Ultimate IMG Residency Guide: Crafting Your Global Health CV

Understanding the Global Health Residency CV as an IMG

For an international medical graduate (IMG), a residency CV is more than a list of experiences—it is a strategic document that explains your journey, validates your training, and demonstrates that you can thrive in the U.S. system, particularly in global health and international medicine.

Global health residency tracks and programs (often within Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, and OB/GYN) look for applicants who combine clinical excellence with:

• Demonstrated commitment to underserved and cross-cultural care
• Evidence of working in low‑resource or diverse settings
• Public health, policy, or community engagement experience
• Capacity for leadership, collaboration, and systems thinking

This IMG residency guide will show you how to build a CV for residency that highlights those strengths. We’ll focus on residency CV tips tailored to global health–oriented IMGs and integrate international medicine and global health themes throughout.

Before diving into sections, remember:

• Your CV and ERAS application should align but not duplicate each other.
• The CV is often used by faculty reviewing applications, preparing for interviews, and ranking candidates.
• For global health tracks, your CV may be shared with global health faculty who are specifically selecting residents for a global health residency track or other specialized pathways.

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Core Principles: What Makes a Strong Global Health CV for IMGs?

Before structuring content, be clear on what residency programs want to see from an international medical graduate in global health:

1. Clarity and Standardization

Program directors should be able to understand your trajectory quickly:

• Use consistent U.S.-style formatting (MM/YYYY dates, clear locations, standardized headings).
• Briefly explain unfamiliar institutions or programs (e.g., national hospitals, rural health corps) in one line.
• Clarify degrees and grading systems when necessary (e.g., “MBBS—equivalent to MD in the U.S.”).

2. Verification and Credibility

Because IMGs come from diverse systems, programs often worry about:

• Authenticity of experiences
• Comparability of training
• Ability to function in U.S. clinical settings

Your CV should reduce this uncertainty by:

• Including supervisors, institutions, and locations for clinical roles.
• Showing stepwise progression (student → intern → junior doctor → more responsibility).
• Highlighting U.S. clinical experience (USCE) clearly and prominently when available.

3. Evidence of Global Health Mindset

A strong global health–focused CV makes it easy to see:

• Working with underserved/off‑grid/rural communities (in any country).
• Community-based projects, NGO work, or public health involvement.
• Cross-cultural communication and language skills.
• An understanding of health systems, equity, and social determinants of health.

If you have done these things at local, regional, or national levels in your home country, they absolutely count as international medicine and global health exposure.

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Structuring Your Residency CV: Sections and Order

Below is a recommended structure tailored to IMGs applying for global health:

1. Contact Information
2. Education
3. Postgraduate Training (Internship, Residency-equivalent, House Officer roles)
4. US Clinical Experience (USCE) and Other Clinical Experience
5. Certifications, Exams, and Licensure
6. Research and Scholarly Activity
7. Global Health and International Medicine Experience
8. Teaching and Leadership Experience
9. Volunteer and Community Engagement
10. Honors and Awards
11. Professional Memberships
12. Skills (Languages, Technical, Global Health)

You can adapt the order depending on your strengths; for example, if you have major global health experience, you might move that section higher (e.g., just after Clinical Experience or Research).

Below, we’ll go section by section with residency CV tips and examples.

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Section-by-Section Guide: How to Build a CV for Residency in Global Health

1. Contact Information

Keep it minimal, professional, and up to date:

• Full Name (exactly as on USMLE and ERAS if possible)
• Current Address (city, state, and country)
• Phone number (with country code)
• Professional email (FirstName.LastName@…)
• LinkedIn URL (optional but valuable if well maintained)

Avoid photos, personal data (age, marital status), or national ID numbers—U.S. programs do not need these.

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2. Education

List from most recent to earliest, with clear details:

• Medical School: Name, City, Country
• Degree: MBBS/MD/MBChB, etc.
• Dates: Month/Year – Month/Year
• Brief clarifiers if needed (e.g., “Five-year medical program; final year includes clinical rotations in Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/GYN.”)

If you have additional degrees important for global health—such as:

• MPH (Master of Public Health)
• MSc in Epidemiology, Global Health, or Health Policy
• Diploma or certificate in Tropical Medicine

Place those clearly and prominently; they strongly support your global health narrative.

Example entry:

• MBBS, University of Lagos College of Medicine – Lagos, Nigeria
  09/2013 – 06/2019
  Five-year medical degree with clinical rotations in tertiary and community hospitals.

• Master of Public Health (MPH), Global Health Track, University of Cape Town – Cape Town, South Africa
  01/2021 – 12/2022

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3. Postgraduate Training (Internships and Residency-Equivalent Roles)

As an IMG, you often have:

• Rotating internship
• House officer or medical officer roles
• Specialty training (residency equivalent)

These should be separate from your undergraduate medical education and clearly labeled as postgraduate.

Tips:

• List hospital name, department, role, and dates.
• Note if the hospital is a primary referral center, tertiary teaching hospital, or rural district hospital—this context matters for global health.
• Specify global health–relevant aspects: working with displaced populations, low-resource settings, HIV/TB care, maternal-child health, etc.

Example:

• Medical Officer, Internal Medicine – Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
  08/2020 – 07/2021
  • Managed inpatient care for high-volume ward with focus on HIV, TB, and noncommunicable diseases.
  • Supervised and taught medical students and interns on daily rounds.

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4. Clinical Experience: Highlighting USCE and International Exposure

For residency programs, U.S. clinical experience (USCE) is crucial to show familiarity with:

• Electronic health records
• U.S. team-based care and communication
• Clinical documentation and safety standards

You should separate your clinical experience into:

A. U.S. Clinical Experience (USCE)

This includes:

• Observerships
• Externships
• Clerkships
• Sub-internships
• Hands-on electives (if applicable)

For each:

• State the type (e.g., Observership vs Externship).
• Include specialty, institution, city/state, dates, and supervising physician (if space permits).
• Highlight exposure to global health–related care (e.g., refugee clinics, safety-net hospitals, FQHCs).

Example:

• Clinical Extern, Internal Medicine (Outpatient) – Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
  02/2024 – 04/2024
  • Participated in care of predominantly immigrant and underserved patient populations.
  • Observed integrated primary care and behavioral health services, social work, and care coordination.

B. Other Clinical Experience (Home Country and International)

Use this section to showcase:

• Rotations in remote or underserved regions
• NGO or mission hospital work
• Mobile clinics, refugee camps, or community-based services

Emphasize how this shaped your global health perspective:

• “Provided care in resource-constrained settings with limited diagnostics.”
• “Collaborated with community health workers to improve vaccination coverage.”

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5. Certifications, Exams, and Licensure

Residency programs must quickly see where you stand with required exams and certifications:

• USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and (if applicable) Step 3: Include scores if you choose; if not, list “Pass” with date.
• ECFMG Certification: State status clearly (e.g., “ECFMG Certified, 06/2024”).
• BLS, ACLS, PALS (with expiration dates).
• Any global health–relevant certifications:
  • Certificate in Global Health
  • Tropical Medicine short courses
  • WHO or CDC online course certificates (only include higher-quality, reputable ones).

This section addresses a major concern for IMGs: regulatory readiness for U.S. training.

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6. Research and Scholarly Activity: Make It Count for Global Health

For global health residency tracks, programs are interested in:

• Research in epidemiology, public health, infectious disease, maternal-child health, NCDs, mental health, health systems, or migration and refugee health.
• Quality improvement (QI) projects, even if not published, especially those addressing resource allocation, process improvement, or health equity.

Organize this section into subheadings if you have multiple items:

• Peer-Reviewed Publications
• Abstracts and Posters
• Oral Presentations
• Quality Improvement and Program Evaluations

Residency CV tips for research entries:

• Use standard citation format (e.g., AMA).
• Bold your name so it is easy to spot.
• For projects in progress, label as “In progress” or “Manuscript in preparation” (sparingly and honestly).

Example publication entry:

• Doe A, Kumar R, Singh P. Barriers to hypertension control in rural North India: A community-based cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2023;23(5):1234.

Quality Improvement example:

• Lead Resident, QI Project: “Improving Tuberculosis Treatment Adherence in a District Hospital in Kenya”
  01/2022 – 12/2022
  • Implemented SMS reminders and community health worker follow-up.
  • Achieved a 15% increase in 6-month treatment completion rates.

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Highlighting Global Health and International Medicine Experience

This is the core differentiator for your IMG residency guide in global health. Many applicants list these activities under generic volunteering or work; you should create a dedicated “Global Health / International Medicine Experience” section if you have enough material.

What Belongs in This Section?

• Work with NGOs, international organizations, or local public health departments (e.g., WHO, Red Cross, MSF, Partners in Health, local equivalents).
• Fieldwork in refugee camps, conflict zones, disaster response, or migrant health.
• Longitudinal projects addressing social determinants of health.
• Participation in global health tracks, fellowships, certificates, conferences, or summer programs.

How to Describe Experiences Effectively

When describing experiences, show:

1. Setting
   • Rural vs urban; low vs intermediate resource; refugee vs host community.
2. Population
   • Age, primary conditions (HIV, TB, maternal health, NCDs), social vulnerabilities.
3. Your role and responsibility
   • Leadership, coordination, data management, direct care, training community workers.
4. Impact or outcomes
   • Numbers reached, coverage improvements, protocols developed, advocacy outcomes.

Example entries:

• Volunteer Physician, Mobile Clinic Program – Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
  09/2021 – 12/2021

  • Provided primary care services to Rohingya refugees in crowded camp settings.
  • Managed high-burden infectious diseases and malnutrition with limited diagnostic resources.
  • Collaborated with local health workers, interpreters, and NGOs to coordinate care and follow-up.

• Global Health Fellow, Community TB-HIV Integration Project – Durban, South Africa
  01/2020 – 12/2020

  • Conducted training sessions for nurses and community health workers on integrated TB/HIV care.
  • Participated in data analysis to monitor adherence and outcomes, resulting in clinic-level protocol changes.

Such descriptions immediately signal that you understand the realities of global health practice, not just the theory.

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Teaching, Leadership, and Community Engagement

Global health demands collaborative leaders who can build capacity, not just deliver care. Programs look for:

1. Teaching Experience

Include:

• Bedside teaching of students and interns
• Lectures or workshops (e.g., “Introduction to HIV Care for Community Health Workers”)
• Mentoring roles in research or community projects

Example:

• Clinical Tutor, Undergraduate Internal Medicine – University Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana
  03/2019 – 11/2020
  • Led weekly case-based teaching sessions for 10–12 medical students.
  • Developed a mini curriculum on “Approach to Fever in Resource-Limited Settings.”

2. Leadership Roles

Especially important for global health:

• Positions in student or resident organizations (global health clubs, public health committees).
• Leadership in NGOs, community programs, free clinics.
• Leading response teams (e.g., COVID-19, cholera, disaster response).

Example:

• President, Global Health Student Association – Medical Faculty, University of Belgrade
  09/2017 – 06/2018
  • Organized annual Global Health Week with speakers from WHO and local NGOs.
  • Coordinated vaccination awareness campaign reaching >3,000 community members.

3. Volunteer and Community Projects

These may overlap with your global health section but can be separated if you have many activities.

Prioritize work that demonstrates:

• Longitudinal commitment (over time, not one-day events).
• Dealing with barriers such as poverty, language, or stigma.
• Involvement in health education, screening, or health system navigation.

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Skills and Additional Sections that Matter for Global Health

1. Languages

Multilingual ability is extremely valuable:

• List languages and proficiency level (Native, Fluent, Professional Working, Basic).
• Be honest; programs may test this informally.

Example:

• English – Fluent
• Spanish – Professional working proficiency
• Hausa – Native

2. Technical and Global Health–Relevant Skills

Include:

• Data analysis tools (R, SPSS, STATA, Excel).
• GIS mapping tools (if used in public health).
• Experience with telemedicine platforms.
• M&E (Monitoring and Evaluation) training.
• Familiarity with WHO guidelines, IMCI, DOTS, PEPFAR protocols, etc.

3. Professional Memberships

Membership in relevant organizations reinforces your commitment:

• American Public Health Association (APHA) – International Health section
• Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH)
• National or regional global health or infectious disease societies

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Common Mistakes IMGs Make on Global Health CVs (and How to Fix Them)

Mistake 1: Overcrowding and Poor Prioritization

Listing every single experience equally confuses readers. Instead:

• Prioritize recent (last 5–7 years) and relevant experiences.
• Group older or less important experiences under a brief “Additional Clinical Experience” section.

Mistake 2: Vague Descriptions

Phrases like “volunteered in rural clinic” are too generic.

Correct approach:

• Provide specifics: patient volume, conditions, type of interventions, your role, and outcomes when possible.

Mistake 3: Mixing CV and Personal Statement

Your CV is not the place for long narratives about “why I love global health.” Keep that for your personal statement.

• On the CV: concise, measurable descriptions.
• In the personal statement: reflection, motivation, and story.

Mistake 4: Not Translating Home-Country Experience for U.S. Readers

Program directors may not know:

• Your hospital’s size or status
• National internship structure in your country

Help them:

• “500-bed tertiary care teaching hospital.”
• “Rotating internship across Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/GYN.”

Mistake 5: Inconsistent Formatting and Errors

Spelling, grammar, and formatting mistakes can hurt credibility.

• Use one consistent font, date style, and bullet style.
• Proofread thoroughly or ask a mentor familiar with U.S. applications to review.

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Tailoring Your CV to Global Health Tracks and Programs

Even if your main ERAS application is general, you should have a global health–oriented version of your CV ready for:

• Programs with a global health residency track or training pathway.
• Sending to global health faculty, mentors, or research collaborators.
• Applying to global health electives, conferences, or short fellowships.

How to Tailor Effectively

1. Reorder sections

   • Move “Global Health / International Medicine” up in the CV—just after Clinical Experience or even before Research if it’s your main strength.

2. Emphasize relevant content

   • Expand bullets on cross-cultural care, health systems, or public health interventions.
   • Highlight any experience with refugees, migrants, indigenous communities, or other marginalized groups.

3. Clarify Alignment with Program Focus

If a program emphasizes, for example, HIV care in Sub-Saharan Africa or refugee health in urban U.S. clinics, use your CV to show exactly how your background and skills match that environment.

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Putting It All Together: A Stepwise Plan for IMGs

To conclude this IMG residency guide on how to build CV for residency in global health, here is an actionable plan:

1. Draft the Structure

   • Use standard headings as described; aim for 2–4 pages for an IMG with several years’ experience.

2. List Everything First, Edit Later

   • Brain-dump all experiences, then refine to the most relevant and recent.

3. Write Focused Bullet Points

   • Each bullet should show action + scope + outcome where possible
   • Example: “Led a team of 5 volunteers to organize monthly hypertension screening camps, screening 800+ adults over 6 months.”

4. Identify and Label Global Health Content

   • Mark experiences that relate to public health, underserved communities, international medicine, or health systems—ensure they feature prominently.

5. Align with ERAS and Personal Statement

   • Make sure your CV reinforces (not contradicts) the themes in your personal statement and application.

6. Get Feedback from Multiple Perspectives

   • A U.S.-trained mentor for format and clarity.
   • A global health–involved faculty member for content emphasis and strategy.

7. Update Regularly

   • Before interview season, add recent presentations, new certificates, or ongoing work in global health.

A well-structured, honest, and strategically tailored CV will help residency programs quickly recognize you as an IMG who can thrive in both U.S. clinical training and global health practice—exactly what global health residency tracks seek.

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FAQ: CV Building for International Medical Graduate (IMG) in Global Health

1. How many pages should my residency CV be as an IMG interested in global health?

For an IMG with international medicine and global health experience, a 2–4 page CV is typical and acceptable. Avoid going beyond 4 pages unless you have substantial publications or advanced degrees. Focus on relevance and clarity, not length.

2. Where should I put my global health experiences—under volunteering, work, or a separate section?

If global health is central to your application, it deserves its own section such as “Global Health / International Medicine Experience.” Some items may still appear under work or volunteering, but grouping them gives reviewers an immediate snapshot of your global health background.

3. Do short global health trips or medical missions help my CV?

They can, but only if:

• You describe them honestly and specifically (duration, role, supervision).
• You avoid exaggerating brief trips as deep expertise.
• You reflect continuity of interest (e.g., ongoing community work at home, related research or coursework).

Longer, structured, or longitudinal experiences carry more weight than brief “voluntourism” trips.

4. Should I include experiences from my home country if they are not in the U.S.?

Absolutely. For global health and international medicine, your home-country and regional experiences are often your greatest strengths. Rural service, public sector work, NGO roles, or national service in your country all demonstrate real-world global health practice. The key is to present them in a way that U.S. reviewers can understand and appreciate—clearly describing context, scope, and impact.