Addressing failure in CV

Started by sabre24667
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sabre24667

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Hello everyone, I'm a second year FM resident working on updating my CV for when I begin looking for a job as an attending. As a medical student, I failed two courses in second year and had to repeat the year, and therefore took 5 years to complete medical school. On my CV I have my dates listed as 08/2010 - 05/2015. Do I need to include an "education note" or something to explain why it took 5 years? I don't want to have any red flags on my CV. From what I've read, recruiters and employers are more concerned about addressing "gaps of time", but I can't find anything about extended time in school. Should I do a cover letter and address it there instead of a one sentence blurb under my medical school listing? I would appreciate any examples that others have used before. Thank you!
 
sabre24667 said:
Hello everyone, I'm a second year FM resident working on updating my CV for when I begin looking for a job as an attending. As a medical student, I failed two courses in second year and had to repeat the year, and therefore took 5 years to complete medical school. On my CV I have my dates listed as 08/2010 - 05/2015. Do I need to include an "education note" or something to explain why it took 5 years? I don't want to have any red flags on my CV. From what I've read, recruiters and employers are more concerned about addressing "gaps of time", but I can't find anything about extended time in school. Should I do a cover letter and address it there instead of a one sentence blurb under my medical school listing? I would appreciate any examples that others have used before. Thank you!
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No, there is no place in a CV for your scores, USMLE attempts etc. Once you finish residency that's all behind you. The future will require you to pass the Family medicine boards and stay up to date from that point on. Recruiters are FOS. They are nobody. Just a middle man. Just be professional and get yourself in front of the decision maker. That would be the doctor at a clinic or perhaps an administrator at some hospital or both. You can always take a job you don't like for a year while looking for something much better. There are plenty of options.
 
I also took 5 years to finish medial school. Do not put that on your CV. When you apply for licenses you will need to put "dates attended school" Mine shows 2001-2006. If you are asked to explain all you need is something like, "extended education granted by school for family issues" or something to the like. Or," extended education for school mandated board study", etc. You will be fine.
 
Great advice as above.. CV doesn't need any sort of scores/reasons for above.

People want to know your credentials, where you are licensed it. Additionally recruiters will want to know about your license history (litigation, settlements etc.), but that shouldn't be an issue for you.

Frankly, nobody cares if you had to re-take biochem in med school when you're ABFM certified/Licensed.
 
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