Why a good resume is essential when applying for a Emergency Medicine Physician job

A well-crafted and effective resume is important when searching for an Emergency Medicine position as it serves as the first introduction to your future employer and is a marketing tool to showcase your professional qualifications, skills, and experience. A compelling resume is the initial point of contact with potential hiring managers, and it is imperative to make a lasting impression.

A detailed and well-written resume should highlight your medical degree, board certification, fellowships, and any specialized training relevant to Emergency Medicine. It allows the candidate to effectively communicate their proficiency in patient care. Furthermore, a resume should demonstrate the candidate’s commitment to the requirements of the EM doctor position.

We will provide a few important tips and where to find examples of EM Physician resumes to help improve yours and secure an interview.

How long should the Emergency Medicine Physician job resume be and what information should be included?

An EM Physician’s resume should be comprehensive yet concise. Generally, a resume should be around two to three pages in length, but it’s important to prioritize content over length. You should provide enough information to showcase your unique qualifications, skills, and experience.

The following information should be included in your resume: contact information, resume summary or objective, education, fellowship, licensure, and board certification, clinical experience, skills, research and publications, teaching and academic roles, professional membership, continuing medical education, and honors and awards.

Things that need to be included in a resume

Contact Information: Include your full name, professional title, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile (if applicable).

Pro Tip: Your name should be in the biggest text on the page and listed near the top of the resume.  Your address should only include city and state. The provided email should be an professional email. (You should not use your current job email for a resume.)

Resume Summary or Objective: Provide a brief, targeted statement summarizing your expertise, career goals, and what you offer as an emergency medicine physician.

Education: Include your educational background, including the name of the institution, degree earned, and graduation date. List your education in reverse chronological order with your most recent and doctorate degree first. List your medical degree, residency, and fellowship training.

Pro Tip: If you are a new graduate, you may want to place the education section above the experience section. As you gain work experience, your education section should be shortened. If you have not graduated, you can add “expected graduation date” to the school.

Certifications and Licenses: Specify your medical license details and any relevant certifications.

Clinical Experience: Include your work history in reverse chronological order. For each position, include the name of the hospital or clinic, location, and dates of employment. Highlight any specialized procedure you have experience performing.

This is the most important section. Your professional experience should be presented in bullet points, and a separate section should be created for each relevant previous job experience. The headline for each previous job experience section should be in bold with the addition of the time you were employed. Beneath the company name, the position should be mentioned, and the bulleted points should list the job responsibilities.

Pro Tip: It is important to mention not only the job responsibilities but also your achieved results at that job.

Research and Publications: List any research projects you’ve been involved in and publications that you have authored or co-authored.

Presentations and Conferences: Include any conferences or seminars where you have presented your work or research findings.

Skills: Outline both your technical and interpersonal skills that are relevant to emergency medicine. Include your proficiencies in relevant technology and medical techniques.

Professional Memberships: List any medical or emergency medicine associations you are a part of.

Awards and Honors: Highlight any special recognition or awards you have received for your contributions to emergency medicine.

Professional Development: Showcase ongoing education, training, workshops that you have attended to stay current in the field.

Note: If applicable, mention any languages that you proficient in 

An Emergency Medicine Physician’s resume should highlight a combination of medical, technical, interpersonal, and leadership skills. Here are some important and relevant skills to include:

  • Medical Skills:
    • Assess and manage a wide range of conditions, demonstrate proficiency in intubation, central line placement, chest tube insertion, suturing, and fracture reduction.
    • Safely administer pain relief medications including opioids, and handle drug overdose and poisonings.
  • Technical Skills:
    • Utilize rapid lab tests, interpret X-rays, CT scans, ECGs, and ultrasound techniques for trauma and cardiac arrest.
  • Patient Care:
    • Compassionate patient care and the ability to explain complex medical concepts to patients and their families.
  • Problem Solving:
    • Critical thinking and analytical skills for diagnosing and treating complex cases under pressure.
  • Teamwork and Collaboration:
    • Collaboration with colleagues including nurses, paramedics, and other professionals under high-pressure conditions.
  • Leadership:
    • Show leadership during mass casualty incidents or a pandemic.
  • Decision-Making:
    • Ability to make rapid and timely decisions under pressure.
  • Mentorship and Teaching:
    • Training residents, medical students, and staff.
  • Continuous Learning:
    • Commitment to professional development and remaining current with advancements/treatments in emergency medicine by attending the latest conference.
  • Communication Skills:
    • Effective communication with colleagues, patients, and families.
  • Time Management:
    • Ability to balance multiple responsibilities and prioritize patient care.

Pro tip: It is common for each job post to receive hundreds of applications and a resume-checking system is often in place for recruiters to filter through relevant applications. Your resume should be customized each time to the specific emergency medicine position you are applying for. You should emphasize relevant skills and experiences to demonstrate to the employer you understand the requirements of the position and are the best candidate. You will be more successful if you identify the key phrases in the job description and incorporate them into your resume. 

Resume example-template

You can find several template resumes for an Emergency Medicine Physician at an online resume site.