NBME-style questions.
• Developed a structured 6-week curriculum that was adopted by the Office of Academic Enhancement.
• Received consistently positive feedback on clarity of explanations and approachability.

This demonstrates your ability to explain, mentor, and organize—qualities that make you a valuable team member even as a prelim.

5.3. Community service and volunteer work

For prelim applicants, service shows professionalism and empathy, but keep it relevant and recent. Focus on health-related or longitudinal commitments rather than one-off events.

Examples:

• Free clinic volunteer
• Medical interpretation for non-English-speaking patients
• COVID-19 vaccine clinic, testing sites
• Health education events in Caribbean or U.S. communities

Example CV entry:

Volunteer, Student-Run Free Clinic
Newark, NJ
Sep 2022 – May 2023

• Conducted intake histories, vital signs, and initial assessments for uninsured adult patients under supervision.
• Coordinated referrals and follow-up visits, emphasizing chronic disease management and medication adherence.

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6. Work Experience, Skills, and Personalization: Making Your CV Memorable

6.1. Non-clinical work experience

Many Caribbean IMGs worked before or during medical school. Include experiences that:

• Show responsibility, time management, and communication
• Are relevant to clinical work (e.g., scribe, medical assistant, EMT)
• Demonstrate resilience (working while studying)

Example:

Medical Scribe, Emergency Department
Miami, FL
Jun 2018 – Aug 2019

• Documented patient encounters in real time for attending physicians, including HPI, ROS, physical exam, and ED course.
• Gained early exposure to clinical decision-making and interprofessional communication in a high-acuity setting.

This directly supports your image as someone comfortable with fast-paced environments—a major plus for a preliminary medicine year.

6.2. Skills section: be specific and honest

Break skills into subcategories:

• Clinical Skills: venipuncture, IV placement (if trained), EKG interpretation (basic), ACLS/BLS (if certified)
• Technical/EMR: Epic, Cerner, Meditech, Microsoft Office, basic statistical software (SPSS/R if applicable)
• Languages: list fluency levels honestly (native, fluent, conversational)

Example:

Skills

• Clinical: Comprehensive H&P, clinical reasoning, SOAP documentation, basic EKG interpretation, BLS certified
• EMR: Epic, Cerner
• Languages: English (native), Spanish (conversational), French Creole (basic)

Avoid listing generic skills like “hardworking” or “team player”—these belong in your personal statement and letters, not a skills section.

6.3. Interests: brief and authentic

1–3 bullet points are enough. Use them to sound human and distinctive without being unprofessional.

Examples:

• Distance running; completed two half marathons
• Caribbean cooking and nutrition-focused community workshops
• Medical humanities and patient narratives

Program directors sometimes use these for small-talk in interviews. Keep them real.

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7. Formatting, Common Pitfalls, and Advanced Residency CV Tips for Caribbean IMGs

7.1. Formatting essentials

• Length: Usually 1–2 pages for a medical student CV; 2 pages is acceptable if content is substantive.
• Font: Professional (Calibri, Times New Roman, Arial), 10–12 pt.
• Consistency: Uniform date format, bullet style, and indentation.
• File name: “LastName_FirstName_CV_Residency.pdf”

Remember: ERAS has its own structure, but many programs or mentors will request a separate CV, and you may need it for away rotations, research, or prelim positions applied to outside ERAS.

7.2. Common mistakes for Caribbean IMGs

1. Overcrowding early Caribbean coursework and under-emphasizing U.S. experience

   • Shift focus to what U.S. attendings saw you do.

2. Listing every activity ever done

   • Prioritize clinical and leadership roles over minor, one-time events.

3. Unexplained gaps

   • If you took a Step delay, remediation semester, or leave of absence, ensure your CV dates align with ERAS and prepare a concise explanation for interviews.

4. Typos and inconsistent formatting

   • For applicants perceived as “borderline,” small errors can hurt. Have at least two people (including someone familiar with residency applications) review it.

5. Inflated responsibilities

   • Never suggest you performed independent physician-level tasks as a student. Use honest phrases: “under supervision,” “assisted with,” “co-managed with resident team.”

7.3. Tailoring your CV to Preliminary Medicine vs Categorical IM

For a Prelim IM application:

• Emphasize inpatient, high-volume, acute care rotations
• Highlight experiences that show you manage multiple tasks, handle stress, and function like an intern
• If you have a future specialty goal (e.g., Neurology), you can subtly show alignment:
  • Include Neuro electives and related research in separate subsections
  • But maintain the message: “I’m ready to be a hard-working internal medicine intern for one year.”

7.4. Leveraging your Caribbean school’s strengths

If your school has strong U.S. affiliations and match outcomes (like those seen in SGU residency match statistics and similar institutions):

• Use clinical entries to showcase respected hospital names and busy services
• Mention formal sub-internship designations and structured evaluation systems
• If you received honors or outstanding evaluations in IM rotations, reflect that in bullet points:
  • “Received ‘Honors’ designation (top 10% of cohort) for internal medicine clerkship performance and clinical evaluations.”

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FAQ: CV Building for Caribbean IMG in Preliminary Medicine

1. How is a CV different from my ERAS application?
Your ERAS application uses structured fields and shorter descriptions; your CV is a narrative, free-form document you control. Many programs, mentors, and letter writers still request a separate CV. It allows you to:

• Organize sections in a way that highlights your strengths
• Provide more context about clinical and leadership experiences
• Present a polished professional identity beyond the ERAS template

Both must be consistent in dates and facts; think of the CV as the “expanded, organized version” of your ERAS profile.

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2. What should I prioritize on my CV if my Step 2 score is average but I want a prelim medicine spot?
If your Step 2 CK is average, lean heavily on:

• Strong U.S. Internal Medicine rotations (particularly inpatient)
• Any Sub-I/Acting Intern experiences where you functioned like an intern
• Positive clinical evaluations and honors (if available)
• Demonstrated reliability and work ethic through leadership, teaching, or long-term work
• Clear, concise descriptions of your responsibilities that mirror intern tasks

Programs are often willing to take a prelim applicant with middling scores if they are dependable, efficient, and ready to work hard.

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3. I have a gap between basic sciences and clinical rotations. How do I present this on my CV?
Keep dates accurate and aligned with ERAS. You don’t need to explain the gap on the CV itself, but you should:

• Avoid leaving unexplained blank periods—reflect actual activity if applicable (research, family obligations, exam prep).
• Be prepared with a clear, honest, and brief explanation for interviews and, if needed, your personal statement.
• Counterbalance the gap by emphasizing strong, recent U.S. clinical performance and timely Step 2 CK completion.

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4. How can I make my CV stand out as a Caribbean IMG among many similar applicants?
Focus on three differentiating areas:

1. Detailed, concrete clinical descriptions that show you truly understand intern work (e.g., handoffs, discharge planning, EMR use).
2. Longitudinal commitments in leadership, teaching, or service—not just one-off events.
3. Clear future trajectory: briefly aligning your prelim year with your planned specialty (e.g., Neurology, Anesthesiology) without sounding disinterested in Internal Medicine.

Combined with careful formatting and error-free writing, these elements help your medical student CV stand out as professional, focused, and trustworthy—qualities that are crucial for a successful Caribbean medical school residency application in Preliminary Medicine.