Reviewing Manuscripts: CV Worthy?

[.hematoma.]

I know this has been discussed on the forum several years ago, but I wanted to know if sentiment has changed about the topic. I recently submitted a manuscript to a decent journal (about 2 impact factor, indexed on pubmed), and was recently asked to review another article that was submitted to the journal. I'm an MS2, and I don't consider myself an expert on the topic (it's global health related, and not many people are researching the topic so perhaps by a long-shot I know enough to review a paper?)... is this CV worthy?

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[Doctor-S]

I recently submitted a manuscript to a decent journal (about 2 impact factor, indexed on pubmed), and was recently asked to review another article that was submitted to the journal ... is this CV worthy?

If you choose, you can list the manuscript you are reviewing in a format such as the one shown below:

Manuscript Review.
Ad hoc peer reviewer for manuscript submitted to:
(Name of Journal)

It may be interesting to list on your MS cv, but it won't make a big difference to individuals who review your cv (as a graduate physician) unless someone is looking for an individual with general editorial/reviewing skills.

 

[Tenk]

You can put whatever you want on a CV. It's yours. The real question is: when you read that, does it impress you? If the answer is no, guess what the answer will be for the person reading it!

 

[eteshoe]

Being a reviewer for a journal is CV worthy

Reviewing a manuscript IMO isn't worth putting on your CV

 

[.hematoma.]

You can put whatever you want on a CV. It's yours. The real question is: when you read that, does it impress you? If the answer is no, guess what the answer will be for the person reading it!

The point of a CV is to impress others, not oneself!

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

 

[ProfMD]

FWIW, I only list journals on my CV for which I routinely review manuscripts. There are a couple of journals for which I reviewed a manuscript here and there, they are not on my CV.

 

[Tenk]

The point of a CV is to impress others, not oneself!

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

That's exactly my point. If you have to ask others if something should be added, chances are it doesn't really impress you, otherwise you wouldn't have asked that question. Therefore if it doesn't really impress you to begin with, why would you include it as it is even more unlikely to impress someone reading it.

 

[.hematoma.]

That's exactly my point. If you have to ask others if something should be added, chances are it doesn't really impress you, otherwise you wouldn't have asked that question. Therefore if it doesn't really impress you to begin with, why would you include it as it is even more unlikely to impress someone reading it.

False, I personally think it's impressive. My question is if its worthy of a CV, not whether or not I think it's impressive; they are two different things. I also think my shower-singing skills are impressive... is it CV worthy for a medical career? Not so much.

 

[Goro]

It would depend upon the quality of the journal.

I know this has been discussed on the forum several years ago, but I wanted to know if sentiment has changed about the topic. I recently submitted a manuscript to a decent journal (about 2 impact factor, indexed on pubmed), and was recently asked to review another article that was submitted to the journal. I'm an MS2, and I don't consider myself an expert on the topic (it's global health related, and not many people are researching the topic so perhaps by a long-shot I know enough to review a paper?)... is this CV worthy?

 

[Tenk]

False, I personally think it's impressive. My question is if its worthy of a CV, not whether or not I think it's impressive; they are two different things. I also think my shower-singing skills are impressive... is it CV worthy for a medical career? Not so much.

Let's back up a few steps.

A CV boils down to just being a job application. You are right, your shower singing skills don't belong on a medical CV but I never said they did. You are applying for a job in medicine, not singing. This is irrelevant.

Now for your question: does the person I am sending my CV to care that I have reviewed an article for a journal. Again, you are glossing over how important my point was about if this is important to you. Only you can know what you have done unless you post your CV on this website. If you have only put your name on one or two other papers, suddenly you doing this review may seem like a big deal because you haven't done much and your CV looks barren. Hence it is important to you, hence you should include it. For the person who has published 10-20 papers and has given talks at national conferences etc, this would just be another thing to tag on to an already bolstered CV. It would be near meaningless when you compare it to the various other accomplishments displayed on the CV and make the reader probably question why they would even include it.

I'm not trying to be an ass to you, I'm just trying to help you realize that there are no definitive guidelines to your CV. Your CV is your application. It is what you hold dear, what you have done, and why you are fit for the reader's job. Hope that helps.