Career Pathways Seminars
Building Blocks for Career Advancement
www.amavic.com.au
© AMA Victoria 2008
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Application
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Cover Letter & CV
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What Not To Do
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Post Graduate Medical Council Victoria
 Read PMCV guidelines
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Know important dates & deadlines
 Get applications in on time
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Read the “How to Guide”
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Review each individual hospital website and
application instructions
Attend hospital information sessions
Selection criteria can include your attendance at
these sessions
The major teaching hospitals in Victoria will
receive approximately:
◦ 690 applications for intern positions
◦ 1019 applications for HMO
◦ Most applications will be asked for on-line
Demonstrate your ability and desire to
make the transition
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You’ve done the “text book” part now you need to
demonstrate how you will apply your knowledge
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BPT & Surgical Applicants: Transition into
significant training positions
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VERY IMPORTANT
◦ Investment into future opportunities
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Intern year can mean much more
◦ Potentially career placement of 2 – 8 years
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HMO / Registrar / BPT & Surgical Applicants
◦ Fundamental effect on a training placement positions
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Employers do read them. Some employers do not
accept applications without cover letters.
It is the first opportunity to sell yourself
The quality of the cover letter shows the quality of
the applicant
It shows the employer that you are not
“scattergunning” your resume and hoping for the
best
Don’t rely on spellcheck
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Address the person
◦ If you don’t know who, find out (it will set you apart)
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Address the job
◦ Re: Specialist Training Position
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Include your contact details
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Outline your motivations, particular skills and attributes that
you can bring to the position
◦ the better it reads the better your chances
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Be clear, concise, informative and compelling
Is your opportunity to:
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To stand out from crowd
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To attract the readers attention & keep them
reading!
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To let the reader know you have made an effort
to understand their organisation
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To get you to interview
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Don’t mix up your health services & hospitals
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Don’t restate information that appears in CV
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Don’t use complicated fonts
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Don’t send it with spelling errors
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Don’t send it with mistakes in health service name or what
that health service does
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Don’t make generalised statements that could apply to all
health services/hospitals
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You go to bottom of a very big pile!
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What does it say about you?
 Will you lack care & attention at work
 Will you lack care & attention to patients
 Do consultants want doctors on their team who don’t pay
care & attention?
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How will you be perceived?
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Sell yourself
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Your skills & qualities
Your academic & clinical achievements
Special achievements
Community/voluntary
As well rounded, mature, able to handle role
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Set yourself apart from the crowd (in a good way!)
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Get you to interview
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2 – 3 pages in total (remember the pile)
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Photo (often digital required)
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Name & Contact
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Chronological order – most recent backwards
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Employment
Rotations
Education
Conferences
Presentations
Referees
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Consistent font throughout
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Consistent use of:
 Headings
 Bullets
 Page Margins
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Research activities
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Conferences attended
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Presentations you have given
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Other life pursuits
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Volunteer & Community works
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Significant achievements
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Academic/professional snapshot
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Personal snapshot
 Medical Students: this can be an important selling tool
 Show how well rounded you are
 Without “waffling”
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List extra-curricular activities, for example
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Coaching
Volunteer work
Community work
Self supported throughout university
This may be what distinguishes you
from the rest!
Include valid reasons for any breaks
in training
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Travel
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Health
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Family commitments
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Check spelling
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get someone to proof read it, critique it
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Read it aloud
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Pay care & attention to the detail
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Don’t miss the little words ‘to’, ‘of’
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Review how it appears online as well as on paper
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Check individual health service requirements
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Contact your nominated referees
first
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Ensure chosen referees can answer all the
questions on the Referee Assessment Form
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Check your referees have received the email
request from the online system
Clinical
 Build rapport with consultants
 Ensure correct status of referee
Ensure referee can answer ALL the questions on the referee
assessment form
Non – Clinical (Medical Students)
 A character reference
 Evidence that you are ready to make the transition
Interns
 Medicine & Surgery
 Disciplines of interest to you
Specialist Training Applicants
 Targeted referees in your chosen discipline
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Don’t send the ‘party’ photo
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Don’t send with errors in spelling, grammar
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Don’t go crazy with fancy fonts or colours
 Just because you can use WordArt doesn’t mean you
should
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Don’t use a wacky email address
 sexypixie666@....
Medical Students
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When listing your rotations at major teaching
hospital include type of rotation & where it was
 General Medical Rotation
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Don’t list the obvious:
 4 cannulations
 3 suturing
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Exception – extra special placements & electives
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Care & Attention
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Investment
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Research the hospital
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Your future deserves your best efforts