The Ultimate IMG Residency Guide: Building Your CV for Preliminary Medicine

Understanding the CV for a Preliminary Medicine Year as an IMG

For an international medical graduate, the CV is more than a list of experiences—it is a strategic document that explains who you are, what you have done, and why a U.S. preliminary medicine year is the right next step. Programs often read your CV before your personal statement, and for many preliminary medicine (prelim IM) positions, the CV heavily influences whether you are invited for an interview.

This IMG residency guide focuses on how to build a strong CV specifically for Preliminary Internal Medicine positions, with a clear eye on what internal medicine program directors expect and what is unique for IMGs.

Key goals for your CV:

• Demonstrate readiness for U.S. clinical training
• Show a track record of reliability, hard work, and professionalism
• Connect your experiences to the skills needed for inpatient, high-volume internal medicine
• Clarify your trajectory if you’re ultimately aiming for an advanced specialty (e.g., Neurology, Anesthesiology, Radiology) that requires a preliminary medicine year

Before you start drafting, remember:

• The CV should be tailored to U.S. residency expectations, not just your home-country norms.
• It should complement your ERAS application, not contradict or duplicate it in a confusing way.
• Many programs still request a PDF CV—for website uploads, emails to coordinators, or away rotations—so you need a polished standalone document in addition to your ERAS entries.

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Core Structure: What Your Preliminary Medicine CV Must Include

Think of your CV as a structured story of your academic and clinical journey. For an IMG aiming at prelim IM, a clear, conventional layout is best.

Essential Sections for an IMG Preliminary Medicine CV

1. Contact Information & Identification
2. Education
3. USMLE / Licensing Exams
4. Clinical Experience (U.S. and home-country)
5. Research & Scholarly Work
6. Teaching & Leadership
7. Volunteer & Extracurricular Activities
8. Honors, Awards & Scholarships
9. Skills (Languages, Technical, EMR)
10. Professional Memberships
11. Optional: Personal Interests (brief)

Below is how each section should be built and weighted for an IMG seeking a preliminary medicine year.

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1. Contact Information & Identification

This section should be concise and professional.

Include:

• Full name (consistent with ERAS and ECFMG)
• Current address (U.S. address if you have one; otherwise home-country address)
• Email (professional, e.g., firstname.lastname@…)
• Phone number (with country code if outside U.S.)
• ECFMG ID (optional on standalone CV, but helpful for residency context)
• LinkedIn profile (optional, if complete and professional)

Do NOT include:

• Photo (unless explicitly requested; in the U.S. this is usually discouraged outside ERAS)
• Marital status, religion, date of birth, or national ID numbers

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2. Education: Show a Clear Academic Foundation

Programs want to see that you successfully completed medical school and that your trajectory is logical and consistent.

Include for medical school:

• Medical school name (full official name and city, country)
• Degree and graduation month/year (e.g., MD, MBBS)
• Class rank or GPA if clearly strong and easily interpretable
• Thesis title (if relevant, particularly for research-heavy specialties or academic prelim programs)

Example (strong format):

• MBBS, XYZ Medical College, University of ABC — City, Country
  August 2014 – June 2020
  Graduated with Distinction in Internal Medicine; Top 10% of class

For IMGs with gaps or multiple degrees:

• Include prior degrees (BSc, MPH, MSc, etc.) if relevant to medicine or research.
• If there is a long gap post-graduation, don’t ignore it—make sure later sections (research, observerships, jobs) clearly cover those years.

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3. USMLE & Exams: Essential for an IMG Applying to Prelim IM

For a preliminary medicine year, exam performance signals your ability to handle the cognitive demands and in-training exams.

Include:

• USMLE Step 1: Pass + score (if available and not pass/fail for you)
• USMLE Step 2 CK: Score and date
• USMLE Step 3: If taken (can be a big advantage for IMG prelim applicants)
• ECFMG Certification status and year

Example:

• USMLE Step 1: 235, First Attempt, June 2022
• USMLE Step 2 CK: 246, First Attempt, March 2023
• USMLE Step 3: Scheduled November 2025 (if future date is relevant)
• ECFMG Certified: August 2023

If Step 1 is reported as Pass/Fail only, list it as such. Do not list failed attempts; those will be visible in ERAS, but the CV doesn’t need to highlight them.

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Clinical Experiences: The Heart of an IMG Preliminary Medicine CV

For a prelim IM year, clinical readiness and familiarity with U.S. medicine are the primary concerns of program directors. Your clinical section should be the most robust, detailed, and thoughtful part of your CV.

4. U.S. Clinical Experience (USCE): Prioritize and Detail Clearly

USCE is often the deciding factor for IMGs. For preliminary medicine, programs want residents who can immediately function in a busy inpatient setting.

Types of USCE that matter most:

• Clinical electives / sub-internships (if done during medical school)
• Clinical observerships (preferably inpatient medicine or subspecialties)
• Externships or junior physician roles
• Hands-on experiences in community or academic hospitals

How to list:

For each experience, include:

• Hospital/Institution name, city, state
• Department (e.g., Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Hospitalist Service)
• Role (Clinical Elective Student, Observer, Extern)
• Dates (month/year to month/year)
• Brief 3–5 bullet description focusing on skills and responsibilities, not just tasks

Example (strong entry):

Clinical Extern, Internal Medicine — ABC Community Hospital, Chicago, IL
July 2023 – September 2023

• Participated in daily inpatient rounding on a 20–25 patient medicine service under a hospitalist attending
• Conducted initial histories and physicals, presented cases to residents and attendings, and formulated basic assessment and plan proposals
• Assisted with medication reconciliation, discharge summaries, and follow-up planning, improving understanding of U.S. health care systems and insurance
• Observed and later assisted in bedside procedures (paracentesis, thoracentesis) under supervision

Actionable advice:

• Prioritize internal medicine–related U.S. experiences at the top; list shadowing in unrelated specialties later (or omit if space is tight).
• If you have USCE in the same region as the programs you are applying to (e.g., Northeast, Midwest), highlight this, as familiarity with local systems is valued.
• Translate home-country job titles into U.S.-understandable equivalents (e.g., “House Officer (approximately equivalent to PGY-1)”).

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5. Home-Country Clinical Experience: Frame It for U.S. Readers

Even if you lack extensive U.S. experience, your home-country work is crucial, especially if you have significant inpatient responsibility.

Include:

• Internship / House officer positions
• Residency trainings you completed or partially completed
• Staff physician or medical officer roles

Frame these with:

• Clear level of responsibility (did you admit patients? manage wards? supervise juniors?)
• Scope of practice (inpatient vs outpatient, number of beds, average daily census)
• Evidence of skills transferable to U.S. residency (teamwork, night float, on-call, acute care)

Example:

House Officer (Intern), Internal Medicine — XYZ Teaching Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
January 2021 – December 2021

• Completed 4-month rotation in internal medicine on a 30-bed teaching ward with an average daily census of 25–30 patients
• Managed admissions, daily progress notes, and discharges under supervision of registrars and consultants
• Performed and interpreted common bedside procedures (NG tube insertion, Foley catheterization, ABG sampling)
• Participated in weekly morbidity and mortality (M&M) conferences and journal clubs

For IMGs who are several years out of graduation, strong, recent clinical activity (even in home country) helps combat concerns about being “out of clinical practice.”

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Research, Teaching, and Leadership: Elevating Your Residency CV

Even for a preliminary medicine year, which can sometimes be viewed as “pure service,” programs appreciate applicants who show academic potential, teaching ability, and leadership. These elements help you stand out and show that you will contribute beyond patient care.

6. Research & Scholarly Activity

Not every prelim IM program is research-heavy, but scholarly work demonstrates discipline, critical thinking, and follow-through.

Include in this order:

1. Peer-reviewed publications
2. Conference abstracts and posters
3. Presentations (local, regional, national)
4. Ongoing projects (only if active and realistic)

How to list publications (standardized format):

• Authors (Last Name, Initials; list yourself in bold if appropriate in your CV; not mandatory)
• Title of article
• Journal name
• Year; volume(issue):pages
• DOI (optional)

Example:

• Khan A, Singh R, Sharma P. Predictors of readmission in patients with decompensated heart failure: A retrospective cohort study. Journal of Hospital Medicine. 2022;17(4):245–252.

If you have limited research:

• Even small projects (e.g., quality improvement, audit, case reports) are worth listing if:
  • You can clearly explain your role, and
  • The topic relates to internal medicine, quality improvement, or patient safety.

Example — Quality Improvement Project:

Quality Improvement Project: Reducing 30-day Readmissions in Heart Failure Patients
Department of Internal Medicine, XYZ Hospital, Mumbai, India
March 2022 – December 2022

• Collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to develop a standardized discharge checklist and patient education protocol
• Collected and analyzed data from 120 patients over 6 months, identifying medication non-adherence as a key factor
• Co-presented findings at departmental grand rounds and helped implement new follow-up scheduling system

Research in other fields (e.g., basic science, surgery) is still useful, but make sure the description emphasizes transferable skills: data analysis, presentation, teamwork, project management.

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7. Teaching and Educational Roles

Preliminary medicine residents often supervise students and sometimes juniors from day one. Programs value IMGs who already have teaching experience.

Include:

• Formal teaching roles (clinical tutor, small group facilitator)
• Informal teaching (bedside teaching to students, peer teaching, OSCE preparation sessions)
• Curriculum development, exam question writing, or workshop leadership

Example:

Clinical Tutor, Internal Medicine — ABC Medical College, Cairo, Egypt
September 2021 – June 2022

• Led weekly bedside teaching sessions for 4th-year medical students, focusing on cardiovascular and respiratory physical examination
• Developed case-based discussions and short quizzes to reinforce clinical reasoning
• Received positive feedback scores (4.6/5) from student evaluations

When thinking about how to build CV for residency, especially as an IMG, teaching experience is sometimes underreported. Go back through your history and list any consistent teaching activity.

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8. Leadership, Volunteer Work, and Extracurriculars

These sections demonstrate professionalism, maturity, and ability to function in teams—all critical for a demanding prelim medicine year.

Leadership:

• Roles in student organizations, hospital committees, residency unions, QI committees
• Responsibilities with measurable outcomes (organized X event, led Y group, managed Z budget)

Volunteer / Community Service:

• Free clinics, health fairs, telemedicine support, public health outreach
• Disaster relief, vaccination campaigns, mental health outreach

Tie your activities to skills relevant to prelim IM: teamwork, resilience, communication with underserved populations, cultural competency.

Example (Volunteer):

Volunteer Physician, Free Community Clinic — Houston, TX
January 2024 – Present

• Assisted in triaging and managing uninsured patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension
• Coordinated referrals and follow-up care, gaining insight into social determinants of health in underserved communities
• Worked closely with nurse practitioners, social workers, and pharmacists in a multidisciplinary team

Even if your activities are non-medical (e.g., leading a debate club), include them if they show leadership, public speaking, or sustained commitment.

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Residency CV Tips: Formatting, Strategy, and Tailoring for Preliminary Medicine

Beyond content, the presentation of your CV influences how seriously you are taken. Sloppy formatting suggests sloppy work habits. As an international medical graduate, your CV must be exceptionally clean to overcome unconscious biases and reassure program directors.

9. Formatting Standards that Programs Expect

• Length: 2–4 pages is typical; don’t exceed 5 pages unless you have extensive research.
• Font: Professional (Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial), 10–12 pt.
• Margins: 0.75–1 inch, consistent.
• Sections: Use clear bolded headings (Education, Clinical Experience, Research, etc.).
• Consistency: Dates and locations in the same format throughout.

Common formatting mistakes to avoid:

• Mixing different date formats (e.g., 01/2022 and January 2022)
• Inconsistent bullet styles and indentations
• Overuse of bold or italics
• Including long paragraphs instead of concise bullet points

10. Strategy: Tailoring to a Preliminary Medicine Audience

A preliminary medicine year is often fast-paced, inpatient-heavy, and service-oriented. Many prelim residents are heading to advanced specialties (e.g., Radiology, Neurology, PM&R, Anesthesiology). Your CV should satisfy two audiences:

1. Internal Medicine program directors, who want reliable ward residents
2. Your prospective advanced specialty programs, who want to see your long-term focus

How to balance this:

• Emphasize internal medicine clinical exposure first, even if your ultimate goal is a specialty.
• Place research/experiences related to your advanced specialty in research or later sections.
• Use bullet points that highlight skills valuable to both IM and your specialty: teamwork, critical thinking, procedural skills, communication.

Example of dual-targeted bullet:

• Managed complex inpatient neurology cases on a general internal medicine ward, coordinating care with neurology consultants and ICU teams.

11. Converting a Medical Student CV into a Residency-Ready CV

Many IMGs start from a medical student CV that worked for school applications or local jobs but does not meet U.S. residency expectations.

To transition from medical student CV to residency-level:

• Remove high school details and low-relevance early academic awards unless exceptional.
• Reduce extracurriculars that don’t translate into professional competencies.
• Elevate clinical, research, and teaching experiences.
• Convert vague descriptions (“helped with research”) into concrete, outcome-oriented statements (“performed data collection on 120 patients, used SPSS for analysis, co-authored abstract presented at…”).

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Building Your CV Over Time: Action Plan for IMGs Targeting Prelim IM

If you are still in the process of building your profile, think of your CV as a project plan. Each experience you add should fill a strategic gap.

12. If You’re Still in Medical School (IMG Future Applicant)

Focus on:

• Internal medicine electives or sub-internships in the U.S. (if possible)
• Strong letters of recommendation from IM faculty during rotations
• Early involvement in research or QI projects
• Teaching junior students (OSCE prep sessions, peer tutoring)
• Keeping a running log of your activities with dates and responsibilities (this will make future CV writing much easier)

13. If You Have Already Graduated and Are in a Gap Period

Target these priorities:

1. Obtain U.S. clinical exposure (observerships, externships, research with clinical shadowing).
2. Engage in at least one publishable or presentable research/QI project.
3. Maintain active clinical involvement in your home country if you cannot be in the U.S. continuously.
4. Volunteer in settings that demonstrate continuity with internal medicine (chronic disease clinics, free clinics, telehealth).

Create a simple table for yourself:

CV Area	Current Status	Goal Before Application Cycle
US Clinical Experience	1 IM observership	At least 2 IM inpatient experiences
Research / Scholarly Work	None	1 poster or abstract; 1 QI project
Teaching	Informal student help	Formal role or documented sessions
Volunteer / Community	None	6–12 months part-time engagement

This structured approach turns your IMG residency guide into a practical timeline rather than abstract advice.

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Final Checks: Polishing, Proofreading, and Consistency with ERAS

Before you send your CV to programs or upload it anywhere:

14. Proofreading and Professional Review

• Run spelling and grammar checks (set language to U.S. English).
• Ask a current resident or faculty member familiar with U.S. CV standards to review.
• Double-check all dates for continuity—no unexplained time gaps.

15. Aligning with ERAS Application

Your standalone CV and ERAS entries should:

• Use the same job titles, institutions, and dates
• Present consistent roles and responsibilities
• Avoid contradictory descriptions (e.g., calling something “full-time job” on CV and “part-time volunteer” in ERAS)

Programs may print your CV and compare it with ERAS, so discrepancies can raise red flags.

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FAQs: CV Building for IMGs Applying to Preliminary Medicine

1. How is a CV for a preliminary medicine year different from one for a categorical IM position?

The structure is similar, but for a prelim IM CV:

• It’s particularly important to show you can thrive in high-volume, inpatient-focused settings.
• If you are ultimately applying to an advanced specialty (e.g., Radiology), you should still highlight internal medicine skills first, and place specialty-specific research or experiences in separate sections.
• Program directors may anticipate that you will leave after one year, so your CV should reassure them that you are reliable, committed, and will contribute positively during that year.

2. I don’t have much U.S. clinical experience. Can I still build a competitive CV?

Yes, but you must be strategic:

• Maximize the quality and intensity of any available USCE, even if it’s limited (e.g., a strong 4-week inpatient rotation with excellent feedback and a strong letter).
• Highlight home-country clinical work, especially in busy teaching hospitals and inpatient settings.
• Strengthen other aspects—research, teaching, volunteer work—to demonstrate professionalism and adaptability.
• Make plans to add USCE before or early in the application cycle, and update programs when you start new rotations.

3. Should I include every single conference, workshop, and online course on my residency CV?

No. Curate strategically:

• Include conferences and workshops where you presented (poster/oral), or that are highly relevant (e.g., critical care, evidence-based medicine).
• Group smaller or similar activities together (e.g., “Attended multiple online CME courses in internal medicine topics, 2023–2024”) rather than listing 10 items individually.
• Overcrowding your CV with minor items can dilute the impact of your more important experiences.

4. How can I make my CV stand out as an IMG among many prelim medicine applicants?

Focus on substance and clarity:

• Strong, clearly described inpatient and internal medicine experiences, especially in the U.S.
• Evidence of reliable, long-term commitments rather than many short, scattered experiences.
• At least one meaningful scholarly contribution (poster, paper, or QI project).
• Teaching, leadership, or volunteer roles that show maturity and teamwork.
• A clean, professional format with no errors, consistent dates, and logically organized content.

If you build your CV with these principles, you not only increase your chances for a preliminary medicine match as an international medical graduate, but you also lay a strong foundation for your advanced specialty and long-term career in the U.S. health care system.