Build a cardiothoracic fellowship CV

Lead with training stage and scope

State your current position, your qualifications with dates, and your registration or licence status in the country where you practise. Programme directors need to confirm quickly whether you have completed the core training the programme expects. If you are applying for a post-residency fellowship, make the completion date of your residency or specialist qualification easy to find.

What to include

• Education and training: degrees, residency or specialty training with start and end dates, institutions and supervisors where relevant.
• Registration and examinations: medical registration, board or college examinations, and language tests with dates and scores where published requirements ask for them.
• Operative experience: a short summary by procedure group (for example aortic root and arch, valve repair, coronary, lung resection, transplant or mechanical support) using truthful role categories such as observed, assisted, performed with supervision and performed independently.
• Subspecialty focus: training, courses or projects that relate directly to the fellowship you are applying for.
• Research and academic output: publications, abstracts and presentations, listed in a consistent citation style, with your role.
• Teaching, quality improvement and leadership: only items that show sustained responsibility.
• Referees: names, titles and relationship to you; ask permission first.

Describe participation honestly

Case numbers are only meaningful with the role attached. A logbook that blurs observation, assistance and independent operating invites questions at interview and can cause problems at credentialing. Use the categories your national authority or training body uses, and keep the supporting log available. See the guide on evaluating operative exposure for how programmes can read these numbers.

Tailor each version

A one-size CV is weaker than a short tailored one. Move the most relevant training and cases to the top for each programme, mirror the programme's own terminology where it genuinely applies, and remove items that do not support the application. Add a brief profile statement (three or four lines) saying what you want to learn and how you intend to use it afterwards.

Format and checks

• Keep it to two to four pages unless the programme asks for more; use reverse-chronological order.
• Use consistent dates (month and year) and explain any gap in training or employment.
• Keep a PDF with a clear file name, for example Surname_Firstname_CV_YYYY-MM.
• Ask a colleague to proofread for names, dates and titles, and verify every number against your logbook.
• Do not include personal data the application does not ask for, such as photographs or date of birth, unless the programme requires it.

Related guides

• Build an application timeline
• Prepare for a fellowship interview
• Write a concise programme enquiry