Think you need 20 publications to be competitive for an orthopedic residency? Think again! Although research is an important component of getting into ortho, there are many other things that you can do during your first 2 years of medical school that can boost your CV. From my personal experience, I came into a new medical school that did not have many avenues for research off the get go. I felt a bit behind and overwhelmed as I had to figure everything out myself. This meant I had to take a step back and look at what other things I could do that could diversify my CV. This blog post here lays out what I have found to help build a strong, diversified CV that does not involve research.
What Actually Goes on an Ortho CV (Other Than Research)
There are many different components that go into building a strong CV. Here are some of the most valuable early additions to an orthopedic CV:
Club Involvement & Leadership
Joining your school’s Orthopedic Surgery Club or General Surgery Club can be a great early way to signal interest in orthopedics and surgery. Through these clubs, you can create strong connections, build a network, and eventually take on a leadership role. Leadership roles help show initiative, a trait that ortho programs value very highly. If your school does not have an orthopedic surgery club, you can create one, which is also a great example of taking initiative.
Shadowing Experiences
Even if it’s just a single half-day in clinic, early ortho shadowing shows that you are actively exploring the specialty. This can be an important experience as orthopedics can be glamorized, and having a good understanding of what the specialty entails is vital when considering it. Keep track of who you shadow, what procedure you observed, and what you learn in either a notebook or document. These experiences can stand out on your CV and give you great talking points when in your orthopedic interviews.
Conference Attendance
Conferences, even if you are just in the audience, are a great opportunity to expose yourself to the field’s culture, language, and standards early. They provide a great environment to create, build, and maintain a network with the experts and physicians in the orthopedic field. Conferences can also provide a space to present research once you have something completed. Poster presentations are very easy to put together and provide a great opportunity to present research and hear feedback.
Anatomy Tutoring or TA Roles
Being an orthopedic surgeons requires a mastery of anatomy and physiology, and there is no better way to improve and maintain your anatomy knowledge and skills than becoming an anatomy tutor. The best way to learn and master a skill is by teaching it as it requires a much deeper understanding than just feeling comfortable with a topic. Becoming a TA or tutor allows you a great avenue to learn both anatomy and your own teaching process.
Volunteer Work Related to MSK Health
Volunteering is an important component in your CV that can be overlooked for other experiences. It shows a commitment to giving back to the community and can help showcase a value of service to residencies. You can help out at sports physicals, work at a physical therapy clinic, or assist with community fitness programs as these can show an alignment with orthopedic goals.
Join Orthopedic Organizations
Joining local, regional, and/or national orthopedic organizations in your first year can be a great opportunity to show an early interest in orthopedics. They are an easy component to add to a CV. Some national organizations that I have joined include: Clinical Orthopedic Society, AAOS, AOAO.
How to Start Building Today
Some things you can do early as stated above include: join/start an ortho club, attend orthopedic conferences and present research, and track any shadowing in a logbook. You can also email attendings for small mentorship conversations, which can be a great opportunity to, surprises, build your network within orthopedics. This can also be a great opportunity to find chances to perform research.
Tips for Long-Term CV Building
- Consistency > intensity; small efforts will compound overtime
- Don’t wait for perfection before applying to opportunties
- Document everything early as it is easy to forget later
Final Thoughts
You don’t need a paper to prove you are serious in orthopedics. You just need a pattern of interest overtime proving your dedication to the specialist. Want my free CV tracker? Leave a message and I will send it to you!