CV Building & Editing
A well-structured, diverse, and coherent resume is a crucial component of your application.
A medical school CV is not an ordinary resume. Admissions committees use it to understand who you are beyond your GPA — your clinical exposure, research contributions, leadership, community service, and personal depth. A well-crafted CV signals to reviewers that you are a thoughtful, well-rounded candidate who has used their time meaningfully. Our mentors know exactly what Canadian medical schools are looking for, and they help you present your experiences in the most compelling, authentic way possible.
What a Strong Medical CV Includes
Unlike a standard job resume, a medical school CV is typically longer, more detailed, and structured to highlight the breadth of your activities rather than just work history. For schools like McGill that require a specific CV format, the stakes of getting it right are especially high.
Clinical Experience
Shadowing, hospital volunteering, patient contact hours
Research
Lab work, publications, posters, academic conferences
Community Service
Meaningful volunteer roles that demonstrate consistent commitment
Leadership & Extracurriculars
Club executive roles, sports, arts, mentorship positions
Employment
Healthcare jobs, tutoring, relevant professional roles
Awards & Achievements
Academic distinctions, scholarships, recognition
Who This Service Is For
Students applying to McGill University, which requires a specific CV format
Applicants who have never built a formal academic or medical CV before
Students unsure which experiences to include, omit, or how to frame them
Reapplicants who need to refresh or reorganize their existing CV
Students with diverse, non-traditional backgrounds who need help positioning their experiences
Anyone who wants expert eyes to ensure their CV is polished and free of strategic errors
How CV Sessions Work
- 1
Audit & Inventory
The first session is a full audit of your current CV, or if you don't have one yet, a structured brainstorm to surface every activity, role, and experience worth documenting.
- 2
Strategic Selection
Your mentor helps you decide which experiences to include, how to order sections strategically, and what to cut — a step most applicants get wrong on their own.
- 3
Entry Writing & Editing
Each activity entry is refined for clarity, impact, and appropriate length. Vague verbs are replaced with specific, active language that shows rather than tells.
- 4
Format & Presentation
Your mentor ensures the CV is formatted correctly for your target schools — including McGill's required format for Quebec applicants — and is visually clean and professional.
- 5
Final Review
A last pass to confirm consistency, eliminate redundancy, and check that the overall narrative of your CV reflects a coherent, compelling candidacy.
Common CV Mistakes We Fix
Including every activity ever, regardless of relevance or recency
Writing vague, passive entry descriptions like 'was responsible for' or 'assisted with'
Missing the McGill-required CV format for Quebec applicants
Burying the most impressive experiences at the bottom
Duplicating themes across too many entries without breadth
Listing positions without conveying the depth of involvement or what was learned
Expected Outcomes
A great medical CV doesn't just list what you've done — it tells a story about who you are and what kind of physician you'll become. Students who work with GritGoals on their CV consistently report feeling more confident about their application because the document actually reflects the full depth of their experiences.
- →A polished, professionally formatted CV tailored to your target schools
- →School-specific formatting if applying to McGill or other CV-requiring programs
- →Activity entries that are specific, active, and genuinely compelling
- →A strategic entry selection that demonstrates breadth without repetition
- →A CV you can confidently submit and also reference during your MMI
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a CV even if the school doesn't require one?↓
Yes — keeping an updated CV is an important practice regardless of whether it's submitted. For OMSAS ABS entries, your CV serves as the master reference document for activities, dates, and descriptions.
What is the McGill CV format and why does it matter?↓
McGill University requires applicants to submit a CV formatted according to their specific guidelines, including specific section headings, date formats, and entry lengths. Submitting the wrong format can hurt your application.
How early should I start building my CV?↓
The earlier the better. Even high school students benefit from starting a running list of experiences. The closer you are to your application cycle, the more refined the editing work becomes.
Can you help me if I feel like I don't have enough to put on my CV?↓
Absolutely. Part of the mentor's role is helping you identify experiences you may have overlooked, and helping you think strategically about what to pursue in the months before your application.