- What should your medical resume include?
- How can you create a professional summary?
- How should you describe your work experience as a medical professional?
- How to include a fitting medical resume education and certifications section?
- Which key skills are relevant for a medical resume?
- How to select the most impactful medical resume template
- Copyable medical resume example
- Key takeaways for writing a medical resume
Your medical resume should do more than list your credentials and specialties. It should highlight the results you’ve delivered as a healthcare professional. This resume example and writing guide will show you how to create a medical resume that gets noticed.
Is your medical resume in chronic need of an update? When applying for jobs in hospitals or other healthcare facilities, your resume should show prospective employers how you make a positive impact on patients and team members.
This resume guide, along with our medical resume example, will cover:
What to include on a medical resume
How to describe your experience and education
What skills to add to your resume
How to choose the best resume template
What should your medical resume include?
Your medical resume should highlight your clinical expertise, including your professional credentials and areas of specialization. It should focus on what you’ve achieved in your healthcare career, such as improving patient outcomes or contributing to medical research.
Whether you’re a nurse, emergency medical technician, or physician assistant, your resume needs to show an employer why you’d make a good addition to their medical team.
A medical resume should include the following elements:
A resume header with your contact information
How can you create a professional summary?
At the top of your resume, a professional summary can immediately set you apart from other medical professionals applying for the same jobs. In two or three sentences, briefly describe your unique skills, specialties, or accomplishments in the medical field.
For instance, our example medical resume outlines the candidate’s ability to communicate clearly with patients about diagnoses and treatments. You might mention your exceptional patient satisfaction scores or your expertise with electronic health record (EHR) systems.
Your professional summary should also mention your years of experience, clinical specialties, and technical proficiencies such as medical software.
View our adaptable medical resume summary below:
Highly skilled, dedicated professional with 15+ years of medical experience, assisting diverse patient populations in achieving optimal health and wellness. Able to think critically, reprioritize shifting patient needs, and exercise sound judgment in high-pressure, emotionally charged environments. Articulate communicator capable of providing clear, relatable education on diagnoses and treatments. Proficient in EncoreAnywhere (Respironics), AirView (ResMed), Sandman, Enterprise, Athena, and REDCap
How should you describe your work experience as a medical professional?
Your work experience section should go beyond listing your past jobs and the duties you’ve held. Instead, use this section to spotlight the positive results you’ve achieved for patients, teams, or organizations.
For example, most nurse resumes have similar task-focused bullet points, like “monitored vital signs” or “updated patient records.” Make yourself stand out with results-oriented statements that show your impact as a medical professional.
Some examples of accomplishments include:
Mastering new medical disciplines or treatments
Upholding healthcare regulations or facility standards
Establishing new patient care strategies or protocols
Organizing or facilitating staff meetings or conferences
Recruiting or training new staff
You should also offer verifiable proof of your accomplishments by including quantifiable metrics. These might include the number of patients you’ve treated, your participation rate in clinical studies, or your accuracy benchmarks in medical billing or coding.
Here’s an example of a quantifiable bullet point for a medical resume:
Administered medications and managed care for up to 20 patients per shift in a fast-paced medical-surgical unit.
Check out the adaptable medical resume employment history section below:
Physician assistant at national health Center. Denver, CO. 2015 - Present
Partner with medical team in providing quality outpatient care for a variety of sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, narcolepsy, parasomnias, restless leg syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, insomnia, and obesity-related hypoventilation syndrome.
Perform assessments, order therapies and labs, and develop treatment plans with physicians to meet unique needs.
Document patient records, financials, and outcomes in EMR. Contributed key information for project to develop sleep apnea research protocols.
Enabled practice to meet strict AASM accrediting requirements by creating informative patient education handouts highlighting sleep apnea treatments.
Researched and incorporated innovative sleep disorder care strategies that positively impacted patient outcomes and therapeutic results.
Developed curriculum and training material for sleep disorder classes designed to increase patient comfort and improve adherence and outcomes.
Served as an advocate for advancing the role of PAs in the practice of sleep medicine to provide patients with greater access to quality care.
Developed expertise in utilizing Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) masks and proficiency in respiratory assist devices, including BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure), Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), Adaptive Servo-Ventilation (ASV), and Average Volume Assured Pressure Support (AVAPS).
Physician assistant at South Denver Gastroenterology. Englewood, CO. 2014 - 2015
Assessed, diagnosed, and treated gastroenterology/hepatology disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, abdominal pain, pancreatitis, upper and lower GI bleeding, biliary diseases, hepatitis C, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Ordered labs and diagnostic imaging, analyzed results, and interpreted findings for patients.
Determined the best course of treatment for patients by collaborating with radiologists, oncologists, general practitioners, cardiologists, and other providers.
Headed monthly meetings to inform team about emerging theories, treatment strategies, and medical advancements in treating gastroenterology diseases.
Most medical professionals should use a chronological resume format, which outlines your work history beginning with your current or most recent position, and working backward from there.
However, if you’re transitioning to a new clinical area or returning to work after a break, you may want to use a functional resume, which prioritizes your skills over your work history.
How to include a fitting medical resume education and certifications section?
Most medical positions require specific degrees and certifications, so your medical resume should feature your credentials prominently in your education section. Employers will want to know that you have the necessary training and expertise for the role.
Follow these tips for writing your medical resume education section:
List your degrees in reverse order. Start with your highest degree, such as a Master of Health Science (MHS), and work backward.
Mention your license. If the role requires licensure, provide your license in the education section. Include the state or jurisdiction where you’re licensed to practice.
Highlight certifications. List all of the relevant certifications you have, such as Basic Life Support and CPR. Emphasize any advanced credentials you’ve earned in your clinical specialty.
Here’s an adaptable sample of a medical resume education section:
Master of Health Science, Physician Assistant Program at Quinnipiac University
Bachelor of Arts in Biology at Western State College of Colorado
NCCPA Physician Assistant Certification, Basic Life Support, DEA, NPI, PA License in State of Colorado
Which key skills are relevant for a medical resume?
The skills you highlight on your medical resume will depend on your profession and specialization. You should include both technical skills, such as medical treatments and patient management software, and soft skills, like communication and empathy.
If you’re not sure what skills to mention, look at the job description for guidance. Check out what skills an employer has listed as required or preferred for the role. Include those same skills to make your resume compatible with applicant tracking system (ATS) software, which scans and ranks resumes based on keywords. (For more information, check out our article on resume ATS optimization.)
Some common skills for a medical resume include:
Patient assessments
Patient education and support
Care plan development
Medication administration
Phlebotomy
Attention to detail
How to select the most impactful medical resume template
Medical professionals need to be polished, clear, and organized—and your resume template should reflect those qualities. Choose a traditional resume layout with minimal stylistic elements. You want a hiring manager’s focus to be on your qualifications, not a flashy design.
The resume layout you use should have clear sections for your work history, education, and skills. Use bullet points to make your resume easily scannable, since some employers may review applications quickly.
If you’re early in your medical career, keep your resume length to one page. You may need a second page if you have extensive experience in your field.
Don’t have time to make a resume from scratch? Explore the resume templates we offer in our resume builder to create a resume in just a few minutes. You can also get additional inspiration by browsing over 100 resume examples we have available.
Copyable medical resume example
Summary example
Highly skilled, dedicated professional with 15+ years of medical experience, assisting diverse patient populations in achieving optimal health and wellness. Able to think critically, reprioritize shifting patient needs, and exercise sound judgement in high-pressure, emotionally charged environments. Articulate communicator capable of providing clear, relatable education on diagnoses and treatments. Proficient in EncoreAnywhere (Respironics), AirView (ResMed), Sandman, Enterprise, Athena, and REDCap.
Employment history example
Physician assistant at national health Center. Denver, CO. 2015 - Present
Partner with medical team in providing quality outpatient care for a variety of sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, narcolepsy, parasomnias, restless leg syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, insomnia, and obesity-related hypoventilation syndrome.
Perform assessments, order therapies and labs, and develop treatment plans with physicians to meet unique needs.
Document patient records, financials, and outcomes in EMR. Contributed key information for project to develop sleep apnea research protocols.
Enabled practice to meet strict AASM accrediting requirements by creating informative patient education handouts highlighting sleep apnea treatments.
Researched and incorporated innovative sleep disorder care strategies that positively impacted patient outcomes and therapeutic results.
Developed curriculum and training material for sleep disorder classes designed to increase patient comfort and improve adherence and outcomes.
Served as an advocate for advancing the role of PAs in the practice of sleep medicine to provide patients with greater access to quality care.
Developed expertise in utilizing Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) masks and proficiency in respiratory assist devices, including BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure), Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), Adaptive Servo-Ventilation (ASV), and Average Volume Assured Pressure Support (AVAPS).
Physician assistant at South Denver Gastroenterology. Englewood, CO. 2014 - 2015
Assessed, diagnosed, and treated gastroenterology/hepatology disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, abdominal pain, pancreatitis, upper and lower GI bleeding, biliary diseases, hepatitis C, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Ordered labs and diagnostic imaging, analyzed results, and interpreted findings for patients.
Determined the best course of treatment for patients by collaborating with radiologists, oncologists, general practitioners, cardiologists, and other providers.
Headed monthly meetings to inform team about emerging theories, treatment strategies, and medical advancements in treating gastroenterology diseases.
Education example
Master of Health Science, Physician Assistant Program at Quinnipiac University
Bachelor of Arts in Biology at Western State College of Colorado
NCCPA Physician Assistant Certification, Basic Life Support, DEA, NPI, PA License in State of Colorado
Skills example
Patient Assessments
Medication Administration
Phlebotomy
Sleep Medicine
Medical Intensive Care
Emergency & Urgent Care
Patient Education & Support
Team Collaboration
Key takeaways for writing a medical resume
A medical resume should focus on your clinical expertise and the positive outcomes you’ve achieved for patients or healthcare facilities.
Highlight skills that show your technical proficiencies and align with the requirements listed in the job description.
Choose a traditional, organized resume template that matches your professionalism and competence.
Use our online resume builder to craft your medical resume with adaptable templates and AI-powered content. Make your life easier and the job application process faster!
