Physician CV: 4 Examples for Academic, Private Practice, Fellow, and Locum Tenens

Q: What format should I use for publications on a physician CV?

Use Vancouver format for biomedical publications. The order is: author names, article title, journal name abbreviated, year, volume, page numbers. Include the PMID for PubMed-indexed articles. Bold your own name for quick identification. Organize publications into subcategories if you have more than 15 total: Peer-Reviewed Articles, Review Articles, Book Chapters, Editorials and Letters, Manuscripts Under Review. List within each category in reverse-chronological order.

A physician CV and a physician resume are not interchangeable. The CV is a 10-to-20-page comprehensive document used for credentialing, hospital privilege applications, and academic appointments. The resume is a 2-page outcomes-focused document used when applying for clinical positions through recruiters or job boards. Knowing which one to submit, and how to format each correctly, determines whether your application advances or stalls in an HR queue.

Physician CV vs Resume: When to Use Each

Most physicians need both documents. The CV is the definitive record of your career. The resume is a targeted narrative you adapt for each opportunity. Submitting a 15-page CV when a private practice group requests a resume signals poor attention to detail. Submitting a 2-page resume to a hospital credentialing committee signals the opposite problem.

Dimension	Physician CV	Physician Resume
Length	10-20+ pages (credentialing); 4-6 pages (early career)	1-2 pages maximum
Purpose	Credentialing, hospital privileges, academic appointments, grant applications	Clinical job applications, locum agency submissions, recruiter outreach
Audience	Credentialing committee, department chair, grant review panel	Recruiter, HR screener, practice administrator
Publications	Full list, Vancouver format, all authors	Top 3-5 selected publications or omit entirely
CME credits	Required section	Omit unless specifically requested
References	3 peer review letters from same specialty (credentialing)	"References available upon request" or omit

The 2-page clinical resume rule: When responding to a job posting, default to a 2-page resume structured like any professional resume: summary, clinical experience with measurable outcomes, licensure and certifications, education. Reserve the full CV for credentialing requests, which come after you receive an offer.

Required CV Sections for Physicians

A complete physician CV follows a standard section order that credentialing committees expect. Deviation from this order or omission of required sections causes delays in privilege approval. The sections below apply to a full credentialing CV; a clinical resume condenses these to the five most relevant.

Core Required Sections

Contact information: professional address and medical license state(s)
Education: undergraduate, medical school, internship, residency, fellowship
Licensure: state licenses with license number and expiration date
Board certifications: certifying board, certification date, expiration/recertification date
Clinical experience: positions in reverse-chronological order with setting type and patient volume
Hospital affiliations and privileges: hospital name, privilege type, dates
CME credits: annual totals by category for the past 3 years

Supplemental Sections (as applicable)

Publications: peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, reviews
Presentations: invited lectures, conference presentations
Research and grants: PI/co-I role, funding source, award period
Teaching appointments: medical school faculty, clerkship director, fellowship program director
Professional society memberships: AMA, specialty societies, elected leadership
Awards and honors: medical school awards, national recognition
Community service: pro bono clinics, global health service

Board Certification Listing Rules

Board certification must be listed with precision. Credentialing committees verify every entry against the certifying board's public registry. Formatting errors or vague dates create verification delays. The three major internal medicine and surgical boards each have distinct certification structures.

Board	Specialty Coverage	Cycle	CV Format Example
ABIM (American Board of Internal Medicine)	Internal medicine + 24 subspecialties (cardiology, GI, nephrology, etc.)	10-year Maintenance of Certification cycle	Board Certified, Internal Medicine, ABIM, 2018. MOC completed 2023.
ABFM (American Board of Family Medicine)	Family medicine	Continuous Certification model (since 2020); annual activities required	Board Certified, Family Medicine, ABFM, 2019. Continuous Certification active.
ABS (American Board of Surgery)	General surgery + subspecialties (colorectal, vascular, pediatric, etc.)	10-year cycle; separate Qualifying and Certifying examinations	Board Certified, General Surgery, ABS, 2017. Recertified 2027.

If you are board eligible but not yet certified: List "Board Eligible" with the expected examination date. Do not list the certification before you have passed the exam. Credentialing committees view any misrepresentation as grounds for privilege denial.

CME Documentation Format

Most state medical boards require 20 to 50 CME credits per licensure cycle (typically 2 years). The AMA PRA Category 1 credit is the highest-value CME category and the one credentialing committees expect to see documented. List CME on your CV in a simple table format rather than listing individual activities, which creates unnecessary length.

CME Section Example

Continuing Medical Education

2025: 28 CME credits (26 AMA PRA Category 1, 2 Category 2)
Sources: ACC Scientific Sessions 2025 (8 credits), UpToDate CME modules (12 credits), hospital grand rounds (6 credits)

2024: 32 CME credits (30 AMA PRA Category 1, 2 Category 2)
Sources: CHEST Annual Meeting 2024 (10 credits), ACP Internal Medicine Meeting (14 credits), departmental CME (8 credits)

2023: 24 CME credits (22 AMA PRA Category 1, 2 Category 2)

For locum tenens positions and state licensing applications, you may need to attach CME certificates rather than just listing credits. Keep digital copies of all CME certificates organized by year.

Publication Formatting

Biomedical publications use Vancouver format (NLM standard), not APA. The order is: author names, article title, journal name (abbreviated), year, volume, page numbers. First authorship and senior authorship (last position) carry the most academic weight; middle authorships contribute to the record but are weighted less.

Vancouver Format (Correct)

Smith JA, Doe JR, Patel KM, Williams CT. Outcomes of early ACEI initiation in hospitalized heart failure patients: a retrospective cohort study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2024;83(5):412-419. PMID: 38291453.

Bold your own name for quick identification. Include PMID for PubMed-indexed articles.

Book Chapter Format

Doe JR. Inpatient management of decompensated heart failure. In: Harrison TL, editor. Hospital Medicine: Principles and Practice. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott; 2025. p. 210-228.

List editor name. Include edition number and page range.

For academic positions, organize publications into subcategories: Peer-Reviewed Articles, Review Articles, Book Chapters, Editorials/Letters, Manuscripts Under Review. For credentialing CVs, publications are typically listed in reverse-chronological order without subcategories unless the list exceeds 15 items.

4 Physician CV Examples by Practice Type

These four examples represent the most common career stages and practice contexts a physician encounters. Each example shows the opening sections of the relevant document, whether CV or 2-page clinical resume.

Example 1: Academic Hospitalist (CV)

James R. Doe, MD, FACP — Academic Hospitalist CV (excerpt)

JAMES R. DOE, MD, FACP
Division of Hospital Medicine | University Medical Center
james.doe@universitymc.edu | (212) 555-0194

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
MD, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, 2014
Internship/Residency, Internal Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, 2014-2017
Chief Medical Resident, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, 2017-2018

LICENSURE
New York State Medical License, #274851, Expires 2027
DEA Certificate, Expires 2026

BOARD CERTIFICATION
Board Certified, Internal Medicine, ABIM, 2017. MOC completed 2022.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Assistant Professor of Medicine, University Medical Center, 2018-Present
Clerkship Director, Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, 2021-Present

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
Attending Hospitalist, University Medical Center, 2018-Present
Inpatient census averaging 14 patients; supervises 3-4 residents and students
Procedure volume: thoracentesis (40/year), paracentesis (30/year), central line (25/year)

Example 2: Private Practice Internist (2-Page Clinical Resume)

Maria L. Chen, MD — Private Practice Resume (excerpt)

MARIA L. CHEN, MD
Boston, MA | (617) 555-0287 | mlchen.md@gmail.com
Massachusetts Medical License #185432

SUMMARY
Board-certified internist with 9 years in outpatient primary care. Panel size of 1,800 patients. HEDIS quality metrics consistently in the 90th percentile for diabetes management and preventive care. Fluent in Spanish; served a 60% Spanish-speaking population at prior practice.

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
Attending Physician, Boston Internal Medicine Group, 2017-Present
- Managed a panel of 1,800 patients across 24-26 appointments per day
- Achieved HbA1c control rate of 74% (HEDIS benchmark: 68%)
- Reduced 30-day readmissions by 18% through structured post-discharge follow-up protocol
- Led practice transition to Epic EMR; trained 6 staff members

LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATION
MA License #185432 | Board Certified, Internal Medicine, ABIM, 2016 (MOC 2021)
BLS, AHA, Expires 2027

Example 3: Subspecialty Fellow (CV)

David K. Nguyen, MD — Cardiology Fellow CV (excerpt)

DAVID K. NGUYEN, MD
Cardiovascular Fellowship Program | Stanford University Medical Center
dknguyen@stanford.edu | (650) 555-0318

TRAINING
Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship, Stanford University Medical Center, 2024-Present
Internal Medicine Residency, UCSF Medical Center, 2021-2024
MD, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 2021

BOARD CERTIFICATION
Board Certified, Internal Medicine, ABIM, 2024
Cardiology Boards: Expected 2026 (examination scheduled)

RESEARCH
Research Mentor: Dr. Sarah Park, MD, PhD
Project: Biomarker-guided diuresis in acute decompensated heart failure (IRB approved, enrollment ongoing)

PUBLICATIONS
Nguyen DK, Kim JH, Park SR. Pulmonary artery catheter use trends in cardiogenic shock, 2015-2024. JACC Heart Fail. 2025;13(2):145-152. PMID: 39284716.

Example 4: Locum Tenens Physician (2-Page Clinical Resume)

Robert A. Williams, MD — Locum Tenens Resume (excerpt)

ROBERT A. WILLIAMS, MD, FAAFP
Austin, TX | (512) 555-0412 | rawilliams.md@gmail.com
Licensure: TX, CA, FL, AZ, CO

SUMMARY
Family physician with 12 years of clinical experience and 6 years of locum tenens practice across rural and underserved settings. ABFM board certified. Credentialed at 14 facilities. Comfortable in solo coverage settings; telemedicine experience (8,000+ virtual visits).

LOCUM TENENS ASSIGNMENTS
Rural Family Practice, Billings, MT (via Staff Care), 2023-2024
- Covered 22-patient daily schedule in 4-physician rural group; solo on-call coverage
- Managed 340 acute and chronic care encounters over 8-month assignment

Federally Qualified Health Center, El Paso, TX (via Locum Leaders), 2022
- Served predominantly Spanish-speaking uninsured population; 90% of visits in Spanish

LICENSURE
Active licenses in TX, CA, FL, AZ, CO. Compact state eligible. DEA expires 2027.
Board Certified, Family Medicine, ABFM, 2014. Continuous Certification active.

Locum tenens tip: The $6 billion locum tenens market (NALTO 2025) means agency credentialing coordinators process dozens of CVs weekly. List all active state licenses prominently in your header. Credentialing can take 60-90 days, so having multi-state licensure already active is a significant differentiator.

Hospital Privileges and Reference Letters

Hospital privileges must appear in a dedicated section on your credentialing CV. The credentialing committee cross-checks this section against queries to prior facilities, so accuracy is critical. Format each privilege entry as: hospital name, privilege category, and dates active.

Hospital Privileges Section Example

HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS AND PRIVILEGES

University Medical Center, New York, NY
  Active Staff, Department of Medicine, 2018-Present
  Privileges: General internal medicine, non-tunneled central venous catheter placement, thoracentesis, paracentesis

Bellevue Hospital Center, New York, NY
  Courtesy Staff, Department of Medicine, 2020-Present
  Privileges: General internal medicine consultation

Peer Review Reference Letter

Required for hospital credentialing. Must come from a physician in the same specialty who has directly observed your clinical work. The letter must specifically address clinical competence, professionalism, and patient safety. A general character reference does not satisfy this requirement.

Minimum: 3 peer review letters from 3 different institutions or supervisors in the same specialty.

General Character Reference

A reference from a colleague, mentor, or administrator who attests to your character and work ethic. Valuable for job applications and academic appointments. Not a substitute for peer review letters in hospital credentialing.

Distinguish these clearly on your CV: do not list general references in place of peer review contacts.

Frequently Asked Questions

A physician CV for credentialing or academic appointments should be as long as it needs to be to document your complete career record, typically 10 to 20+ pages for an experienced attending. An early-career physician with residency training and no publications will have a 4 to 6 page CV. Do not pad with irrelevant content to increase length, and do not artificially shorten a credentialing CV to appear concise. Length is not penalized for credentialing documents.

A physician CV is a comprehensive career document used for credentialing, hospital privilege applications, academic appointments, and grant applications. It includes every position, publication, presentation, CME credit, and privilege in your career. A physician resume is a 2-page targeted document used for clinical job applications through recruiters or job boards. The resume focuses on measurable outcomes, emphasizes the skills most relevant to the specific role, and omits sections like full publication lists and CME documentation. Most physicians maintain both documents.

List the full board name, specialty, certification date, and recertification date or MOC status. Example for ABIM: "Board Certified, Internal Medicine, ABIM, 2018. MOC completed 2023." For ABFM's continuous certification model: "Board Certified, Family Medicine, ABFM, 2019. Continuous Certification active." If you are board eligible but not yet certified, list "Board Eligible" with your expected examination date. Never list a certification before you have passed the exam, as credentialing committees verify against board registries.

Use Vancouver format (NLM standard) for biomedical publications. The order is: author names, article title, journal name (abbreviated), year, volume, page numbers. Include the PMID for PubMed-indexed articles. Bold your own name for quick identification. Organize publications into subcategories if you have more than 15 total: Peer-Reviewed Articles, Review Articles, Book Chapters, Editorials/Letters, Manuscripts Under Review. List within each category in reverse-chronological order.

For locum tenens through an agency, submit a 2-page clinical resume rather than a full CV. The agency's credentialing team will separately collect your full credentialing documentation. On your locum resume, prominently list all active state licenses in your header or summary, since multi-state licensure is a primary differentiator in the locum market. Include your locum assignment history in reverse-chronological order with the agency name, setting type, and dates. Credentialing at new facilities takes 60 to 90 days, so having licenses already active in target states significantly accelerates placement.

A peer review reference letter is a credentialing-specific letter from a physician in the same specialty who has directly observed your clinical work. It must specifically address clinical competence, patient safety, and professionalism. Hospital credentialing committees require a minimum of 3 peer review letters from 3 different supervisors or institutions. This is distinct from a general character reference, which attests to your character and work ethic but does not satisfy credentialing requirements. For new graduates, residency program directors and attending supervisors from your training typically provide these letters.