The CV of Life.
By-product or directed effort?
During my first year of medical school, I made a decision that was a bit unusual.
I made the conscious decision that I would not do anything for the purpose of building my CV anymore.
I was tired of the hoops of requirements upon requirements it took to get into medical school. To some degree, this is just what is required to make it to the next level of training. They want to see commitment. Volunteerism. Dedication. Studiousness.
And yet, it had taken a toll, making even the time spent volunteering sometimes feel like a checkbox instead of an experience to be enjoyed.
So once I felt I had landed safely onto Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine’s campus - and they didn’t tell me it was a mistake - I made the decision: every activity, research project or article would be a by-product of my passion for whatever that thing was. No longer would I pursue something for the sake of my CV.
Perhaps this was a bit of an extreme response to the required CV-building of the pre-med years - but, to my delight, it seemed to work.
I spent much of my time involved in family medicine and integrative medicine activities. My incredible mentor at the time, Dr. A Patrick Jonas, taught me how to turn projects into articles and posters to present. I was able to live my values, building my CV naturally as a by-product of my interests. Inspired by an article, I even started a CV of Failures to keep track of my declined project proposals, building further momentum for future ones.
I ended up matching at my top choice for residency and continued my approach to the CV as by-product. By the end or residency, I had over 20 publications and had held multiple leadership positions, including as a resident representative for the American Family Physician Journal. I did nothing to build my CV, and yet it grew as I pursued projects that I was passionate about or interested in.
As I’m navigating my way through this first year out in practice on my own, I’m wondering if my approach needs to change. It was helpful to focus so much time and effort on studying and projects related to medicine over the past decade and more. I am grateful for those years of dedicated focus on medicine and my related interests. I feel solidly positioned for my career, with much to keep learning about medicine.
I’m also thinking more broadly now. About the CV of life.
What would the subsections be?
What areas could use some attention?
Will the same by-product approach work?
I’d be curious to hear your thoughts.
A c.v. of life might be kind to self and others, and challenging at the same time.
It would showcase a developmental process that has ups and downs, and that highlights the learning from both.
It would showcase growth in: connectedness, love, work on important problems with growing detachment from the outcome of efforts, evolution of focus with new efforts that build on what came before but that transcend the past and are open to emergence.