Self-reflection is a big part of reviewing or writing your CV – How CV editing improves your application

There is a misconception that the CV is only a list of your previous jobs and accomplishments.  It is so much more.  

Before starting your CV, or before revamping a CV that has not been touched up in a long time, you will take time to reflect on who you are now.  

You heard the rumor that we have entirely new bodies every 7-10 years from the turnover of cells dying and replacing themselves. Well, while this is not exactly true, it led to the concept that people (personalities) change every 5-7 years.  THis was popularized by Rudolph Steiner at the turn of the 19th century. Though his work was primarily steeped in spirituality and mysticism, the idea that our personalities, wants, goals, source of fulfillment, and such change every seven years was a reality. 

In Science, a study showed that we are different as we age.  Participants thought they change a lot in the past but likely would not change much in the future; the History Illusion.  The actual reason for our changes in behavior and beliefs is not known, but we will cough it up to experience.  

So who are you now; today? When starting on your CV reflect on your experience, and who  you are today.  Know who you are, what your goals are and where you want to be.  

How to start your self reflection.

If you were anything like me, you are now saying “ I Don’t have time for this”, “ how the heck am I supposed to ‘self reflect’ on a research paper I wrote 4 years ago, i did it to get into med school”.  And you’re right to think like this.  It is hard to think where to start when you are so busy, and your mind torn in so many directions.  

Step 1:  Get in the right state.

Take 5 minutes and start with these questions, from Anthony Robbins.  They will help you focus yourself on who you are this minute, and also put you in the right state of mind trying to being to work on your CV. 

What m I happy about in my life right now?

What am I excited about in my life right now?

What am I proud about in my life right now?

What am I grateful about in my life right now?

What am I committed to in my life right now? 

Who do I love and who loves me? 

Step 2: Evaluate who you are as a doctor.

Evaluate yourself. This will prove useful in preparing to write your Cover letter or personal statement in addition to preparing for your interviews. 

Start by asking your self who you are as a doctor.  

Write down “ I am a doctor who_______________________” and fill in the blank.  

Re-write this ten times, each time with a different attribute. 

Consider ideas of who you are as a doctor to cover the specialty you love, the skills in that specialty, the activities and patients.  YOu may be a skilled administrator or business person. You may have unique knowledge in certain areas of medicine or population health , academics or clinical research.   You do not need to limit yourself to 10, that is only a place to start.

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Examples: 

I am a doctor who:

– Loves the icu’

            – loves seeing kids smile once they are better”

            – is great a procedural skills”

            – wants to care for the uninsured”

            – loves cardio pulmonary interactions”

            – loves to make lots of money”

            – expert in the use of Point of care ultrasound

            – wants to improve medical education

            – wants to increase access to health care

            – wants to develop a bariatric center of excellence

            – get attached to their patients

            – does not want to deal with death

            – will become CMO

As you make this list it will help you identify how you want to sell who you are, and help you  decide where you want to work.  This is a great exercise to run through when ever you are start a new phase of your life, or are ready to move on from the job you are in. 

Step 3: Capture, Categorize and Clarify.

(Adapted from R.Bolles) Here you will write down all of the things you know about yourself.   Write down everything you can about yourself with each of the following headings. 

1. Favorite Knowledge and specialties
2. Types of personalities I Like to work with (and do not like)
3. What I love to do
4. My unique skills
5. Types of patients I like to care for
6. Goal salary and level of responsibility
7. Preferred place to live
8. My goals in life (not just as a doctor)

Write each one of these headings at the top of a page , only one per page.  And Fill the pages with as much detail as you can. 

Remember that not all of this should be directly related to medicine.  If you don’t have one already, you will have a life outside of Medicne where most of you life takes place. Your goal in life should not be “be a cardiologist”.  You will meet your life goal at 30 yo, and be stuck in a mid life crisis with no direction or goal to achieve.  

Examples: 

1. Favorite Knowledge and specialties: Anatomy, Critical care, cardiopulmonary interactions, ICU, Surgery, Cardiothoracic surgery, informatics and operating room integration, how to suture veins back together, how to interpret a Head CT.
   1. Personalites I like to work with: focused hard worsking and considereate who are pasionate about teaching. I do not like to work with other who dump work or create more busy work for no reason. 
   2. What I love to do: in the hospital I love to diagnose pateints, and watch them get better infront of my eyes. I love to work with others who are focused on getting our pateints better. I love to teach while I work. 
   3. I am uniqely skilled at communicating with others, staff, familes and pateints. I am skilled at point of care ultrasound in critically ill pediatric patients.  I am becoming skilled at web design, and am buidling a departmetn webapge for patients. 
   4. Types of pateint I like to care for: crtically ill ones.  Trauma.  Hollow viscus, head and solid organ trauma, the pathophysiology in the healing process is fun. 
   5. Goal salary and level of responsibility: I would like to make $xxx,xxx and be at the level of Director running my own unit.  (Or I would like to be a PGY-1 with a starandard salary, but many good benefits- see article on resident benefits)
   6. Preferred place to live : I love Charlston NC and would love to be close to the water in a warm city.  The city life there is more the vibe i am looing for, and the suburbs have great schools and affordable houses to gro my potential family one day. 
   7. My goals in life: I would like to live in SC with a small happy family and a dog, working 3 days a week in intensive care at a regional trauma center. 

Each one of these examples is just a stating place.  Be as elaborate as possible; get it all out on the paper.  After you are done writing on any one of the above, ask “Who, What, When, How, Where, How mush, and Why?” This will help you write more, and be as specific as possible to help you really reflect on who you are and want to become.  

Step 4: Review what you wrote down.

Okay, now you are ready to start your self reflection exercieses.  Once you finsh them, re-read 

it, then it is time to work on your CV and your personal statement. 

Taking a few minutes to remember who you are and where you are going results in more comprehensive applications that come across more genuine, more complete, and really sell who you are are a physician.  Sure this exercise in self-reflection feels a little strange, but if you are not comfortable talking to yourself about who you are, how are you ever going to tell others? 

Starting each one is a difficult task, read our page on “starting Personal Statements” and “how to start your ultimate CV”. 

Congrats on taking the first steps to a new job, and good luck!!