Essential CV Building Tips for MD Graduates Pursuing OB GYN Residency

Understanding the Purpose of Your OB GYN Residency CV

As an MD graduate applying for Obstetrics & Gynecology, your CV is one of the first tools programs use to decide whether you are worth a closer look. It is not just a chronological list of activities. Done well, it is a tightly curated, strategically organized document that answers three key questions for program directors:

1. Can this applicant handle the clinical and academic rigor of OB GYN residency?
2. Does this applicant have clear, sustained interest in women’s health and obstetrics?
3. Will this applicant be a collegial, reliable member of our team who fits our culture?

In OB GYN—where programs balance surgical intensity, high-acuity obstetrics, continuity clinics, and emotionally complex patient care—your CV needs to convey more than strong USMLE scores or grades. It should highlight:

• Evidence of commitment to women’s health and reproductive justice
• Comfort with procedural and surgical environments
• Experience in high-stress, team-based settings (L&D, ED, OR, ICU)
• Skills in communication, counseling, advocacy, and cultural humility

Many MD graduates underestimate how carefully programs read the CV. For the allopathic medical school match, your CV is often opened side-by-side with your ERAS application, personal statement, and letters. In some programs, coordinators or faculty scan your CV during applicant screening to decide who receives interview offers—particularly in competitive specialties such as OB GYN.

Your goal: make your CV clear, polished, and targeted so that within 30–60 seconds, a reviewer can understand your training background, scope of involvement, and why you are a strong fit for an Obstetrics & Gynecology residency.

---

Core Structure: How to Build a CV for OB GYN Residency

A strong OB GYN residency CV is usually 2–4 pages for an MD graduate. More than length, what matters is clarity, relevance, and organization. Here is a recommended structure tailored to the obstetrics match and the allopathic medical school match process.

1. Contact Information and Professional Header

At the very top:

• Full name (as used on ERAS and official documents)
• MD or equivalent degree (e.g., “Jane A. Smith, MD”)
• Professional email (ideally firstname.lastname@domain.com)
• Mobile phone (with country code if international)
• Current city and state
• Optional: LinkedIn URL or professional website if it adds value

No photos or personal demographic details (age, marital status, etc.) are needed or appropriate in a typical US residency CV.

Example:

Jane A. Smith, MD
Email: jane.smith.md@email.com | Phone: (555) 123-4567
Location: Boston, MA | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/janesmithmd

2. Education

List in reverse chronological order:

• Medical school (allopathic medical school, MD)
• Undergraduate institution
• Graduate degrees (if any)

Include:

• Institution name, city, state (or country)
• Degree and major (e.g., BS in Biology, MD)
• Graduation month/year
• Honors (cum laude, AOA, Gold Humanism, etc., if applicable)

Example:

Doctor of Medicine (MD)
Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
Expected May 2025

• AOA Honor Medical Society (anticipated based on current standing)
• Women’s Health Scholarly Concentration

Bachelor of Science in Biology, magna cum laude
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
May 2021

3. Medical Licensure and Examinations

For an MD graduate residency applicant, this section helps programs quickly assess your exam trajectory and eligibility.

Include:

• USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK (and Step 3 if taken)
• COMLEX exams if dual applying from a DO → MD graduate setting (less common here, but possible)
• State limited licenses, if any

Format:

• “USMLE Step 1 – Pass (Jan 2023)”
• “USMLE Step 2 CK – 247 (Aug 2024)”

If you are an IMG with ECFMG certification, list:

• “ECFMG Certified, 2024”

4. Clinical Experience and Rotations (OB GYN–Focused)

This section is especially important for MD graduates applying into OB GYN. It should clearly highlight:

• Your core OB GYN clerkship
• Any sub-internships / acting internships (AIs) in OB GYN
• Away rotations in OB GYN (very relevant in the obstetrics match)
• Additional women’s health or reproductive health electives

You do not have to list every core rotation, but highlight those that show your OB GYN readiness, especially if you had strong evaluations or unique responsibilities.

Suggested format:

Sub-Internship, Obstetrics & Gynecology
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Aug–Sept 2024

• Managed 4–6 inpatients daily under supervision, presenting on rounds and writing progress notes
• First-assist on cesarean deliveries, assisted with total laparoscopic hysterectomies and cystoscopies
• Independently performed routine gynecologic exams and prenatal visits in continuity clinic

Away Rotation, Maternal-Fetal Medicine (Elective)
University of California, San Francisco, CA
July 2024

• Participated in high-risk OB clinics and ultrasound sessions
• Assisted in counseling patients on preterm birth prevention, diabetes in pregnancy, and genetic testing
• Completed mini-QI project on triage documentation for preeclampsia workups

If you have significant non-core OB GYN experience (e.g., working as an L&D nurse or medical assistant before med school), list this under Clinical Experience rather than Employment, and clearly describe the role.

---

Highlighting OB GYN–Relevant Activities: Research, Leadership, and Service

For the obstetrics match, programs look carefully at evidence of sustained interest in the specialty. Your CV should showcase the breadth of your engagement with OB GYN.

1. Research and Scholarly Work

OB GYN is a diverse field with strong research in maternal-fetal medicine, reproductive endocrinology, gynecologic oncology, family planning, and more. Your research does not need to be exclusively OB GYN–based, but it helps when some of it clearly aligns with women’s health or related areas (e.g., primary care, global health, health disparities, oncology).

Break down this section into clear subheadings:

• Peer-Reviewed Publications
• Abstracts and Presentations
• Posters
• Quality Improvement (QI) Projects

Use a standard citation format (e.g., AMA), and bold your name.

Example:

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Smith JA, Doe RL, Nguyen P, et al. Racial disparities in postpartum hemorrhage outcomes at a tertiary care center. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2024;230(5):412–420.

Abstracts and Presentations

Doe RL, Martinez T, Smith JA. Implementation of standardized OB triage protocols to reduce time to magnesium therapy in severe preeclampsia. Oral presentation at: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting; May 2024; San Francisco, CA.

If you have ongoing projects without final outcomes, list them as:

• “Manuscript in preparation”
• “Data collection in progress”

Be honest; do not inflate your role. Use 1–2 bullet points only if the project title does not clearly convey what you did.

2. Leadership Roles

Leadership is critical in OB GYN. Residents coordinate teams on L&D, lead QI initiatives, and guide medical students. Your CV should highlight any positions demonstrating responsibility, initiative, and team management.

Relevant examples:

• OB GYN Interest Group President/Officer
• Student representative on hospital women’s health or perinatal committees
• Organizer for reproductive health advocacy campaigns
• Captain of a team or chair of a committee, even if non-medical (but explain transferrable skills)

Example entry:

President, Obstetrics & Gynecology Interest Group
Boston University School of Medicine
2023–2024

• Organized 8 specialty-focused events, including skills workshops (pelvic exams, suturing) and a “Day in the Life of an OB GYN” panel
• Coordinated a mentorship program connecting 35 medical students with OB GYN faculty and residents

3. Community Service and Advocacy

OB GYN naturally intersects with social justice, public health, and health equity. Programs value applicants who have engaged with:

• Family planning and contraceptive counseling outreach
• Free clinics serving women and gender-diverse patients
• Intimate partner violence advocacy
• Maternal morbidity and mortality initiatives
• LGBTQ+ reproductive health efforts

On your medical student CV, use service entries to demonstrate values and skills: longitudinal commitment, cultural humility, trauma-informed care, and advocacy.

Example:

Volunteer, Women’s Health Free Clinic
Boston, MA
2022–2024

• Provided patient education on contraception, cervical cancer screening, and prenatal care under faculty supervision
• Facilitated referrals for social services, including housing and intimate partner violence resources
• Developed a brochure on postpartum mood disorders available in English and Spanish

---

Crafting Each Section with Strategy: Detailed Residency CV Tips

Many MD graduates ask: how to build CV for residency that stands out without feeling padded or artificial. The key is to be selective and specific. Below are detailed residency CV tips tailored for OB GYN applicants.

1. Use OB GYN–Specific Language and Outcomes

When describing experiences, emphasize:

• Procedural exposure: “assisted with X number of vaginal deliveries,” “performed Y number of speculum exams,” “first-assist on Z laparoscopic cases” (if allowed).
• Team-based care: “collaborated with anesthesiology, pediatrics, nursing during shoulder dystocia simulation.”
• Patient-centered communication: “counseled patients on contraceptive options and miscarriage management under supervision.”

Avoid vague statements (“helped with patient care”) and instead use active verbs and specific contexts.

2. Prioritize Relevance Over Volume

Where possible, prioritize OB GYN–relevant entries near the top of each section:

• In Research, list OB GYN or women’s health–related work first.
• In Experiences, list OB GYN clinical work, women’s health service, and leadership in OB GYN organizations early.

A residency reviewer might skim only the first few entries of each section; use that prime real estate wisely.

3. Quantify and Qualify Your Impact

When possible, include numbers or outcomes:

• “Organized a Pap smear awareness campaign reaching 200+ community members.”
• “Reduced time to magnesium sulfate administration in preeclampsia by 20% as part of QI project.”
• “Tutored 15 first-year students in anatomy; 90% reported improved exam performance.”

This approach makes your contributions more memorable and compelling.

4. Separate Clinical, Teaching, and Nonclinical Work

To keep your medical student CV readable, consider splitting experiences into:

• Clinical Experience (including OB GYN and other relevant clinical work)
• Teaching and Mentoring (peer tutoring, anatomy TA, small-group facilitation)
• Other Professional Experience (non-medical jobs, particularly those demonstrating professionalism, resilience, or leadership)

This structure helps reviewers rapidly find what they care about without wading through unrelated content.

5. Use Consistent Formatting and Polished Style

Consistency communicates professionalism and attention to detail—qualities programs want in residents who will be writing notes and orders all day.

• Use the same date format throughout (e.g., “Aug 2023–May 2024” or “August 2023 – May 2024”).
• Align margins, bullet styles, and fonts.
• Use 1–2 lines of description for smaller roles; 3–4 bullets only for major, impactful roles.

Before uploading to ERAS or sending to mentors, create a PDF to preserve formatting.

---

Tailoring Your CV to the Obstetrics Match: Special Considerations for MD Graduates

Beyond general residency CV tips, there are nuances specific to OB GYN and to MD graduate residency applicants from allopathic medical schools.

1. Demonstrate Consistent OB GYN Interest, Not Last-Minute Pivot

Program directors want reassurance that you understand the realities of OB GYN—night call, emergencies, OR time, emotionally intense scenarios, surgical demands.

On your CV, look for and highlight:

• Early and sustained involvement in OB GYN interest groups
• Multiple OB GYN electives or sub-internships
• Long-term mentorship relationships with OB GYN faculty (e.g., as research mentors)
• Longitudinal women’s health service activities

If you changed your intended specialty late (e.g., from surgery or pediatrics), your CV can still work if you:

• Emphasize shared skill sets: operative exposure, high-acuity care, longitudinal counseling.
• Highlight a clear narrative: surgical interest evolved toward female pelvic surgery and reproductive surgery, or pediatrics interest shifted toward maternal-fetal dyads.

2. Balance Operative and Longitudinal Care Experiences

OB GYN residency directors want residents who embrace both the operative and the clinic sides of the specialty. Use your CV to show exposure to:

• OR and procedural environments: surgeries, L&D, abortion care (where applicable), ultrasound-guided procedures.
• Outpatient continuity care: prenatal visits, well-woman exams, contraception counseling, chronic gyn conditions (endometriosis, fibroids, etc.).

If your training setting limited exposure to some areas (e.g., family planning), show related skills like:

• Complex counseling
• Ethics discussions
• Shared decision making
• Working with interdisciplinary teams

3. Show Readiness for Emotional and Ethical Complexity

OB GYN frequently intersects with ethical challenges, reproductive rights, fetal anomalies, pregnancy loss, and gender-based violence. Appropriate experiences to highlight:

• Participation in ethics committees or electives
• Research on reproductive autonomy, maternal morbidity, or health disparities
• Structured experiences in bereavement care, perinatal palliative care, or trauma-informed care

You do not need to detail highly personal stories; instead, emphasize:

• Training in difficult conversations
• Reflective practices (e.g., Balint groups, narrative medicine)
• Examples of advocacy within institutional or community settings

4. Make the Most of “Non-Traditional” Backgrounds

If you had a career before medical school—nursing, midwifery, public health, EMS, social work—this can be a significant asset in OB GYN.

For example, a former:

• L&D nurse: emphasize interprofessional collaboration, familiarity with fetal monitoring, patient advocacy, crisis management.
• Public health worker: highlight program development, population health perspective, and community engagement.
• Social worker: stress your experience with counseling, resource navigation, and trauma-informed care.

Place prior professional roles under Professional Experience with clear dates, locations, and specific bullets showing transferrable skills pertinent to OB GYN.

---

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Even strong MD graduate residency applications can be weakened by avoidable CV errors. Watch for these common issues:

1. Overcrowded, Unfocused CV

Problem: Every minor activity gets equal space, making it hard to see what truly matters.

Solution:

• Remove short-term, low-impact roles, especially those under 10–20 hours unless uniquely meaningful.
• Combine related activities into single entries (e.g., “Various Community Health Screenings, 2022–2024”).
• Keep your OB GYN–relevant content prominent and well-detailed.

2. Vague, Generic Descriptions

Problem: Using filler phrases like “responsible for patient care” or “assisted in research.”

Solution:

• Use specific verbs: “counseled,” “coordinated,” “implemented,” “analyzed,” “taught.”
• Provide context: patient population, clinical setting, or project goal.
• Clarify your actual role (e.g., “performed chart review of 120 patients,” “led weekly small-group sessions”).

3. Misrepresenting Roles or Outcomes

Problem: Exaggerating contributions to research or clinical work, which can be exposed if interviewers ask detailed questions.

Solution:

• Be strictly accurate about your position (e.g., “co-author,” “data collector,” “first author”).
• Practice discussing each research or leadership item on your CV in a 1–2 minute summary so you are prepared for interviews.
• If a project stalled, say so honestly (e.g., “project on hold due to COVID-19 redeployment”).

4. Typos and Inconsistent Formatting

Problem: Errors can suggest carelessness, which is particularly concerning in a field where attention to detail is vital.

Solution:

• Run spellcheck, then carefully proofread manually.
• Ask at least one mentor or senior resident to review your CV.
• Print a copy and read it aloud; errors often show up more clearly on paper.

5. Failing to Update the CV Over Time

Problem: Using a medical student CV that stops at third year, missing recent achievements.

Solution:

• Update your CV every few months during M3–M4 and early PGY-1.
• Add new posters, electives, leadership positions, and responsibilities as they happen.
• Keep a running log of activities so you don’t forget them later.

---

Putting It All Together: A Strategic Approach for MD Graduates

For an MD graduate in Obstetrics & Gynecology, your CV is a living document that will evolve from the allopathic medical school match through fellowship applications and beyond. Start now with a structure that can grow with you.

A focused strategy might look like this:

1. Draft a master CV with everything you’ve done, then trim it to 2–4 pages for residency.
2. Align each section with OB GYN program priorities: clinical competence, specialty interest, teamwork, communication, and professionalism.
3. Use your CV to reinforce your application narrative: what drew you to OB GYN, what you’ve done to explore and commit to it, and how you plan to grow in residency.
4. Seek feedback early from advisors, OB GYN faculty mentors, and recent residents who successfully matched. They can offer specialty-specific insight:
   • Are you underselling certain experiences?
   • Is anything missing that programs expect to see?
   • Does your CV support your personal statement narrative?

Approach CV building not as a one-time administrative task but as a core piece of professional identity formation. The same skills you use to craft a clear, honest, and compelling CV—reflection, prioritization, communication—are the ones you will rely on in OB GYN residency as you advocate for patients, present in conferences, and lead teams.

---

FAQ: CV Building for MD Graduates in OB GYN

1. How long should my OB GYN residency CV be as an MD graduate?

For most MD graduate residency applicants, a 2–4 page CV is appropriate. If you have extensive research, previous careers, or multiple degrees, 4 pages can be reasonable; otherwise, aim for 2–3 pages. Focus on clarity and relevance to OB GYN rather than hitting a specific page count.

2. How is my CV different from my ERAS application?

Your ERAS application is form-based and standardized, while your CV is a free-form document that you can share with mentors, letter writers, and during networking or away rotations. The content overlaps, but your CV allows:

• Different ordering and grouping of activities
• More flexible descriptions
• Use beyond the obstetrics match (e.g., for research positions or conferences)

Information should be consistent between both, but the CV gives you more control in how your story is presented.

3. Should I include non-medical jobs or activities on my residency CV?

Yes, if they add value. Include non-medical roles that demonstrate leadership, resilience, teamwork, teaching, or service—especially if they reflect skills relevant to OB GYN (e.g., crisis counseling, social services, management roles). For short-term or low-impact jobs not aligned with your narrative, you can omit or briefly list them.

4. How can I strengthen my CV if I’m late in deciding on OB GYN?

If your interest in OB GYN developed late, focus on high-yield, near-term additions:

• Complete a sub-internship and possibly an away rotation in OB GYN.
• Engage in at least one focused OB GYN research or QI project, even if small but well-defined.
• Join or take a role in your OB GYN interest group and participate in relevant community or advocacy efforts.
• Reframe earlier experiences (e.g., surgery, pediatrics, internal medicine) to highlight transferrable skills—team-based acute care, counseling, procedural skills—directly relevant to OB GYN.

Then, reorganize your CV so these OB GYN–relevant entries appear early and stand out clearly.

---

By intentionally structuring and refining your CV, you position yourself as a thoughtful, prepared candidate for OB GYN residency—someone who not only wants to match, but who understands the specialty, has already begun contributing to it, and is ready to grow into a trusted resident and future obstetrician-gynecologist.