Observership programs help international medical graduates gain exposure to the practice of medicine in U.S. hospitals, before they apply to residency programs in the United States. These are voluntary programs during which an international medical graduates is allowed to observe the organization and delivery of health care in different departments of the hospital, without participating in patient care. The observer spends two to four weeks in each specialty, rotating between different disciplines depending on the program guidelines of the hospital. When you apply to a hospital observership program, you need to submit curriculum vitae, or CV, detailing your medical education and experience.

Begin the CV with your complete name and contact information. Make sure the email address you provide is correct; the hospitals to which you apply for observership will contact you at this address.

Give details of your work experience, if any. Include information of your licensure, certifications, the years of experience at the hospitals where you worked and in which capacities and your specialization area, if relevant.

List your education in reverse chronological order, beginning with the latest qualification. Give the name and address of the institution where you completed your medical education. Focus on medical school information; don’t elaborate on qualifications and experience prior to that unless it is relevant to your medical background.

Provide information of your academic scores during your medical schooling. Highlight the scores that indicate your aptitude for the particular area in which you seek observership. Give information of any seminars you presented, with the title and details of the conference at which you made the presentation.

Highlight any academic honors you won such as making the Dean’s List, or service on honor societies. List any experience you have with medical research and mention details of publications, if any. Give information about your hands-on experience with medical equipment and methodologies.

Include information of your work as a volunteer with senior citizens, children with special needs or community health projects. Even if this experience was before you began your medical program, it is relevant because it shows your willingness to contribute to society – an essential quality for a health care professional.