Your Complete Guide to Building a Residency CV for DO Graduates

Understanding the CV Landscape for DO Graduates in Addiction Medicine

For a DO graduate targeting Addiction Medicine, your CV is more than a list of dates and duties—it is a strategic document that must communicate three things clearly:

1. You are clinically solid and ready for residency or fellowship training.
2. You understand the unique demands of addiction medicine and have aligned experiences.
3. You can thrive in an interprofessional, biopsychosocial model of care.

While all residency CVs share a similar structure, DO graduates face a few distinct challenges and opportunities:

• Perception gaps: Some programs are less familiar with osteopathic training. Your CV needs to highlight the rigor of your clinical exposure and osteopathic perspective.
• Pathways to Addiction Medicine: Addiction medicine is most commonly pursued via fellowship after primary training (e.g., Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, Emergency Medicine). Your CV must show that you are building toward this path, even if you are first entering a general residency.
• Osteopathic-specific strengths: DO curriculum often emphasizes holistic care, behavioral health, and motivational interviewing—assets in substance abuse training. Your CV should make these explicit.

This guide breaks down how to build a residency-ready CV tailored to your future in addiction medicine, emphasizing residency CV tips and practical strategies on how to build CV for residency as a DO graduate.

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Core Structure: What Your Residency CV Should Include

Every strong medical student CV or DO graduate residency CV follows a predictable, clean structure. Programs and addiction medicine fellowship directors both expect to see:

1. Identifying Information
2. Education and Training
3. Licensure and Certification
4. Clinical Experience
5. Research and Scholarly Work
6. Teaching and Leadership
7. Service and Advocacy
8. Honors and Awards
9. Professional Memberships
10. Skills and Interests

1. Identifying Information

This should be at the very top and easy to read:

• Full name, degree (e.g., Jane A. Smith, DO)
• Professional email address
• Phone number
• City, State (full address optional)
• Optional: LinkedIn profile or professional website (only if well maintained and relevant)

Actionable Tips:

• Use a professional email (e.g., firstname.lastname@…). Avoid outdated accounts or casual handles.
• Do not include photos, marital status, or demographic details unless explicitly requested by a specific program or country.

2. Education and Training

List your education in reverse chronological order:

• Osteopathic medical school
• Undergraduate institution
• Any graduate degrees (e.g., MPH, MA, MS)

Include:

• Institution name, city, state
• Degree and major (where applicable)
• Dates (year–year)
• Honors (e.g., Magna Cum Laude, Dean’s List) if relevant

Addiction-Medicine–Focused Content Example:

• Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, XYZ College of Osteopathic Medicine, City, State

  • 2020–2024
  • Concentration: Behavioral Health and Addiction Medicine Track

• Bachelor of Science in Psychology, ABC University, City, State

  • 2016–2020
  • Honors Thesis: “Motivational Interviewing for Young Adults with Alcohol Use Disorder”

If your school offers an addiction medicine elective track, scholarly concentration, or certificate, list it here to immediately flag your interest and experience in substance abuse training.

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Showcasing Clinical Experience: Making Addiction Medicine Visible

For osteopathic residency match applications—especially those with an eye toward future addiction medicine fellowship—your clinical section is where you can truly distinguish yourself.

3. Clinical Experience: Core Rotations, Sub-I’s, and Electives

Most DO graduates list:

• Core clinical clerkships (3rd–4th year)
• Sub-internships (Sub-I’s)
• Acting internships
• Away rotations
• Post-graduate clinical roles (prelim year, transitional year, etc.)

Format each entry with:

• Role (e.g., Sub-Intern, Clinical Clerk, Resident Physician – PGY-1)
• Specialty (e.g., Psychiatry, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine)
• Institution, City, State
• Dates
• 2–4 bullet points highlighting responsibilities and skills

Addiction-Oriented Bullets (Examples):

• Completed 4-week elective in Addiction Psychiatry at [Institution]; managed patients on inpatient detox unit and outpatient medication-assisted treatment (MAT) clinic.
• Conducted initial assessment and follow-up visits for patients with opioid use disorder under supervision; participated in buprenorphine and methadone induction and maintenance visits.
• Led brief motivational interviewing sessions for patients presenting with alcohol intoxication in the ED, focusing on harm reduction and linkage to follow-up services.
• Collaborated with social work and case management to coordinate referrals to residential treatment and intensive outpatient programs.

If you have limited direct addiction rotations, emphasize adjacent experiences:

• Psychiatry
• Emergency Medicine
• Family Medicine / Internal Medicine
• Pain clinics
• Behavioral health units
• Community health centers

Example for Non-Addiction Specific Rotation:

• Psychiatry Clerkship, University Hospital, City, State – 04/2023–05/2023
  • Evaluated patients with co-occurring depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders, presenting through crisis clinic and inpatient service.
  • Engaged in multidisciplinary team rounds with psychiatrists, social workers, and addiction counselors.
  • Co-led psychoeducation groups addressing cravings, relapse prevention, and medication adherence.

4. Work Experience (If Applicable)

If you worked as an EMT, mental health technician, scribe, or counselor before or during medical school, place this after clinical rotations or in a separate “Clinical and Related Experience” section.

Sample Entry:

• Behavioral Health Technician, XYZ Recovery Center, City, State – 2018–2019
  • Monitored patients in residential treatment for opioid and alcohol use disorders; assisted with intake assessments and daily check-ins.
  • Documented patient behavior and progress, supporting counselors and nurses in care coordination.

Roles like this are powerful for an addiction medicine pathway and should be clearly visible on your residency CV.

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Research, Scholarship, and Substance Abuse Training

Programs that value addiction medicine fellowship–bound residents look closely at your scholarly engagement. You do not need a PhD-level research portfolio, but you should demonstrate curiosity and initiative around addiction, behavioral health, or public health.

5. Research and Quality Improvement

Break this section into:

• Research Experience
• Quality Improvement (QI) Projects
• Publications and Presentations

Research Experience

List:

• Project title or topic
• Your role (e.g., Student Investigator, Research Assistant)
• Supervisor’s name and credentials (if well-known in the field or institution)
• Institution, dates
• Concise bullet points on what you did and skills developed

Example:

• Student Investigator, “Patterns of Polysubstance Use in Young Adults Presenting to the ED”
  • Supervisor: John Doe, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, XYZ Medical Center – 2022–2023
  • Performed chart review of 300 ED encounters; extracted data on co-occurring alcohol, opioid, and stimulant use.
  • Assisted with dataset cleaning and basic statistical analysis using SPSS.
  • Contributed to abstract submitted to the American College of Emergency Physicians meeting.

Even if the project is incomplete or unpublished, you can list it as “Ongoing” with the date range.

Quality Improvement Projects

Addiction medicine thrives on system-level improvements—overdose protocols, MAT initiation, harm reduction, discharge planning. QI projects are very attractive on a medical student CV.

Example:

• Quality Improvement Team Member, “Improving Naloxone Co-Prescribing for High-Risk Patients”
  • Family Medicine Clinic, XYZ Health System – 2023
  • Identified patients at high risk for opioid overdose using EMR flags and prescribing patterns.
  • Helped design EMR alert to prompt clinicians to co-prescribe naloxone for eligible patients.
  • Preliminary data showed a 40% relative increase in naloxone co-prescriptions over 6 months.

Publications and Presentations

In a separate sub-section, list:

• Peer-reviewed publications
• Abstracts
• Poster and oral presentations
• Book chapters or online educational modules

Use a consistent citation style. Highlight addiction-related items with bolded keywords:

• Smith J, Lee A, et al. Brief interventions for alcohol use in primary care: A pilot project in an osteopathic clinic. J Osteopath Fam Med. 2023;XX(X):XX–XX.
• Smith J. Medication-assisted treatment in rural communities: Barriers and opportunities. Poster presented at the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine Annual Meeting; 2024; City, State.

If you lack addiction-specific scholarship, include projects in related domains:

• Mental health
• Chronic pain
• Health disparities
• Public health and epidemiology
• Health policy affecting addiction care (e.g., prescribing regulations, harm reduction)

These still reinforce your commitment to evidence-based care, which matters to addiction medicine fellowship programs and residency leadership.

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Leadership, Teaching, and Advocacy: Highlighting the Osteopathic Edge

Addiction medicine is team-based, advocacy-driven, and deeply human. Your roles beyond the exam room—leadership, teaching, service—are key signals of your potential.

6. Leadership Roles

Create a “Leadership and Professional Activities” section to show positions such as:

• Class officer roles
• Student organization leadership (e.g., addiction interest group, mental health advocacy group)
• Committee memberships (curriculum committees, wellness committees)
• Organizer roles for events (overdose awareness programs, naloxone training sessions)

Example:

• President, Addiction Medicine Interest Group, XYZ College of Osteopathic Medicine – 2022–2023
  • Organized a 4-part lecture series featuring addiction psychiatrists, social workers, and individuals in long-term recovery.
  • Coordinated a naloxone training workshop for 80 medical students in collaboration with local public health department.
  • Launched peer support sessions focused on stigma reduction and language use when discussing substance use disorders.

These entries underscore initiative, communication skills, and leadership in a domain aligned with your career interest.

7. Teaching and Mentoring

Addiction medicine demands strong patient education and interdisciplinary collaboration. Highlight any experience teaching:

• Peer tutoring (e.g., pharmacology, behavioral science)
• Small-group facilitation
• TA roles in OMM, clinical skills, or interviewing
• Workshops on motivational interviewing, SBIRT, or stigma reduction (if you’ve been involved)

Sample Entry:

• Peer Tutor, Motivational Interviewing Skills for Clinical Encounters – 2023
  • Led 6 small-group sessions for second-year DO students practicing brief interventions for risky alcohol use.
  • Provided structured feedback on reflective listening, open-ended questions, and goal-setting language.

8. Service, Outreach, and Advocacy

Substance abuse training is not limited to hospitals and clinics. Programs respect applicants who have “been in the community” and understand social determinants of health.

Include:

• Volunteer work in shelters, syringe service programs, recovery residences
• Outreach at health fairs doing screening and education
• Harm reduction, overdose prevention, or policy advocacy work

Examples:

• Volunteer, Community Syringe Services Program, City, State – 2021–Present

  • Distributed harm-reduction supplies and provided educational materials on HIV, hepatitis C, and overdose prevention.
  • Assisted with naloxone education and overdose response training for community members.

• Advocate, State Medical Society Opioid Task Force – 2023–2024

  • Participated in virtual advocacy days supporting expanded access to MAT and naloxone.
  • Met with state legislators to discuss impact of restrictive prescribing laws on patients with chronic pain and OUD.

These experiences reinforce your long-term commitment to vulnerable populations and align your CV clearly with addiction medicine values.

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Technical Polish: Residency CV Tips for DO Graduates

Substance-related content and osteopathic identity are crucial, but format and clarity often decide whether your CV feels “professional” or “rough.” A polished presentation helps at every stage—from osteopathic residency match to later addiction medicine fellowship applications.

9. Formatting Principles

• Length: Aim for 2–4 pages as a new DO graduate. Longer is acceptable only if you have significant prior careers or extensive scholarship.
• Font: Use a clean, readable font (e.g., Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman, 10.5–12 pt).
• Consistency: Keep dates, headings, and bullet styles uniform.
• Order: Most residency CVs follow this sequence:
  1. Identifying info
  2. Education
  3. Licensure and certifications
  4. Clinical experience
  5. Research and QI
  6. Teaching and leadership
  7. Service and advocacy
  8. Honors and awards
  9. Professional memberships
  10. Skills and interests

10. Licensure, Certification, and Relevant Training

For DO graduates, especially those targeting addiction medicine fellowships later, this section can work in your favor:

Include:

• COMLEX scores (if requested on CV; some prefer to keep to ERAS)
• USMLE scores (if applicable)
• State limited or training license (once obtained)
• Certifications:
  • BLS, ACLS, PALS
  • X-waiver / DATA 2000 training or MOUD training (even though the federal waiver requirement changed, training completion is still valued)
  • Motivational Interviewing workshops
  • SBIRT certification
  • Trauma-informed care workshops

Example:

• Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Training (8-hour course), American Society of Addiction Medicine – Completed 2023
• SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) Online Certification – 2022

Having structured substance abuse training documented signals readiness and motivation.

11. Honors, Awards, and Scholarships

Highlight awards that align with:

• Service to vulnerable populations
• Excellence in psychiatry, family medicine, internal medicine, or behavioral sciences
• Humanism, professionalism, or leadership awards

Example:

• Gold Humanism Honor Society Inductee – 2023
• Outstanding Student in Behavioral Medicine, XYZ College of Osteopathic Medicine – 2024

12. Professional Memberships

Include:

• American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
• Specialty organizations relevant to your intended residency (AAFP, ACP, APA, etc.)
• Addiction-focused organizations:
  • American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM)
  • American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
  • State-level addiction medicine societies

Listing these memberships—especially if you have committee or student section involvement—demonstrates early adoption of an addiction medicine professional identity.

13. Skills and Interests (Used Strategically)

Keep this short and professional:

• Languages (with proficiency level)
• EMR systems (if significant)
• Data skills (e.g., R, SPSS, REDCap)
• Communication or counseling training (e.g., MI, CBT techniques exposure)

For interests, choose 3–6 that you can discuss comfortably and that might connect to addiction medicine or show resilience and balance:

• Long-distance running
• Mindfulness and meditation
• Poetry or narrative medicine writing
• Community gardening
• Coaching youth sports

Avoid overly vague or potentially controversial items; keep it interview-friendly.

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Strategy: How to Build CV for Residency with Future Addiction Medicine in Mind

As a DO graduate, you may be entering a primary specialty first, then pursuing addiction medicine fellowship. You can still design your residency CV with the long game in mind.

14. Early Years (OMS-I and OMS-II)

• Join or start an Addiction Medicine Interest Group.
• Seek mentors in psychiatry, family medicine, internal medicine, or emergency medicine with addiction focus.
• Do small-scale projects: literature reviews, case discussions, patient education handouts.
• Participate in local overdose awareness events and naloxone trainings.
• Keep a running “CV log” as you go—don’t rely on memory later.

15. Clinical Years (OMS-III and OMS-IV)

• Select electives and Sub-I’s that expose you to substance use disorders:
  • Addiction psychiatry
  • Consult-liaison psychiatry
  • FQHCs or community clinics with high SUD prevalence
  • ED rotations with strong behavioral health teams
• Identify at least one tangible project per rotation that can be listed on your CV (QI, patient education, small case series, teaching session).
• Ask attendings for permission to write up unusual or instructive addiction-related cases.

16. Transition to Residency and Beyond

• During your intern year, keep your CV updated every 3–6 months.
• Seek out addiction-related committees, hospital initiatives, or clinics.
• Attend at least one addiction-focused conference and add it under Professional Development.
• Start planning for addiction medicine fellowship applications by tracking:
  • Addiction patient volumes you’ve seen
  • Specific roles in MAT clinics or consult services
  • Any ongoing research or QI in SUD care

Building your CV is not about inventing activities; it is about intentionally choosing experiences and documenting them clearly, so that anyone reading your application can easily see the thread leading toward a career in addiction medicine.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. I’m a DO graduate with limited addiction-specific experience. Can I still position my CV for addiction medicine?

Yes. Emphasize rotations and experiences where you encountered substance use disorders—even if they were not labeled “addiction medicine”:

• Psychiatry, emergency medicine, primary care, pain clinics, and inpatient medicine all count.
• Highlight your work with patients with co-occurring mental illness and SUDs.
• Add formal substance abuse training (e.g., online MAT/MOUD, SBIRT, MI courses) to your certifications section.
• Show ongoing interest through membership in ASAM or AOAAM, relevant reading, and any small-scale projects.

Programs know that formal addiction rotations are not available everywhere. What matters is consistent, documented interest and experience.

2. Should I create separate CVs for residency applications and future addiction medicine fellowship?

You can maintain one master CV that includes everything and then create tailored versions:

• For residency, emphasize core clinical performance, broad competencies, and readiness for the base specialty, while still highlighting addiction-related experiences.
• For addiction medicine fellowship, foreground SUD-specific rotations, research, QI, and advocacy.
• The underlying structure can remain the same; you simply adjust detail and ordering based on the audience.

Maintaining a detailed master document makes it easy to customize for different applications and to update over time.

3. How important is research for an eventual addiction medicine fellowship?

Helpful but not mandatory. Addiction medicine is clinically intense; strong clinical evaluations, demonstrated interest, and practical experience are often more important than multiple publications. That said:

• One or two well-done projects or QI initiatives related to SUDs, mental health, or public health can significantly strengthen your CV.
• Case reports or small retrospective reviews are attainable as a resident if you seek mentorship early.
• If you are not research-oriented, focus on documented teaching, leadership, and high-quality clinical exposure.

4. What are the biggest CV mistakes DO graduates make when aiming for addiction medicine?

Common pitfalls include:

• Vague descriptions: “Worked with patients with SUD” without specific roles, interventions, or outcomes.
• Underplaying osteopathic strengths: Failing to mention training in holistic care, communication skills, and behavioral health—all of which are highly relevant.
• Disorganization: Mixing clinical, volunteer, and research entries without clear structure or consistent formatting.
• Omitting meaningful community work: Leaving out harm-reduction volunteering, advocacy, or lived-experience engagement because it doesn’t seem “academic” enough.

Avoid these by keeping your CV clear, well-structured, and intentional, with a strong narrative thread toward caring for patients with substance use disorders.

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By combining solid core residency preparation with targeted addiction-related experiences, your CV as a DO graduate can stand out both in the osteopathic residency match and later when you apply for an addiction medicine fellowship. Document your journey carefully, update regularly, and ensure every entry moves the reader closer to one conclusion: you are ready—and motivated—to build a career in compassionate, evidence-based addiction medicine.