CV Writing and Interview Preparation

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CV Writing and Interview Preparation

• Staci Larsen Smith
• Associate Vice President
• HCA Physician Services Recruitment
• Tri Star Division of Hospital Corporation of
  America

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• The CV gets you
• the interview,
• the interview gets you the job!

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Getting Started

• Include a cover letter
• Pick a format and be consistent
• Have a short CV (1-2 pages)
• Include your present and permanent address,
  phone, pager, and e-mail address
• Prepare a separate typed list of references
• No typos!

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Cover Letter

• One Page, 3-4 paragraphs
• Be Personal, show passion
• Write directly, avoid generalities
• State reasons for choosing a certain specialty or
  type of practice
• Clarify any gaps or potentially misunderstood
  information on your resume
• Explain particularly unique or impressive
  qualifications
• Get someone to review, critique your letter, and
  check for typos

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CV Preparation

• Short Form
• Identification
• Postgraduate
• Education
• Experience
• Licenses and Certification

• Long Form
• Identification
• Postgraduate
• Education
• Experience
• Licenses and Certification
• Professional Affiliations
• Publications
• Presentations

Be sure to use reverse chronological order!
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• Example
• Publications/Presentations/Research
• Authored 15 articles published in medical
  journals including The New England Journal of
  Medicine and the Internal Medicine Journal. Also
  published over 25 abstracts. Participated in
  several important research projects focusing
  primarily on diabetes treatment and prevention.
• Full listing of publications and research
  projects available upon request.

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Appealing and Eye Catching

• Unusual fonts, strange symbols, or tricky formats
  will only aggravate the busy person who is trying
  to quickly assess your qualifications.
• Traditional Fonts (Times New Roman, Arial)
• Text size 10-12pt
• Appropriate spacing
• Headings should be clear and stand out from the
  other text in your resume, so its easy to pick
  out each category.

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Format Consistently

• If you bold job titles, then bold degrees, etc.
• If you have a colon after some headings they
  should all have them
• Dash between some dates, then make sure all dates
  have dashes between them

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General CV Guidelines

• Example A
• 1999-2003 Internal Medicine Resident
• St. Francis Hospital, Queens, NY

• Example B
• Internal Medicine Resident 19932003St.
  Francis Hospital, Queens, NY

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Now you have a CV what do you do with it?
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The Search

• Physician Recruiters
• Specialty Board
• Program Coordinators
• Career Fairs
• Ex. CareerMD
• Medical Journals

• Internet
• www.PracticeWithUs.com
• Hospital Websites
• Visiting Local Medical Offices
• Networking
• Hospital CEOS

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The Phone Interview

• Have no interruptions or distractions
• Stay calm and listen carefully
• Pause before answering any questions
• Have your CV and schedule in front of you
• Dont appear overeager or desperate

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Preparing for Site Visit

• Focus on less than five practice opportunities
  and then narrow the field from there
• Spend one - two full days at each location,
  depending on the distance
• On the first visit, go alone. On the second
  visit, include your spouse and family.
• Remember, there is a good fit out there for
  everyone. If it just doesnt feel right, move on
  to another opportunity.

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While You Are There

• Prepare a two-minute speech about yourself and
  stay on message
• Feel free to ask questions about anything
• Jot down the names of those you interact with and
  write them a thank you note
• Every interaction counts

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The Site Visit

• DOs
• Your homework
• Arrive 15 minutes early
• Be Courteous to Everyone You Meet
• Bring extra copies of your CV
• Dress professionally
• Have a firm handshake
• Practice good eye contact
• Ask Questions - Have your list with you
• Establish Rapport Remember the Interviewers Name

• DONTs
• Forget to prepare
• Be Disrespectful
• Forget to Relax
• Discuss Politics or Religion
• Lie or Be Negative
• Ask About Salary Unless its Brought Up

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Physician Due Diligence

• How long has the practice been in existence?
• Does the group have enough patients to support a
  new physician?
• How many new patients a year does the practice
  attract? How many does it lose?
• Does the group have a marketing plan?
• What will the group do to send patients my way?
• How many managed care contracts does the group
  have? Do the payments cover the costs of
  treating patients?

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Talking to Partners

• Start with the oldest and youngest partners and
  work your way in towards the middle. Talk to all
  of the physicians, if possible.
• Probe for their views, both personal and
  professional.
• You are looking for compatibility while you are
  assessing the culture.

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Talking to Office Staff

• Interview key long-term staff members.
• Try to assess their skills, morale, and
  chemistry with the physicians in the group.

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Talking with Hospital Staff

• Start with the Hospital CEO, COO, and CNO, then
  move to the nurses and/or technicians on the
  floor or in the departments.
• Ask about physicians both inside and outside
  the group you are considering.
• Why join the B group when you could be part
  of the A group?

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Resources
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Websites to Visit

• Writing Help www.writinghelp-central.com
• www.physiciancv.com
• Job Databases www.practicewithus.com
• www.practicematch.com
• www.practicelink.com
• Health News www.healthleaders.com
• Articles www.mgma.com

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• Salary Info www.salary.com
• General Info www.nejmjobs.com
• Homefinder www.homefair.com
• Rates www.bankrate.com
• Demographics www.census.gov
• State Medical Boards www.fsmb.org
• State Health Facts www.statehealthfacts.org
• You are Where You Live www.claritas.com

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For practice opportunities, visit
www.practicewithus.com