CV Guide

The Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Faculty Development (CFD) strongly recommends that faculty use www.easyCV.me to curate their Harvard Medical School (HMS) CV. Created by Mass General faculty member Wilton Levine, MD, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, this user-friendly tool is an on-line database to enter your CV elements, search and import from PubMed and download an HMS formatted CV. You are able to import your current HMS CV into the system and download your full CV or only entries from a certain timeframe. You are also able to assign a delegate to your account.

The purpose of the HMS CV is to thoroughly showcase your accomplishments in a clear format.

Key CV messages include:

• Capturing all your teaching—including future engagements—in the appropriate categories as well as addressing it in your narrative
• Documenting the reach of your reputation, through talks (regional/national/international); membership in professional societies and on committees; and editorial roles and grant review responsibilities
• Providing the big picture of your profile and accomplishments in the narrative

Key elements to keep in mind in the general formatting of your CV:

• Lists are always in chronological order
• Each activity or role should be listed only once
• Include page numbers
• Use abbreviations recognized across HMS (MGH, BIDMC, BCH, etc.); avoid abbreviations known only to your subspecialty

Key elements to keep in mind in specific areas on your CV:

• Be specific as to hours spent in clinical and/or research supervisory and training responsibilities (i.e., X hours per week, not X sessions per week)
• Distinguish between “Formally Mentored Harvard Medical, Dental and Graduate Students” and “Other Mentored Trainees and Faculty” (i.e., outside Harvard) and describe the accomplishment(s) of each mentee as a direct result of your mentorship
• In the sections covering formal teaching of peers and invited presentations:
• Select the appropriate statement on sponsorship
• Include talks scheduled for the future
• HMS Grand Rounds are Local Invited Presentations (not formal teaching of peers)
• Named lectures go under Invited presentations, bolded for emphasis
• For disruptions due to COVID-19, append the appropriate statement to presentations: “This presentation was scheduled, but then postponed until [year] because of a COVID-19 travel/meeting ban,” or “This presentation was scheduled, but then cancelled because of a Covid-19 travel/meeting ban.” There is no need to amend live presentations that convert to video format due to COVID-19
• Be specific as to time spent in Practice Activities (e.g., hours/week; days/month)
• For those whose Area of Excellence is Clinical Expertise and Innovation, the section Clinical Innovations is required
• Under Report of Scholarship, research investigations include presentation of new data or are meta-analyses and systematic reviews with statistical analysis. Put your name in bold print throughout the Report of Scholarship section
• List Abstracts only within last three years, unless an award was received for an abstract

CV Narrative

The narrative provides an opportunity to highlight your unique combination of accomplishments, including those that do not have another home in the CV (e.g., accomplishments in administrative leadership, submitted manuscripts). Tell a cohesive story and give perspective on the importance of your field-specific activities. See “Crafting Your CV Narrative” by former OCC director Theodore A. Stern, MD, for more specific directions.

How do I proceed to get my HMS CV in shape?

• Upload your CV to the Easy CV website (see above for more information on this site)
• Request a consultation with Dr. Anne Levy, Mass General CFD Senior Program Manager, to get advice on your specific questions and on the CV Narrative
• The CFD also highly recommends taking advantage of HMS Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) one-on-one CV review consultations, which are designed to address both high- and low-level concerns regarding career advancement. In addition to providing specific feedback regarding your CV, the specialist will evaluate your promotion readiness, provide guidance and feedback regarding how to plan and work toward promotion, and offer advice about local faculty development resources. To request a consultation, email OFA_promotions@hms.harvard.edu

For further information on the CV, visit HMS Faculty of Medicine CV Guidelines website.