Essential CV Building Tips for Caribbean IMGs Pursuing General Surgery Residency

Understanding the Role of Your CV in the Surgery Residency Match

For a Caribbean IMG aiming for a U.S. general surgery residency, your CV is not just a list of activities—it’s a strategic marketing document. Alongside your USMLE scores and letters of recommendation, your CV strongly influences whether a program director clicks “invite” or “decline” for an interview.

Because general surgery is a competitive field, especially for international graduates, your medical student CV must do three things clearly:

1. Show that you are academically strong and clinically prepared.
2. Demonstrate a sustained, credible interest in general surgery specifically.
3. Communicate reliability, maturity, and the ability to function on a surgical team.

This is especially crucial for Caribbean graduates, whose applications are often scrutinized more closely. Programs want to see that you’ve maximized the opportunities at your school (e.g., SGU, AUC, Ross, etc.) and that your trajectory aligns with their expectations of a successful general surgery residency trainee.

In this article, you’ll learn how to build a CV for residency step-by-step, with a focus on the unique strengths and challenges of a Caribbean IMG planning a career in general surgery.

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Core Principles of a Strong Residency CV for Caribbean IMGs

Before diving into sections, it helps to know what U.S. program directors look for, particularly in a surgery residency match candidate.

1. Clarity and Brevity

• 2–3 pages is typical for an MS4/IMG; anything longer must be fully justified by substantial content (multiple publications, advanced degrees, etc.).
• Use consistent formatting: same font, date style, indentation, and bullet style throughout.
• Assume programs skim first: key surgical experiences should be visible within 10–20 seconds of opening your CV.

2. Relevance to General Surgery

A common mistake for Caribbean IMGs is having a CV that looks generic, suitable for “any residency.” For general surgery residency, you should clearly highlight:

• Surgery-oriented clerkships and sub-internships
• Surgical research or quality improvement projects
• Surgical skills or simulation experiences
• Leadership and work that reflects resilience, teamwork, and comfort with high-intensity environments

3. Evidence of Reliability and Commitment

Caribbean schools, including those with strong outcomes like those known for a high SGU residency match rate, sometimes carry a perceived variability in student quality. Your CV should reassure:

• Longitudinal commitments (1–2+ years in one research group, leadership role, or volunteer project)
• Progressive responsibility (e.g., moving from volunteer to coordinator to director)
• No unexplained gaps without constructive activity

4. Honest, Verifiable Content

Residency programs occasionally contact supervisors or cross-reference details with ERAS and letters. Never exaggerate roles, titles, dates, or responsibilities. If you list a skill (e.g., “performed central line insertions”), you should be ready to discuss your level of supervision and exact experience.

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Essential Sections of a Strong General Surgery Residency CV

Below is a structure that works very well for Caribbean IMGs applying to general surgery. You can adjust slightly, but keep the logic and order.

1. Header and Contact Information

What to include:

• Full name (bold, slightly larger font)
• Current email (professional address)
• Phone number (with WhatsApp if applicable)
• City/State (or country + time zone if abroad)
• ERAS AAMC ID once assigned

Tips for Caribbean IMGs:

• Use a U.S. phone number if possible (e.g., Google Voice) to avoid missed calls.
• Do not add photos, date of birth, marital status, or personal identifiers on the CV (ERAS handles photos separately; some programs view extra details negatively).

2. Education

List in reverse chronological order:

• Medical School (e.g., St. George’s University, American University of the Caribbean, Ross University)

  • Degree: MD (expected or completed)
  • Graduation month/year
  • Campus (if multiple locations) and note “Caribbean medical school” only if directly useful; the school name speaks for itself.
  • Honors: Dean’s list, Gold Humanism, Alpha Omega Alpha (if applicable), class rank or percentile (if strong)

• Undergraduate Degree

  • Degree, major, institution, graduation year
  • Honors (cum laude, Dean’s List, scholarships)

Optional: briefly note a relevant master’s degree or prior career (e.g., biomedical engineering) if it strengthens your surgical profile.

Residency CV tips for this section:

• If your Caribbean school is well-known for good outcomes (e.g., strong SGU residency match performance), you don’t need to explain that on the CV; let your performance and experiences demonstrate your quality.
• If you had a delayed graduation with a compelling explanation (illness, visa, family emergency), do not detail it here; save context for your personal statement or interview.

3. Examination Scores and Certifications

Although ERAS has its own fields, many program directors appreciate seeing a concise exam summary on the CV:

• USMLE Step 1 – [Pass / Score if prior to pass/fail], Month/Year
• USMLE Step 2 CK – [Score], Month/Year
• USMLE Step 3 – [Score], Month/Year (if taken)
• ECFMG Certification – Pending/Certified, Month/Year

Advice for Caribbean IMGs:

• Strong Step 2 CK scores can offset Step 1 pass/fail and help mitigate Caribbean school bias, especially for a general surgery residency application.
• If a score is low, you don’t have to list it on the CV; ERAS will display it. Use this space more neutrally by just listing completions and dates, or omit the section entirely and let ERAS speak for itself.

4. Clinical Experience (Core, Electives, and Sub-Internships)

For surgery-bound Caribbean IMGs, this is often the make-or-break section.

Organization:

Create subsections such as:

• Core Clinical Clerkships
• General Surgery Sub-Internships / Acting Internships
• Surgical Electives (by subspecialty)
• Additional U.S. Clinical Experience (if applicable)

What to include:

For each rotation:

• Institution, city, state
• Department and role (e.g., “Sub-Intern, General Surgery”)
• Dates (Month/Year – Month/Year)
• Key responsibilities and highlights (2–4 bullet points)

Example (strong for surgery):

Sub-Intern, General Surgery – XYZ University Hospital, Chicago, IL
07/2024 – 08/2024

• Managed 6–8 inpatients daily, including pre- and post-op assessments, under resident supervision.
• Participated in daily rounds, presenting overnight events and plans to the chief resident and attending.
• First assist on basic laparoscopic procedures and open hernia repairs; performed wound closures and staple removals.
• Led a brief teaching session for MS3 students on “Preoperative Risk Stratification in General Surgery.”

Residency CV tips specific to general surgery:

• Prioritize U.S.-based surgical rotations, especially at teaching hospitals or programs that sponsor IMGs.
• Label high-responsibility experiences clearly as “Sub-Internship” or “Acting Internship” in Surgery; program directors know what that implies.
• Use action verbs that resonate with surgery: “assisted,” “triaged,” “coordinated,” “resuscitated,” “handled consults,” “followed ER to OR cases.”

5. Research Experience (Especially Surgical/Clinical Research)

General surgery programs, particularly academic ones, value residents who understand evidence-based practice. For Caribbean IMGs, research can help reduce bias and show academic potential.

How to structure research entries:

• Project Title or Focus
• Institution, Department, City, State
• Role (Research Assistant, Coordinator, Fellow, etc.)
• Dates (Month/Year – Month/Year)
• Supervisor(s) with title (e.g., “Mentor: John Smith, MD, FACS”)
• 2–5 bullets on responsibilities and outcomes

Example:

Clinical Research Assistant, Colorectal Surgery – ABC Medical Center, New York, NY
05/2023 – 08/2023
Mentor: Jane Doe, MD, FACS

• Coordinated retrospective chart review of 250 patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy to evaluate postoperative ileus risk factors.
• Collected and de-identified data using REDCap, ensuring 99% data completeness.
• Performed basic statistical analyses in SPSS (chi-square tests, logistic regression) under supervision.
• Co-authored abstract accepted to the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2024.

Key points for Caribbean IMGs:

• Aim for at least one project directly related to general surgery (e.g., acute care surgery, trauma, vascular, colorectal, HPB).
• Even short-term projects (8–12 weeks) can be valuable if you show tangible products: abstract, poster, manuscript, or quality improvement outcomes.
• If your school offers a research pathway (e.g., between basic sciences and clinical years), use it strategically to generate surgery-relevant content for your CV.

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Showcasing Leadership, Volunteering, and Non-Clinical Strengths

Residency programs know that good surgeons are more than technically skilled—they must lead teams, communicate well, and remain calm under pressure. Your CV should show that, not just state it.

1. Leadership Roles

Create a distinct Leadership section if you have at least 2–3 meaningful positions; otherwise, combine under “Leadership & Activities.”

Relevant examples for a surgery-bound Caribbean IMG:

• Surgery Interest Group – President, Vice-President, or Workshop Coordinator
• Student Council / Class Representative
• Simulation Lab Teaching Assistant
• Anatomy TA or Clinical Skills Tutor
• Organizer of M&M-style case discussions for peers

How to write entries:

President, Surgery Interest Group – SGU School of Medicine
09/2022 – 06/2023

• Organized monthly journal clubs focusing on landmark general surgery trials.
• Coordinated laparoscopic skills workshops with general surgery residents from affiliated U.S. hospitals.
• Increased group membership by 40% and secured institutional funding for suture kits for pre-clinical students.

Residency CV tips: Emphasize leadership that intersects with general surgery—it reinforces a sustained interest and helps differentiate you from other Caribbean applicants.

2. Volunteering and Community Engagement

Programs like residents who give back and can connect with diverse patient populations. This is often a strength of Caribbean IMGs who have worked across countries and systems.

Strong examples:

• Health fairs focusing on surgical disease screening (breast exams, hernia checks).
• Volunteering in emergency departments or surgical waiting rooms (comforting families, translation).
• Long-term involvement in a community clinic serving underserved or immigrant populations.

Sample entry:

Volunteer, Surgical Waiting Room Liaison – XYZ Hospital, Miami, FL
01/2023 – 12/2023

• Provided real-time updates to families of patients undergoing surgery, clarifying non-clinical questions and directing concerns to appropriate staff.
• Helped English-limited families understand the surgical process by coordinating interpreter services.

This type of experience shows empathy, communication skills, and familiarity with the perioperative environment.

3. Work Experience (Non-Clinical)

If you have significant pre-med or gap-year employment, especially in high-responsibility roles, include it—briefly.

Examples that can help a surgery profile:

• EMS/Paramedic, ICU nurse, surgical tech, scrub nurse
• Military service
• Jobs showing grit and resilience (construction, night shifts, heavy manual labor) if described appropriately

Focus on transferable skills: teamwork, crisis management, leadership, responsibility for others’ safety.

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Publications, Presentations, Skills, and “Extras” That Strengthen a Surgery Application

1. Publications and Presentations

Create a Publications & Presentations section separate from Research.

Categorize:

• Peer-reviewed journal articles
• Book chapters
• Conference abstracts and posters
• Oral presentations (institutional grand rounds, national meetings)

Use consistent citation format (e.g., AMA). Indicate status: “Published,” “In Press,” “Accepted,” “Submitted” (be truthful).

Tip for Caribbean IMGs:

• A single solid publication, especially in general surgery or a related field, is often more valuable than a long list of low-quality or unrelated abstracts.
• If your research is not surgical, briefly highlight any relevance (e.g., sepsis, critical care, oncology, outcomes research).

2. Technical and Language Skills

For general surgery, you may include:

• Basic procedural skills from rotations (document honestly—“observed,” “assisted,” “performed under supervision”)
• Software: REDCap, SPSS, R, STATA, EndNote, Excel, EMR systems (Epic, Cerner, etc.)
• Languages: especially useful in diverse urban centers and communities with large Caribbean or Latin American populations.

Example:

Skills

• Clinical: Basic suturing, wound care, NG tube placement, Foley catheterization, venipuncture (performed under supervision).
• Research: REDCap data entry, SPSS (basic statistics), systematic literature review.
• Languages: English (native), Spanish (intermediate – medical terminology), Haitian Creole (conversational).

3. Awards and Honors

This section is often underutilized by Caribbean IMGs.

Consider including:

• Clerkship honors, particularly in Surgery or related fields (ICU, ER).
• School-wide recognitions or scholarships.
• National exam performance awards (if any).
• Leadership or community service awards.

When possible, link honors to general surgery:

“Honors in Surgery Clerkship (Top 10% of cohort).”

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Step-by-Step Strategy: How to Build Your CV for a Strong Surgery Residency Match

A Caribbean medical school residency path into general surgery can be successful with deliberate planning. Here’s how to work on your residency CV across stages of training.

Pre-Clinical Years (Basic Sciences)

• Join or start a Surgery Interest Group early. Take on a leadership role by your second year.
• Seek out faculty or alumni surgeons affiliated with your school for mentorship; ask about shadowing or future research.
• Begin small research tasks (case reports, literature reviews) to build early academic productivity.
• Participate in simulation labs, suturing workshops, and anatomy-focused teaching roles.

Result on CV: Early commitment to surgery, initial leadership, and maybe a small project or poster.

Transition to Clinical Years

• Prioritize strong performance in core surgery clerkship: aim for honors; request mid-rotation feedback; take initiative in the OR and on the wards.
• Identify one or two U.S. clinical sites with strong surgical departments or IMG-friendly surgery programs. Try to schedule sub-internships (AIs) there in your final year.
• Ask surgical mentors if you can join ongoing projects (retrospective reviews, QI initiatives, databases).

Result on CV: Solid clinical entries showing responsibility, plus at least one structured research experience tied to surgery.

Final Year (Application Year)

• Line up 2–3 sub-internships in general surgery or closely related fields (trauma, acute care surgery, surgical oncology).
• Focus on converting research projects into tangible outputs (manuscripts, abstracts, posters). Try to submit by early summer so you can list “submitted” or “accepted” on your CV before ERAS deadline.
• Refine your medical student CV repeatedly:
  • Remove outdated or irrelevant entries.
  • Prioritize surgical and leadership content.
  • Tailor bullet points to match the expectations of a general surgery residency (teamwork, patient ownership, OR efficiency, perioperative care).

After Graduation / During a Gap Year (If Applicable)

If you are taking a dedicated research year or need to strengthen your application:

• Seek a surgical research fellowship or research assistant role at a U.S. institution. Stability (12 months or more) looks excellent.
• Add U.S. clinical experience in surgical or hospital settings, avoiding observer-only roles when possible; hands-on experience is most valuable.
• Update your CV every 2–3 months with new accomplishments to keep it current for off-cycle opportunities.

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Common Mistakes Caribbean IMGs Make on Surgery CVs (and How to Fix Them)

1. Overloaded CV with unrelated activities

   • Fix: Prioritize experiences that highlight surgical interest, clinical readiness, leadership, or research. Remove or compress unrelated high school and early college items.

2. Vague or generic bullet points

   • Fix: Replace “Helped with research” with “Collected data on 150 trauma patients and prepared tables for multivariate analysis.”

3. Inconsistent dates and titles across CV and ERAS

   • Fix: Keep a master spreadsheet of roles, supervisors, and exact start/end dates. Ensure ERAS, CV, and letters match.

4. Lack of quantifiable impact

   • Fix: Add numbers where possible: “Organized 5 suturing workshops attended by 80+ students,” “Reviewed 120 charts,” “Supervised 10 volunteers.”

5. Ignoring unique strengths as a Caribbean IMG

   • Fix: Highlight cross-cultural experience, language skills, adaptability to new systems, and service to underserved populations—features many programs value highly.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How long should my residency CV be as a Caribbean IMG applying to general surgery?

Aim for 2–3 pages. Less than 2 pages can appear sparse for someone at your level; more than 3 pages is justified only if you have extensive research, graduate degrees, or substantial prior careers. Prioritize quality and relevance over length.

2. Should I list every single clinical rotation from my Caribbean medical school?

List all core clerkships and highlight those relevant to surgery (Surgery, ICU, Emergency Medicine, sometimes Internal Medicine). For electives, prioritize U.S.-based and surgery-related rotations. You can group shorter or less relevant electives to avoid clutter.

3. How important is research on my CV for a general surgery residency match?

Research is not absolutely mandatory for every program, but in a competitive specialty like general surgery, it substantially strengthens your application—especially as a Caribbean IMG. At minimum, aim for one to two meaningful projects, ideally with a surgery or acute care focus and at least an abstract or manuscript to show for it.

4. Do program directors really read the CV if most information is in ERAS?

Yes. ERAS provides raw data; your CV presents a curated narrative. Many program directors or coordinators will glance at your CV to get a global impression of your path, focus, and professionalism. A clear, well-structured CV can tip a borderline application into the “interview” pile, particularly when competing for a surgery residency match spot as a Caribbean graduate.

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By treating your CV as a strategic, evolving document—and not a last-minute formality—you significantly improve your chances of moving from “Caribbean medical school residency applicant” to categorical general surgery resident. Start early, emphasize relevance, and refine relentlessly.