Curriculum Vitae(CV) means a brief description of all of your qualifications and achievements.
Whenever you ask someone to give you a sponsor for elective or research, CV will be the first thing asked to you by that person.
Some institutes like Henry Ford Hospital ask for your CV while submitting the application for electives.
Here are few tips:
1) Don’t try to copy the pattern of CV from other people’s CV. Make your own pattern and way of description as according to your mind. Similar pattern CVs can pose problems for you in the future.
2) Don’t try to make wrong statements or mention achievements which are non-existent. You should have a documented proof of everything that you have mentioned in your CV, otherwise when you will be asked for the proof and you don’t have it, you will be in deep trouble.
3) Make your own personal statement, its very important in their eye. Again, don’t try to copy.
4) You will have to give at least two references for your CV along with contact information i.e. email addresses and phone numbers of the faculty.
One more basic issue is the structuring and format which none of us know while in medical school. Always mention percentile and position in class as a representative of your marks rather than divisions or marks! One more thing CV is generally used in UK while in USA Resume seems to rule!

The difference between the two is... CV is more like... writing what you have been doing your whole life.... mentioning everything...relevant or irrelevant...obviously much more lengthy than resume but resume is more like focused towards the aim, not more than 2 pages, very short, effective, mentioning everything related to the job position you are applying to. You can have two different resume while applying for two different job positions but only one CV.


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