Essential CV Building Tips for IMGs in Medicine-Psychiatry Residency

Understanding the Medicine-Psychiatry Residency Landscape as an IMG

Building a strong residency CV as an international medical graduate (IMG) is never “generic”—and this is especially true for Medicine-Psychiatry (Med-Psych) combined programs. These programs are few, highly competitive, and specifically seek applicants who demonstrate:

• Genuine interest in both internal medicine and psychiatry
• Ability to think across biological, psychological, and social dimensions
• Resilience, maturity, and cultural competence
• Clear trajectory toward a career that integrates both fields (e.g., consultation-liaison, integrated primary care, severe mental illness with comorbid medical disease)

Your CV is not just a list of accomplishments; it’s the backbone of your application narrative. For an IMG, your CV must:

• Bridge differences between your home country’s training system and the U.S. system
• Demonstrate readiness for a complex combined residency
• Highlight experiences that show integration of medicine and psychiatry, wherever possible

This IMG residency guide will walk you through how to build a CV for residency that is specifically optimized for Medicine-Psychiatry and tailored to the challenges and strengths of IMGs.

We’ll cover:

• Core sections every medical student CV and resident CV should have
• How to strategically emphasize Med-Psych–relevant experiences
• Residency CV tips to avoid common IMG pitfalls
• Concrete examples and phrasing you can adapt for your own CV

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Core CV Structure for an IMG Applying to Med-Psych

Before optimizing for Medicine-Psychiatry, you need a solid foundation. Your CV should be clean, consistent, and easy to scan in 1–2 minutes by a busy program director.

1. General Formatting Principles

• Length: 2–4 pages is typical for an IMG, especially if you have prior training or research. Do not pad with irrelevant content.
• Font: Use a standard, readable font (e.g., Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, 10–12 pt).
• File format: PDF for submissions outside ERAS; ERAS has its own CV structure, but your master CV helps you fill it correctly.
• Consistency:
  • Same date format throughout (e.g., “Aug 2021 – May 2022”)
  • Same style for bullets, headings, and subheadings
  • Align locations (city, country, institution) in a consistent pattern

Order for a Med-Psych–focused IMG Residency CV:

1. Personal Information
2. Education
3. Examinations and Licensure
4. Clinical Experience
5. Research & Scholarly Activity
6. Teaching & Leadership
7. Volunteer & Community Work
8. Honors & Awards
9. Professional Memberships
10. Skills & Languages

You can adapt the order depending on your strengths—e.g., if you have major research, move it above clinical experience. But for most IMGs, clinical experience remains central.

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2. Personal Information

Include:

• Full name (matching all official documents and ERAS)
• Email (professional address: firstname.lastname@…)
• Phone number with country code
• Current address (optional, but helpful if you’re already in the U.S.)
• AAMC ID / ECFMG ID (if available)

Do not include:

• Photo (ERAS handles it separately; some countries expect a photo, but U.S. CVs generally do not)
• Marital status, religion, date of birth—these are not standard in U.S. academic CVs

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3. Education

List in reverse chronological order:

• Medical school (full name, city, country)
• Degree and graduation month/year
• Class rank or percentile (if strong and available)
• Any prior degrees (BSc, MSc, MPH, PhD), with thesis title if research-related

Example entry:

Doctor of Medicine (MD) – Graduated with Honors
University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
Sep 2015 – Dec 2020
Class Rank: Top 10% (18/180 students)

If you have significant post-graduate training (e.g., completed internship or residency abroad):

House Officer (Internship), Internal Medicine and Psychiatry
XYZ Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
Jan 2021 – Dec 2021
Rotations: Internal Medicine (4 months), Psychiatry (3 months), Pediatrics (3 months), Surgery (2 months)

If you had exposure to both fields, make sure that is clearly visible; it already supports your Medicine-Psychiatry interest.

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4. Examinations and Licensure

For an IMG, this section is scrutinized closely. Include:

• USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK (scores and dates, if you are comfortable sharing on your CV; ERAS will show them anyway)
• Step 3 (if taken)
• ECFMG Certification (if obtained; include date)
• Other relevant exams (e.g., PLAB, MCCQE) if you plan to show broad competency

Example:

USMLE Step 1: Passed, 2021 (3-digit score: 233)
USMLE Step 2 CK: 248, Jun 2022
USMLE Step 3: Scheduled for Mar 2025
ECFMG Certification: Anticipated 2025

For Med-Psych, having Step 3 before residency can be a plus but is not mandatory. What matters most is consistent academic performance and no unexplained long gaps.

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Showcasing Clinical Experiences that Speak Med-Psych

This section is pivotal for a medicine psychiatry combined applicant. You need to show:

• Competence in general internal medicine
• Authentic engagement with psychiatry
• Evidence that you understand how these two fields intersect

1. Structure of the Clinical Experience Section

Divide into clear subsections when possible:

• U.S. Clinical Experience (USCE)
• International Clinical Experience
• Postgraduate Training (if any)
• Observerships & Externships
• Tele-psychiatry / Telemedicine (if substantial and supervised)

For each entry, include:

• Role (Observer, Extern, Subintern, House Officer, Resident)
• Specialty and setting (Inpatient Medicine, Outpatient Psychiatry, CL Psychiatry)
• Institution name, city, state/country
• Dates
• 2–4 concise bullet points describing what you did, not just what the department does

Avoid: Copy-pasting generic rotation descriptions from hospital websites.
Aim for: Action verbs reflecting responsibility, independence, and Med-Psych-relevant tasks.

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2. Highlight Integrated Medicine-Psychiatry Exposure

Program directors want to see that you already think in an integrated way. You might not have a formal Med-Psych rotation, but you can frame experiences that demonstrate overlap, such as:

• Managing patients with both chronic medical illness and psychiatric conditions
• Rotations in consultation-liaison psychiatry
• Addiction medicine experience in medical wards
• Behavioral health integration in primary care

Example entry:

Clinical Extern – Inpatient Internal Medicine with Integrated Behavioral Health
ABC University Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Sep 2023 – Nov 2023

• Participated in the care of 35+ hospitalized patients with comorbid heart failure, diabetes, and depression or anxiety disorders.
• Collaborated with psychiatry consultants on medication management for delirium, alcohol withdrawal, and bipolar disorder in medically ill patients.
• Presented a case conference on “Managing Antipsychotic Medications in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome.”

This showcases concrete, integrated Med-Psych thinking.

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3. Psychiatry Experiences with a Medical Lens

Your psychiatry entries should show that you:

• Think about physical health in psychiatric patients
• Understand psychopharmacology in medically ill populations
• Appreciate systems of care and social determinants of health

Example:

Clinical Observer – Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry
XYZ Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
Jun 2023 – Jul 2023

• Observed 5–8 daily consults for patients with delirium, suicidality, and substance use disorders on medical and surgical services.
• Discussed management of psychotropic medications in patients with renal and hepatic impairment.
• Assisted in chart reviews for a quality improvement project on screening for depression in oncology inpatients.

Even if your role was limited (observer), your bullet points can emphasize the Med-Psych interface.

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4. Medicine Rotations with a Psychiatric Lens

For your internal medicine experiences, show awareness of:

• Mental health comorbidities in chronic disease
• Communication skills with vulnerable or cognitively impaired patients
• Substance use and adherence issues

Example:

House Officer – Internal Medicine
National Teaching Hospital, Manila, Philippines
Jan 2021 – Jun 2021

• Managed a panel of 15–20 inpatients daily with congestive heart failure, COPD, and diabetes; regularly assessed mood, cognition, and adherence.
• Initiated brief screening for depression and alcohol use in patients with poor glycemic control; discussed results with supervising internist.
• Coordinated with psychiatry team for evaluation of suicidal ideation and psychosis in medically ill patients.

These entries create a continuous narrative: you are already practicing in a Med-Psych mindset.

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Research, Scholarly Work, and Intellectual Curiosity in Med-Psych

For a Medicine-Psychiatry applicant, research and scholarly work are not mandatory, but they can be a powerful differentiator—especially for IMGs.

1. Prioritizing Med-Psych-Relevant Topics

If you have any scholarly work that sits at the junction of medicine and psychiatry, highlight it prominently:

• Depression and cardiovascular outcomes
• Delirium in ICU patients
• Substance use and liver disease
• Somatic symptom disorders
• Metabolic side effects of antipsychotics
• Quality of life in chronic illness with comorbid mental health conditions

Example:

Research Assistant – Depression and Medication Adherence in Diabetes
Department of Internal Medicine, University of XYZ, India
Feb 2020 – Dec 2020

• Conducted structured interviews of 120 patients with type 2 diabetes using PHQ-9 to screen for depression.
• Analyzed association between depression severity and HbA1c levels using SPSS; contributed to manuscript drafting.
• Abstract accepted for poster presentation at the National Endocrinology Conference 2021.

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2. How to List Publications and Presentations

Use standard academic formatting, reverse chronological order. Separate into:

• Peer-reviewed publications
• Abstracts and posters
• Oral presentations
• Book chapters or online educational content

Example publication:

Khan A, Rodriguez M, Singh R. Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease in a Tertiary Care Center. J Psychosom Res. 2022; 150:110643.

If you only have in-progress work, label it clearly:

Manuscript in preparation: “Patterns of Antipsychotic Use in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome in a Community Hospital Setting.” (Anticipated submission to General Hospital Psychiatry, 2025).

Avoid exaggeration. Integrity is crucial.

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3. If You Don’t Have Research Yet

You can still build a strong Med-Psych profile:

• Seek out small, realistic projects: case reports, quality improvement, chart reviews
• Collaborate with attendings from either internal medicine or psychiatry who are open to mentoring IMGs
• Highlight other scholarly work: curriculum development, educational slide decks, journal clubs with written summaries

For example, a well-done case report:

Case Report (In Preparation): “Catatonia in a Patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Diagnostic Challenges in a Low-Resource Setting.”

• Performed detailed literature review on autoimmune neuropsychiatric syndromes.
• Collected hospital data and wrote initial draft under supervision of attending psychiatrist.

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Leadership, Teaching, and Service: Demonstrating Med-Psych Values

Medicine-Psychiatry programs often emphasize teamwork, leadership, and advocacy. Your CV should show that you contribute beyond clinical and academic metrics.

1. Teaching Experience

Even informal teaching counts if described precisely:

• Peer tutoring (junior students, exam prep, physical exam skills)
• Leading case discussions or journal clubs
• Teaching patients and families about illness management

Example:

Peer Tutor – Psychiatry for Final-Year Medical Students
Medical College, Cairo, Egypt
Sep 2019 – May 2020

• Led weekly 1-hour review sessions on psychiatric interviewing, suicide risk assessment, and DSM-5 criteria for common disorders.
• Developed short handouts integrating medical causes of psychiatric symptoms (e.g., endocrine disorders, neurologic disease).

This showcases Med-Psych–relevant teaching and your ability to educate others—a key residency skill.

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2. Leadership and Roles of Responsibility

Leadership does not have to be a titled presidency to be meaningful. You can include:

• Committee memberships (ethics, wellness, curriculum)
• Leading small projects
• Student organization involvement (mental health advocacy, global health, public health)

Example:

Student Coordinator – “Mind & Body” Health Campaign
University Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil
Mar 2018 – Aug 2018

• Organized a community outreach program combining blood pressure and glucose screening with depression and anxiety screening (using PHQ-9, GAD-7).
• Coordinated 15 volunteers and reached 300+ participants in underserved neighborhoods.
• Facilitated referrals to primary care and psychiatric services for individuals with abnormal findings.

This kind of activity resonates particularly well with Medicine-Psychiatry’s focus on integrated, community-oriented care.

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3. Volunteer and Community Engagement

Programs value applicants who understand social determinants of health, stigma, and access issues.

Consider including:

• Work with homeless populations
• Substance use or HIV clinics
• Suicide prevention hotlines (if well-supervised, especially in English if relevant)
• Refugee or immigrant health programs

Example:

Volunteer – Community Mental Health Clinic
City Mental Health Center, Johannesburg, South Africa
Jan 2019 – Dec 2019

• Assisted in intake interviews under supervision, focusing on medical comorbidities and medication history.
• Provided psychoeducation on hypertension, diabetes, and medication adherence for patients with severe mental illness.

This shows you can think about the whole person, not just a single organ system.

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Tailoring Your CV to Med-Psych as an IMG: Strategy and Common Pitfalls

This section focuses on concrete residency CV tips and strategy, especially important in an IMG residency guide context.

1. Connect the Dots Explicitly

Don’t rely on programs to infer your Med-Psych interest. Subtly and consistently reinforce this theme:

• Use phrases such as “integrated care,” “mind-body connection,” “comorbid medical and psychiatric conditions,” “consultation-liaison,” “behavioral health.”
• Group Med-Psych–relevant items together when logical (e.g., under a subheading like “Selected Experiences in Integrated Care”).
• Ensure your CV aligns with your personal statement and letters of recommendation content.

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2. Be Honest About Gaps and Non-Linear Paths

Many IMGs have:

• Time between graduation and USMLEs
• Prior residency or work in another country
• Shifts from another specialty to Med-Psych

These are not automatic red flags if you:

• Present them clearly and honestly on your CV
• Use bullet points to show productive use of time (e.g., work, family responsibilities, exam preparation plus part-time clinical or volunteer work)

Avoid “empty” years. If you were preparing for exams, that’s fine—but try to also include at least some ongoing clinical or educational engagement.

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3. Avoid Over-Loaded or Irrelevant Content

Common IMG mistakes:

• Including hundreds of minor conferences, each with its own line, diluting the impact
• Listing high school achievements extensively
• Adding unrelated certifications (e.g., basic computer courses, generic business seminars) unless they clearly add value

Focus on activities that:

• Enhance your clinical maturity, academic depth, or Med-Psych focus
• Demonstrate communication and teamwork skills
• Are recent (within the last 5–7 years, mostly)

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4. Language and Skills Section: Use It Strategically

For Medicine-Psychiatry, consider including:

• Languages spoken (especially if fluent in languages common to underserved patient populations in the U.S.)
• Psychiatric assessment tools you’ve used (PHQ-9, GAD-7, MINI, MMSE, MoCA, CIWA, COWS, etc.)
• Electronic medical record (EMR) experience (Epic, Cerner, etc., if applicable)
• Relevant courses: motivational interviewing, CBT basics, trauma-informed care, suicide risk assessment workshops

Example:

Languages: English (fluent), Spanish (conversational), Urdu (native)
Clinical Skills: Psychiatric interview, suicide risk assessment, delirium screening (CAM-ICU), basic ECG interpretation, insulin titration in type 2 diabetes.

This subtly reinforces your Med-Psych compatibility.

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5. Make It Easy for Letter Writers

Your CV is often the main document your recommenders will use to write letters. A clear, Med-Psych–aligned CV helps them:

• Emphasize your strengths in both medicine and psychiatry
• Mention specific projects or patient care examples
• Use language that resonates with combined program directors

Before requesting a letter, share your updated CV and explicitly mention your interest in Medicine-Psychiatry. This alignment between CV and letters strengthens your application narrative.

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Putting It All Together: Example Med-Psych-Oriented CV Highlights for an IMG

Here’s how key sections of a strong Medicine-Psychiatry–oriented IMG CV might look in summary form:

• Education: MD with strong clinical grades, internship with rotations in internal medicine and psychiatry.
• Exams: Solid USMLE scores, ECFMG certified (or in progress), no major exam failures without explanation.
• Clinical Experience:
  • U.S. externship in internal medicine with integrated behavioral health
  • Observership in consultation-liaison psychiatry
  • Home-country internship featuring complex chronic disease and psychiatric comorbidities
• Research:
  • Small but focused project on depression in patients with diabetes
  • Case report linking autoimmune disease and psychiatric presentation
• Leadership/Service:
  • Community health campaign combining physical and mental health screening
  • Volunteer work in a mental health clinic with medical comorbidity education
• Skills:
  • Languages relevant to specific U.S. communities
  • Familiarity with mental health screening tools and basic chronic disease management

All of this paints a coherent picture: you are an international medical graduate with a documented, integrated interest in medicine psychiatry combined training, grounded in real experiences and responsibilities.

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FAQs: CV Building for IMGs Applying to Medicine-Psychiatry

1. How is a Med-Psych residency CV different from a regular internal medicine or psychiatry CV?

The core structure of a medical student CV is similar across specialties, but for Medicine-Psychiatry you should:

• Emphasize experiences that bridge internal medicine and psychiatry
• Highlight rotations, research, or projects involving medically ill psychiatric patients or psychiatric comorbidities in medical illness
• Show long-term, consistent interest in integration, not last-minute switching between specialties

You are essentially convincing programs that you are not just undecided between IM and psych, but genuinely value the combined perspective.

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2. I have more psychiatry than medicine experience (or vice versa). Will that hurt my chances?

Not necessarily, but you should:

• Make sure you have at least some exposure to the weaker side (e.g., an IM sub-internship if you’re psych-leaning, or a dedicated psychiatry observership if you’re medicine-heavy)
• Use your CV bullets to show that even in your stronger side, you pay attention to the other domain (e.g., medical comorbidities in psych, mental health in medical clinics)
• Address the balance thoughtfully in your personal statement as well

Your CV should demonstrate that you are committed to both sides of the combined program.

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3. I graduated several years ago. How can I make my CV competitive as an older IMG?

Focus on recency and relevance:

• Secure recent (within the last 1–2 years) clinical experience, ideally in the U.S.
• Engage in current scholarly or QI projects, even small ones
• Update your skills section with recent courses, certifications (e.g., BLS, ACLS, suicide prevention training)
• Make gaps productive: include teaching, telemedicine, or volunteer mental health work during exam preparation periods

Age or time since graduation matters less if your CV shows you remain clinically active, up to date, and reflective.

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4. How do I translate my non-U.S. experiences so program directors understand them?

On your CV:

• Use clear, descriptive titles (e.g., “House Officer (Equivalent to Intern)” or “Resident (PGY-1 Level) in Internal Medicine”).
• Briefly explain context in bullets: patient volume, typical responsibilities, on-call duties.
• Emphasize skills and decision-making, not just observation.

If needed, you can add a one-line note such as:

“House Officer position in my country includes responsibilities similar to a U.S. intern, with independent admission and management of patients under supervision.”

This makes it easier for program directors to properly interpret your background.

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Designing a strong residency CV as an IMG interested in Medicine-Psychiatry is about much more than listing activities. It’s about crafting a coherent, honest, and integrated story of who you are as a future Med-Psych physician—one who understands that mind and body are inseparable, and whose experiences already reflect that philosophy.