Essential CV Building Tips for IMGs Pursuing Addiction Medicine Residency

Understanding the Role of Your CV as an IMG in Addiction Medicine

Your CV is the central document that ties together your journey as an international medical graduate seeking a path in addiction medicine. For program directors, it is often the first—and sometimes only—impression of your clinical readiness, professionalism, and motivation for this field. The more competitive the program, the more time they may spend examining each line of your CV to assess whether you are truly committed to caring for patients with substance use disorders.

In addiction medicine, programs look for more than good grades and exam scores. They want to see:

• Clear evidence of interest in substance use disorders (SUDs)
• Experience with vulnerable or stigmatized populations
• Understanding of public health, systems of care, and harm reduction
• Professional maturity, reliability, and ethical decision-making
• Consistent progress and growth across your training

This IMG residency guide will help you transform your experiences into a targeted, persuasive CV tailored to addiction medicine training—whether your goal is an internal medicine, family medicine, psychiatry residency with an addiction focus, or a future addiction medicine fellowship.

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Step 1: Know What Addiction Medicine Programs Want to See

Before you learn how to build a CV for residency, you need to think like an addiction medicine program director. They read hundreds of documents every season; your CV needs to match what they are actively seeking.

Core Competencies Addiction Programs Value

1. Clinical exposure to substance use disorders

   • Rotations in addiction medicine, psychiatry, internal medicine, emergency medicine, or family medicine where you managed:
     • Alcohol withdrawal
     • Opioid use disorder (OUD) and buprenorphine or methadone initiation
     • Stimulant or sedative-hypnotic misuse
     • Overdose care and toxicology consults
   • Experience in detox units, addiction clinics, rehabilitation centers, or community SUD programs

2. Comfort working with high‑risk, marginalized populations

   • Work with:
     • People experiencing homelessness
     • Incarcerated or recently released patients
     • Patients with co-occurring psychiatric conditions
     • Individuals facing stigma, discrimination, or trauma
   • Evidence that you understand the biopsychosocial nature of addiction

3. Systems and public health perspective

   • Involvement in:
     • Harm reduction services (e.g., naloxone distribution, syringe services)
     • Public health projects related to HIV, hepatitis C, or overdose prevention
     • Quality improvement (QI) projects in emergency departments, clinics, or inpatient floors

4. Long-term interest in addiction medicine

   • Addiction medicine electives
   • Addiction-related research, QI, or scholarly projects
   • Teaching or advocacy roles in SUD education

5. Professional reliability and communication

   • Steady clinical engagement
   • Leadership roles
   • Long-term volunteer positions
   • Minimal unexplained gaps

Your CV should be structured and written so that these qualities are easy to notice within 30–60 seconds of scanning.

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Step 2: Structuring a Strong CV for an IMG Targeting Addiction Medicine

Addiction medicine–oriented programs want clarity and organization. For an international medical graduate, a clean structure also helps mitigate confusion about unfamiliar schools or systems.

A suggested structure:

1. Contact Information
2. Education
3. Certifications & Licensure
4. Clinical Experience (US and international)
5. Addiction Medicine–Related Experiences (if extensive, you can create its own section)
6. Research & Scholarly Activity
7. Teaching & Presentations
8. Leadership & Professional Involvement
9. Volunteer & Community Service
10. Honors & Awards
11. Skills (languages, technical, relevant non-clinical skills)

1. Contact Information

Keep it simple and professional:

• Full name (matching all official records)
• Email (professional; avoid nicknames)
• Phone number (with country code if outside the US)
• City/State (or City/Country if abroad)
• Optional: LinkedIn URL if it is polished and consistent with your CV

Avoid adding photos, marital status, or date of birth—these are not needed for US applications.

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2. Education

List in reverse chronological order:

• Medical school (official name, city, country)
• Degree (e.g., MBBS, MD), graduation date, class rank (if strong and available)
• USMLE Step 1/2 CK/3 pass status can be separate or under Certifications
• Prior degrees (bachelor’s, master’s, MPH, etc.)

For an international medical graduate, clarify details that may not be obvious:

Example entry:

• MBBS, Government Medical College, Chennai, India
  Graduated May 2021
  • Overall performance: Top 15% of graduating class
  • Clinical electives in Psychiatry, Internal Medicine, and Community Medicine

If you have an MPH or other graduate degree with a focus on addiction, public health, or epidemiology, highlight that strongly—it is very attractive to addiction medicine fellowship directors and residency programs valuing substance abuse training.

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3. Certifications and Licensure

This section is crucial for residency and future addiction medicine fellowship applications.

Include:

• USMLE Step exams (with pass status; scores are typically elsewhere in ERAS but OK on traditional CV)
• ECFMG certification (if applicable)
• DEA X‑waiver history (if you have practiced in a country with buprenorphine authority; in the US, X‑waiver requirements changed, but prior experience remains relevant)
• ACLS, BLS, ATLS, PALS (as applicable)
• Any addiction-focused certifications or courses:
  • ASAM Fundamentals of Addiction Medicine
  • SAMHSA buprenorphine waiver training (historical)
  • Online MOOC certifications (e.g., Coursera courses in addiction, motivational interviewing) – include only recognized, relevant ones.

Example entry:

• ECFMG Certification, Issued October 2023
• USMLE Step 1 – Passed, January 2022
• USMLE Step 2 CK – Passed, May 2023
• ASAM Fundamentals of Addiction Medicine Course – Completed August 2023

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Step 3: Building the Core of Your CV – Clinical & Addiction-Related Experience

For an IMG residency guide focused on addiction, this is where your CV must stand out.

4. Clinical Experience (US and International)

Organize clinical experience into sections that make sense for your timeline:

• US Clinical Experience (USCE)
• Home Country Clinical Experience
• Other International Clinical Experiences or Exchanges

Within each, use consistent formatting:

Example entry:

Clinical Extern, Inpatient Internal Medicine
City General Hospital, Chicago, IL, USA
July 2023 – September 2023

• Managed 8–12 patients per day under supervision, including those with alcohol withdrawal, opioid use disorder, and polysubstance use.
• Participated in daily multidisciplinary rounds with addiction consult team.
• Assisted with initiation of buprenorphine and coordination of follow-up at community addiction clinics.

Specific Tips for Addiction-Relevant Clinical Experience

1. Name the diagnoses and interventions clearly

   • Use terms like: opioid use disorder, methadone, buprenorphine, naloxone, CIWA protocol, COWS scale, motivational interviewing, harm reduction counseling.

2. Show longitudinal care if possible

   • Addiction medicine values continuity: outpatient follow-ups, adherence discussions, relapse prevention planning.

3. Include multi-disciplinary work

   • Collaboration with social workers, psychologists, peer counselors, and case managers shows you understand team-based care.

4. Clarify your role as IMG

   • Use verbs like “assisted,” “participated,” “managed under supervision,” “co-led” to avoid misrepresentation.

5. Dedicated Addiction Medicine Experience (Optional, but Powerful)

If you have multiple experiences related to substance abuse training or addiction care, create a separate section:

Addiction Medicine Experience

Clinical Observer, Addiction Medicine Clinic
Center for Substance Use Recovery, Toronto, Canada
January 2023 – March 2023

• Observed outpatient management of 15–20 patients weekly with opioid, alcohol, and stimulant use disorders.
• Attended group therapy sessions and interdisciplinary case conferences.
• Completed a mini-project summarizing clinic’s naloxone distribution outcomes over 6 months.

Resident Physician, Community Psychiatry and Addiction Unit
City Mental Health Institute, Mumbai, India
April 2021 – March 2022

• Conducted intake assessments for patients with alcohol dependence and benzodiazepine misuse.
• Participated in detox planning, relapse prevention counseling, and family education sessions.
• Co-facilitated psychoeducation groups for patients and caregivers.

A separate section makes your addiction commitment immediately visible to program directors, which is key for those looking for applicants likely to pursue an addiction medicine fellowship.

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Step 4: Showcasing Research, QI, Teaching, and Advocacy in Addiction Medicine

Addiction medicine is an evidence-based, rapidly evolving field. Your residency CV tips should help you demonstrate scholarly curiosity and your ability to contribute to the science and practice of addiction care.

6. Research & Scholarly Activity

For each project, list:

• Title
• Role (e.g., Co-investigator, Research Assistant, Primary Author)
• Institution & supervisor
• Time frame
• Outcomes (publication, abstract, poster, manuscript in progress)

Example addiction-related entries:

Primary Author, Retrospective Study on Outcomes of Inpatient Alcohol Withdrawal Protocol
Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil
June 2022 – Present

• Analyzed 180 admissions for alcohol withdrawal using CIWA protocol, focusing on length of stay and ICU transfer rates.
• Manuscript under review at Journal of Addiction Medicine.

Research Assistant, Overdose Prevention and Naloxone Distribution Program Evaluation
Community Health NGO, Kolkata, India
January 2020 – December 2020

• Collected and managed data on naloxone kit distribution and reported overdose reversals.
• Presented findings as a poster at the National Public Health Conference 2021.

If you lack formal addiction research, highlight related topics:

• Mental health, suicidality, trauma
• Public health interventions
• HIV/HCV among people who use drugs
• Chronic pain management with opioids

7. Quality Improvement (QI) Projects

QI fits naturally within substance abuse training and is very attractive to programs:

Example:

Quality Improvement Project: Screening for Alcohol Misuse in Primary Care Clinic
Family Medicine Department, Community Clinic, Philadelphia, PA
September 2022 – February 2023

• Implemented routine AUDIT-C screening for adults during annual visits.
• Increased documented screening from 10% to 80% over 5 months.
• Developed referral pathway for patients with positive screens to behavioral health.

Short, focused QI projects can be started and completed within a few months, making them ideal for IMGs preparing for residency.

8. Teaching & Presentations

Addiction medicine requires strong communication skills and patient education abilities. Show that you can teach peers and lay audiences:

Examples:

• “Brief Intervention for Alcohol Use in the Emergency Department” – 20-minute resident teaching session, 2023
• “Recognizing Opioid Overdose and Using Naloxone” – community workshop for family members, 2022
• “Stigma in Substance Use Disorders” – grand rounds presentation in psychiatry department, 2021

List location, audience, and date for each.

9. Advocacy and Community Engagement

Advocacy is deeply intertwined with addiction medicine, especially for an international medical graduate who understands global inequities.

Activities may include:

• Volunteering at overdose prevention sites, homeless shelters, needle and syringe programs
• Participating in campaigns to reduce stigma around SUD
• Collaborating with NGOs working in harm reduction, HIV/HCV screening among people who inject drugs
• Organizing awareness programs for medical students or the general public

Example entry:

Volunteer, Community Overdose Prevention Program
Harm Reduction Alliance, New York, NY
May 2023 – Present

• Provided education on overdose recognition and naloxone administration to community members.
• Assisted with data collection for program outcomes.

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Step 5: Tailoring the Rest of Your CV for Maximum Impact

Once the core components are in place, refine your CV to ensure it strengthens your addiction medicine narrative.

10. Leadership & Professional Involvement

Even outside direct addiction work, show leadership and initiative:

• Positions in student or resident associations
• Leadership in mental health or public health clubs
• Roles in international student organizations or local medical societies

Try to highlight anything related to:

• Policy
• Curriculum development (e.g., integrating SUD training)
• Organizing addiction or mental health conferences or symposiums

Example:

President, Medical Students for Mental Health and Addiction Awareness
XYZ Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan
August 2019 – July 2020

• Organized a series of lectures on substance use disorders and suicide prevention for 200+ students.
• Coordinated collaboration with a local rehabilitation center for student visits.

11. Honors & Awards

Include:

• Academic distinctions (top student, high exam scores)
• Research awards, poster prizes
• Service or leadership awards, especially those related to addiction or mental health

12. Skills

This section should support your addiction medicine focus rather than just listing generic items.

Consider including:

• Languages: particularly helpful with diverse patient populations.
• Technical skills: data analysis (SPSS, R, Stata), qualitative research methods, survey design.
• Clinical skills: motivational interviewing training, SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment), group facilitation skills.

Example:

• Languages: English (fluent), Spanish (conversational), Arabic (native)
• Research: SPSS, REDCap, basic R
• Clinical communication: Trained in SBIRT and basic motivational interviewing through ASAM course

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Step 6: Practical Residency CV Tips Specifically for IMGs in Addiction Medicine

This section will pull together residency CV tips that are especially relevant for IMGs.

1. Translate International Context Clearly

Program directors may not know your school or system. Help them:

• Briefly explain unique rotations (e.g., “Compulsory one-year rotating internship including 3-month psychiatry and addiction posting”)
• Clarify your role level: intern, house officer, medical officer, resident physician
• Explain addiction-specific units if names are not self-explanatory (e.g., “De-addiction Centre (inpatient addiction medicine unit)”)

2. Address Gaps or Transitions Strategically

Many IMGs have gaps while preparing for USMLE or immigration. Use your CV to show you used this time productively:

• Online courses in addiction or public health
• Tele-volunteering with NGOs (data entry, literature reviews, remote counseling support roles under supervision where legally allowed)
• Research assistance or systematic reviews

List these as formal experiences with dates—this shows continuity and motivation.

3. Balance Breadth and Depth

A strong medical student CV or early residency CV for addiction medicine should show:

• Breadth: you are clinically competent and broadly trained (internal medicine, psychiatry, emergency, family medicine)
• Depth: at least 2–3 substantial addiction-related experiences (clinical, research, QI, or advocacy)

Avoid a CV that shows only scattered, short exposures—aim for at least one longitudinal experience (6+ months) in a related area.

4. Quantify and Be Specific

Replace vague descriptions with measurable, concrete statements:

• Instead of: “Worked with addiction patients”

  • Use: “Assisted in the care of 8–10 patients daily with alcohol and opioid use disorders in a 20-bed detox unit.”

• Instead of: “Participated in teaching”

  • Use: “Delivered four 30-minute teaching sessions on opioid overdose management to rotating interns.”

5. Ensure Consistency with ERAS and Personal Statement

Your CV, ERAS application, and personal statement must tell one coherent story:

• If your CV emphasizes addiction medicine, your personal statement should explain why
• Dates, roles, and titles must match across documents
• The strongest addiction-related activities on your CV should also appear among your “most meaningful” experiences in ERAS

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Step 7: Sample CV Bullet Points for Addiction Medicine–Focused IMGs

To help you concretely understand how to build a CV for residency, here are model bullet points you can adapt:

• “Conducted brief interventions using motivational interviewing techniques for patients with hazardous alcohol use in an outpatient internal medicine clinic.”
• “Collaborated with social workers and peer recovery coaches to arrange post-discharge addiction treatment and housing referrals for hospitalized patients with substance use disorders.”
• “Assisted in initiating buprenorphine for patients with opioid use disorder in the emergency department and ensured warm handoff to outpatient addiction clinic.”
• “Developed patient education materials about alcohol withdrawal and relapse prevention, used in a 30-bed psychiatric and addiction unit.”
• “Participated in monthly overdose review meetings with public health officials, analyzing trends and planning targeted naloxone outreach.”

Use similar structure: active verb + your role + addiction-specific detail + context or outcome.

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Step 8: Preparing Your CV for Future Addiction Medicine Fellowship

Even if you are currently applying for residency, many addiction medicine fellowship directors will later review your entire history. Start preparing now:

• Maintain a log of addiction-related cases and learning points during residency (for potential scholarly projects).
• Seek addiction mentors early in residency; list them under research or project supervisors.
• Aim for at least one peer-reviewed publication, QI project, or major presentation related to addiction by PGY-2.
• Continue relevant CME courses and certifications in addiction and list them chronologically.

Thinking ahead will make your addiction medicine fellowship CV much stronger and signal a serious long-term commitment.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How should I format my CV differently as an IMG applying to US programs?

Use a US-style CV: clean, reverse chronological, no photo, no personal demographic details. Emphasize US clinical experience in its own section. Translate roles (e.g., “house officer” → “intern/resident physician”) and briefly explain any unusual training structures. Make sure all dates are clear and in the same format (e.g., “Jan 2022 – Dec 2022”).

2. I have limited direct addiction medicine experience. Can I still show interest in this field?

Yes. Highlight related experiences such as psychiatry, internal medicine, emergency medicine, public health, or HIV/HCV care. Emphasize any exposure to substance use disorders within those rotations. Add short addiction-focused online courses, QI projects, or community outreach to your CV now. Even a 3–6 month focused effort before application season can significantly strengthen your addiction medicine profile.

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

Include them if they demonstrate transferable skills valuable in addiction medicine: communication, cultural sensitivity, working with vulnerable populations, leadership, or long-term reliability. For example, long-term work in social services, teaching, or crisis hotlines can be highly relevant. Briefly connect them to skills useful for SUD care in your bullet descriptions.

4. How long should my CV be as an IMG residency applicant?

Most residency CVs for IMGs are 2–4 pages, depending on the extent of clinical and research experience. Prioritize clarity and relevance, especially for addiction medicine. It is acceptable to be on the longer side if entries are meaningful and well-organized—avoid padding with trivial or very short-term activities that do not add to your narrative.

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By following these targeted strategies and residency CV tips, you can build a focused, compelling document that reflects who you are as an international medical graduate and why you are well-suited to a career in addiction medicine. Your CV is not just a list of experiences—it is the structured story of your commitment to caring for people affected by substance use disorders.