Ultimate Guide to CV Building for MD Graduates in Pediatrics-Psychiatry

Understanding the Role of Your CV in Pediatrics-Psychiatry

As an MD graduate pursuing a combined Pediatrics-Psychiatry (often triple board: Pediatrics–Psychiatry–Child & Adolescent Psychiatry) residency, your CV is more than a list of accomplishments. It is a strategic document that must quickly communicate three things:

1. You have the clinical foundation and professionalism expected of an allopathic medical school graduate.
2. You understand what makes pediatrics-psychiatry unique and are deliberately pursuing this path.
3. You bring experiences and skills that suggest you will thrive in an intensive, integrated training environment.

Directors of peds psych residency and triple board programs often review dozens of applications at once. They skim first, then dive deeper into promising candidates. A well-structured, targeted CV helps you survive the skim and stand out in the deeper review.

This article focuses on how to build a CV for residency in Pediatrics-Psychiatry as an MD graduate, including concrete residency CV tips, examples of strong content, and strategies specific to combined training.

---

Core Structure of a Strong Pediatrics-Psychiatry CV

Before tailoring for specialty, you need a clean, standard structure. Programs expect MD graduate residency CVs to be easy to navigate and consistent with common academic formats.

Recommended Section Order

A typical allopathic medical school match CV for peds psych or triple board should follow this order:

1. Contact Information & Personal Data
2. Education
3. Medical Licensure & Certifications
4. Honors & Awards
5. Research Experience
6. Publications, Presentations & Posters
7. Clinical Experience (Selected, if applicable beyond clerkships)
8. Leadership & Extracurricular Activities
9. Volunteer & Community Service
10. Teaching & Mentoring
11. Professional Memberships
12. Skills & Interests

You can adjust slightly, but avoid creative formats that make it harder for selection committees to find key information.

Formatting Principles

• Length: For MD graduate residency applicants, 2–4 pages is typical and acceptable, especially if you have significant research, leadership, or work experience.
• Font & Layout: Use a clean, readable font (11–12 pt), clear section headings, and consistent spacing. Bullet points should be concise and parallel in structure.
• Chronology: Use reverse chronological order within each section (most recent first).
• Consistency: Dates, locations, and titles should follow a single consistent style throughout.

Example (Header and Education):

Name, MD
Email | Phone | City, State | ERAS AAMC ID (if desired)

Education
MD, Allopathic Medical School, City, State

• Expected graduation: May 2025
• Distinction in Research

BS, Biology, University of X, City, State

• Magna cum laude, May 2021

---

Tailoring Your CV for Pediatrics-Psychiatry and Triple Board Programs

Pediatrics-psychiatry and triple board residencies look for applicants with specific traits: flexibility, resilience, interest in developmental trajectories, comfort with families, and understanding of both somatic and psychiatric aspects of illness. Your CV should foreground experiences that signal these attributes.

Mapping Experiences to Core Peds-Psych Themes

When reviewing your background, group your experiences into themes relevant to combined training:

• Child and adolescent focus
• Developmental and behavioral exposure
• Psychiatry interest and insight
• Family systems and social determinants of health
• Interdisciplinary and integrated care
• Longitudinal relationships with patients or communities

Then, prioritize experiences that hit multiple themes. For example, a student-run clinic for adolescents with mood disorders combines child focus, psychiatry exposure, and longitudinal care—a perfect experience to highlight for peds psych residency.

Example: Transforming a Generic Bullet into a Targeted One

Generic research bullet:

• “Assisted with data collection and chart review for a pediatric inpatient study.”

Targeted for peds-psych:

• “Conducted chart reviews for a pediatric inpatient study examining risk factors for anxiety and depressive symptoms in children with chronic medical conditions; analyzed developmental and psychosocial variables.”

The latter tells a combined program: you’re already thinking at the intersection of pediatrics and psychiatry.

Emphasizing Integrative and Longitudinal Care

Triple board programs especially value applicants who understand integration across systems—medical, psychiatric, educational, and community.

Highlight:

• Longitudinal clinic experiences (e.g., continuity clinics, teen clinics, developmental follow-ups)
• Rotation electives that bridge pediatrics and psychiatry (e.g., child psych consult-liaison, eating disorders, behavioral pediatrics)
• Projects involving schools, child welfare, juvenile justice, or community agencies

Example CV bullet:

• “Completed 4-week elective with Child Psychiatry Consult-Liaison service, collaborating with pediatric hospitalists, social workers, and school counselors to coordinate care plans for medically hospitalized adolescents with suicidality or somatic symptom disorders.”

Showing Genuine Commitment to Pediatrics-Psychiatry

Program directors want to know you are choosing this pathway intentionally—not as a back-up to categorical pediatrics or psychiatry.

Ways to demonstrate this on your residency CV:

• Electives: Label them clearly (e.g., “Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Elective,” “Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Elective”).
• Scholarly projects: Frame your research, QI, or capstones in a way that shows integrated interest.
• Leadership: If you led or co-founded interest groups in pediatrics, psychiatry, child advocacy, mental health, or neuroscience, highlight that.
• Service: List volunteer or advocacy work with children, families, or mental health organizations.

Even if your experiences are more weighted toward one side (e.g., mostly pediatrics), your bullet wording can highlight biopsychosocial thinking and family-centered care.

---

Section-by-Section Residency CV Tips for Peds-Psych Applicants

1. Education: Subtle Signaling of Interest

In addition to listing degrees, you can leverage the Education section to show early alignment:

• Honors or tracks: List if you participated in child health, psychiatry, human behavior, global health, or community service tracks.
• Scholarly concentrations: Note concentrations in behavioral health, health disparities, child development, or neuroscience.

Example:

Education
MD, Allopathic Medical School, City, State (May 2025)

• Scholarly Concentration in Child Development & Mental Health
• Completed Enhanced Curriculum in Communication Skills and Motivational Interviewing

2. Licensure & Certifications

Include:

• USMLE Step scores (if programmatically appropriate and you choose to share), COMLEX if applicable.
• BLS, ACLS, PALS (PALS is particularly relevant for pediatrics).
• Any additional certifications: Mental Health First Aid, trauma-informed care workshops, child advocacy training.

Example:

Certifications

• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), valid through 2027
• Mental Health First Aid (Adult and Youth), 2023

3. Research Experience: Lean into Development, Behavior, and Systems

When you list research, emphasize:

• Population: children, adolescents, families
• Outcomes: behavioral, emotional, developmental, or psychosocial
• Methods: qualitative interviews with families, chart reviews focusing on mental health, longitudinal cohorts

Example Research Entries:

Research Experience
Clinical Research Assistant – Pediatric Obesity and Mood Study
Department of Pediatrics, Allopathic Medical School, City, State
2023 – 2024

• Coordinated a study evaluating the relationship between depressive symptoms and treatment adherence among adolescents with obesity in a multidisciplinary weight management clinic.
• Collected and managed survey data on mood, family functioning, and school performance; contributed to analysis using SPSS.
• Co-authored abstract accepted for presentation at the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting (2024).

Child Psychiatry Research Elective – School-Based Mental Health Program
Department of Psychiatry, Allopathic Medical School, City, State
2022 – 2023

• Assisted with a project assessing implementation of school-based cognitive behavioral interventions for middle school students with anxiety disorders.
• Conducted literature review on integrated pediatric-primary care and school mental health models.

These bullets subtly showcase familiarity with pediatrics, psychiatry, and systems of care.

4. Publications, Presentations, and Posters

This section is critical for MD graduates targeting competitive combined or triple board programs.

• Use standard citation formats (e.g., AMA).
• Separate subsections: Peer-Reviewed Publications, Abstracts & Posters, Oral Presentations, if you have enough entries.
• Highlight any work presented at pediatrics or psychiatry meetings (e.g., PAS, AACAP, APA, AAP).

Example:

Posters & Presentations
Smith A, Your Name, Lee R. “Anxiety and adherence in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.” Poster presented at: Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting; May 2024; San Diego, CA.

Your Name, Patel S. “Perceptions of mental health stigma among Latino parents in a pediatric primary care clinic.” Oral presentation, Allopathic Medical School Research Day; March 2023; City, State.

5. Clinical Experience: Beyond Required Clerkships

Your core clerkships are already captured elsewhere in your ERAS application, but your CV can:

• Highlight sub-internships and key electives relevant to peds-psych.
• Emphasize experiences that involved collaboration between pediatrics and psychiatry, or work with vulnerable child populations.

Example:

Selected Clinical Electives
Sub-Internship – Inpatient Pediatrics
Children’s Hospital, City, State (Aug 2024)

• Managed 4–6 patients daily under supervision; focused on children with complex chronic conditions and comorbid developmental or behavioral disorders.
• Collaborated with child psychiatry and psychology for patients with adjustment disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and medically unexplained symptoms.

Elective – Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Inpatient Unit
University Hospital, City, State (Oct 2023)

• Participated in multidisciplinary treatment of adolescents with mood and psychotic disorders; attended family meetings and school IEP planning sessions.

Elective – Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Clinic
Children’s Hospital, City, State (Jan 2024)

• Observed comprehensive developmental assessments and integrated care planning for children with autism, ADHD, and learning disorders.

---

Non-Clinical Sections that Matter More Than You Think

Leadership & Extracurricular Activities

Peds-psych and triple board residency training is demanding and complex, requiring organizational skills, maturity, and initiative. Leadership roles demonstrate these attributes.

Highlight positions such as:

• Pediatric or Psychiatry Interest Group officer
• Student-run free clinic director, especially if serving children/adolescents
• Committee roles related to curriculum, wellness, or diversity-equity-inclusion
• Advocacy or policy positions around child welfare, school health, or mental health

Example:

Leadership & Extracurricular Activities
Co-President, Psychiatry Interest Group
Allopathic Medical School, 2022 – 2023

• Organized a 4-part lecture series on early-onset psychosis, child trauma, and integrated pediatric mental health; attendance >80 students per event.
• Coordinated mentorship sessions connecting students with child psychiatrists and triple board residents.

Clinic Coordinator, Student-Run Pediatric & Adolescent Clinic
Community Health Center, City, State, 2021 – 2022

• Oversaw scheduling and operations of weekly evening clinic providing primary care and mental health screening for uninsured youth aged 12–21.
• Implemented standardized PHQ-9 and GAD-7 screening workflow, increasing detection of depression and anxiety by 30%.

Volunteer & Community Service

These experiences are particularly valued in child-focused fields. Emphasize:

• Any roles working directly with children or families (e.g., tutor, camp counselor, mentor).
• Activities related to trauma, abuse prevention, foster care, juvenile justice, or community mental health.
• Long-term engagement (multi-year involvement is powerful).

Example:

Volunteer Mentor, Youth After-School Program
Nonprofit Organization, City, State, 2020 – 2023

• Provided weekly academic support and mentorship to middle school students from underserved communities; developed group activities addressing stress, bullying, and emotional regulation.

Crisis Hotline Volunteer
Local Crisis Center, 2021 – 2022

• Completed 40 hours of training in crisis intervention and suicide risk assessment; handled >100 calls, many involving adolescents and young adults.

Teaching and Mentoring

Triple board programs often produce future academic leaders. Demonstrated teaching experience strengthens your profile.

Examples to include:

• Peer tutoring in neuroscience, behavioral science, pediatrics, or psychiatry.
• Teaching assistant roles in medical school courses.
• Workshops for parents, teachers, or school staff on child mental health topics.

Example:

Teaching Assistant, Human Behavior & Development Course
Allopathic Medical School, 2023

• Led small-group case discussions on child development, attachment, and early childhood mental health for first-year medical students.

Professional Memberships

Membership in professional organizations signals engagement with the field:

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
• American Psychiatric Association (APA)
• American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
• Local or state pediatric/psychiatric societies
• Student chapters where applicable

List memberships, especially if you were active in committees or interest groups.

---

Polishing: How to Build a CV for Residency That Program Directors Actually Want to Read

Once the content is in place, refining style and presentation will separate a good CV from a great one.

Use Impact-Oriented, Concise Bullets

Each bullet should convey what you did and why it mattered. A simple formula:

Action verb + what you did + how/with whom + outcome/impact (if possible)

Weak bullet:

• “Worked on quality improvement project in pediatric clinic.”

Stronger bullet (peds-psych aware):

• “Led QI project implementing standardized depression screening for adolescents in a pediatric primary care clinic; increased screening completion from 40% to 85% over 6 months.”

Avoid Redundancy with Your Personal Statement

Your personal statement and CV should complement, not duplicate. If your statement tells the story of one particular patient or experience, your CV can back it up with concrete details (dates, roles, scope) without repeating the narrative.

• Personal statement: emotional and narrative “why.”
• CV: factual and structured “what, when, how much.”

Tailor Emphasis Based on Program Type

For pure triple board programs (Pediatrics–Psychiatry–Child & Adolescent Psychiatry):

• Balance pediatrics and psychiatry experiences as evenly as possible.
• Highlight integrated and systems-level work strongly.
• Emphasize resilience, flexibility, and long-term commitment to a demanding training pathway.

For peds-psych–leaning pediatrics programs or pediatrics with strong behavioral focus:

• Lead more with pediatric clinical strength, but:
  • Thread in your comfort with mental health, family systems, and developmental-behavioral issues.
  • Emphasize effective collaboration with mental health providers.

For peds-psych–leaning psychiatry programs or child psych tracks:

• Lead with your understanding of child development and your comfort working in pediatric settings.
• Highlight how your pediatric experience gives you unique insight into early manifestations of psychiatric illness.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Laundry-list CVs with no focus: Every experience looks equal, so reviewers can’t see your peds-psych identity. Order and bullet phrasing should clearly show your trajectory.
2. Typos and inconsistent formatting: These suggest inattention to detail—concerning in a field that demands careful documentation.
3. Overcrowded sections: White space matters; if a section is dense, split it logically (e.g., separate research from publications).
4. Unexplained gaps: Briefly note meaningful non-traditional paths, leaves, or career changes (for example, “Leave of Absence for Family Reasons, 2022–2023”), then be prepared to discuss them in interviews.

Getting Feedback and Iterating

Before finalizing your residency CV:

• Ask a pediatrician or child psychiatrist (preferably someone who works with or in triple board programs) to review it.
• Use your school’s career office or an advisor familiar with allopathic medical school match processes.
• Compare your CV against sample MD graduate residency CVs from your institution—but remember to maintain your specialty focus.

Aim for a CV that reviewers could look at for 60–90 seconds and walk away thinking:

“This applicant is clearly focused on pediatrics-psychiatry, has done meaningful work with children and families, and understands integrated care.”

If your current CV doesn’t evoke that reaction, adjust content and emphasis until it does.

---

FAQs: CV Building for MD Graduate in Pediatrics-Psychiatry

1. How long should my CV be for a peds psych or triple board residency?

For an MD graduate residency applicant, 2–4 pages is appropriate, especially if you have research, leadership, or prior careers. Programs are used to longer CVs for applicants with robust experiences. The key is organization and clarity; don’t add fluff just to increase length.

2. How much pediatrics vs. psychiatry should I show on my CV?

Aim for as balanced a presentation as your genuine experiences allow:

• If you are applying specifically to triple board, your CV should show substantial engagement with both pediatrics and psychiatry.
• If your experiences are heavier on one side, adjust bullet wording to bring out the other perspective (e.g., highlighting psychosocial aspects in pediatric work, or developmental understanding in psychiatry work).
• You do not need a perfect 50/50 split, but you do need credible evidence that you understand and are committed to both fields.

3. Do I need publications to match into peds psych or triple board?

Publications are helpful but not strictly required. What matters more is:

• Demonstrated sustained interest in child health, mental health, or development.
• Meaningful involvement in research or QI projects, even if they haven’t yet led to publications.
• Ability to talk about your work thoughtfully in interviews.

If you don’t have publications, emphasize research experiences with clear descriptions of your role and what you learned, and highlight any posters, abstracts, or local presentations.

4. Should I include non-medical jobs or experiences on my residency CV?

Yes, if they demonstrate skills or traits that are relevant to being a strong peds-psych physician:

• Teaching, counseling, social work, case management, youth mentorship, or camp counseling.
• Work in schools, child welfare, or community mental health.
• Leadership, project management, or significant employment that shows maturity and resilience.

For each non-medical job, briefly frame responsibilities in terms of transferable skills: communication, conflict resolution, crisis management, working with children/families, or navigating complex systems.

---

A carefully crafted CV is a powerful tool in your pediatric-psychiatry or triple board residency application. By structuring it clearly, emphasizing integrated pediatric and psychiatric experiences, and aligning your bullets with the values of combined training, you can present a compelling, coherent picture of who you are—and the future child-focused, whole-person physician you aim to become.