Physician Cover Letter Examples & Writing Tips for 2024

Physician Cover Letter Examples & Writing Tips for 2024

You prevent, diagnose, and treat the nastiest of the nasty diseases. Let’s diagnose your physician cover letter and see if there isn’t a virus hiding within.

Dave Rygielski
Dave Rygielski
Career Expert

How can I help? Idiopathic lack of replies to your physician cover letters? Are you close to an adverse reaction?

You’ve been sitting down to send them out quater die sumendum, and nothing. Quieter than the morgue. It’s like someone is producing an antigen for your applications. This guide will help your physician cover letter avoid seemingly benign mistakes which usually end up very malignant.

You’ll get:

  • A physician cover letter sample that will do better than 9 out 10. 
  • A walkthrough on all the formatting tricks that make for a clear, readable cover letter. 
  • A template you can fill-in-the blanks and send off within minutes.

Save hours of work and get a cover letter like this. Pick a template, fill it in. Quick and easy. Choose from 18+ cover letter templates and download your cover letter now.

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Looking for different cover letter example? Check:

Let’s see the first patient.

Physician Cover Letter Sample

Our letter comes from Nathan, who has sizable experience in surgical procedures and is trying to leverage it for a new, more senior position. See how he uses his statistics to give a magnitude to his experience.

Physician Cover Letter Sample

Nathan J. Smith

M.D.

3347 Scenicview Drive

Dallas, TX 75201

430-709-0459

nathanjsmith@dayrep.com

linkedin.com/nathanjsmith

Dallas, January 11, 2021

Sophia Jones

Hiring Manager

Dallas State Hospital

18 Texas Avenue

Dallas, TX 75201

Dear Sophia,

I am more than pleased to submit my application for the position of Assistant Surgeon at your hospital. I believe that my comprehensive education, 3 years of professional experience and a constant desire to develop make me a right person to apply for this position.

I graduated with the First Class Honors degree from the Texas Medical School, and I was in the top 5% of students during the entire period of study. I completed my surgeon residency at the Academic Hospital of Dallas, where, as the best surgical resident, I was offered a job and started my working career. There, I gained professional experience by performing 200+ surgical procedures of various types a year, from traditional to laparoscopic ones. My specialty is hand surgery and together with Professor Smith, we were able to develop a new approach to finger reattachment, reducing the percentage of digits that could not be reattached from 17% to 12%, and increased range of motion regained by 15%. During my career, I was often forced to perform five operations in a row, working 15 hours or more, so I can work under time pressure with unrelenting accuracy. I always care about order in the workplace, and I always put the good of my patients first.

As your hospital is one of the best medical facilities in the state and provides the employees with the most modern equipment and work training, I am convinced that it is a perfect place for me to develop my surgeon skills and share years of my experience with other members of the staff.

When could we meet to discuss the new finger reattachment methods?

Sincerely,

Nathan J. Smith

430-709-0459

nathanjsmith@dayrep.com

They’re going to put the lights and the siren on rushing to get Nathan in. 

Now let’s write your own physician cover letter that will make the hospital director’s heart skip a beat. 

How to Write a Physician Cover Letter 

1. Use the 120/80 Cover Letter Format

When one minor detail is overlooked, the physiology of the whole cover letter can be disrupted. Misaligned margins and uneven spacing may seem benign, but more often than not details like that can decide which letter lands in the bin. Root out the pathologies at their core, and the prognosis will be good.

Follow these simple cover letter format rules:

  • Use a font consistent with your resume font
  • Use at least a 1-inch margin on every side.
  • Always ‘Align Left’. 
  • Use 1.15 line spacing, and leave an empty line between every section and paragraph.
  • Perfect cover letter length? 1 page.

You’re ready to leave pre-op. Let’s see what things to put in your cover letter.

2. List Your Details in the Header 

Make sure your header matches the resume header. Underneath, list the city and date of the letter, and below, the details of the person hiring. 

Check against our template:

Physician Cover Letter Header 

[ Your Full Name]

[ Your Job Title ] (Optional)

[ Address ]

[ Phone Number ]

[ Email Address ]

[ City and Date ]

[ Hiring Manager’s Full Name ]

[ Hiring Manager’s Position ]

[ Company Name ]

[ Company Street Address ]

[ City and Zip Code ]

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Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

3. Identify The Position and Introduce Yourself

What would be the best thing your patient could do as they walk through the door? If they rattled off who they are, what’s up with them, and for how long it has been going on, right? That’s the function of the first paragraph of your physician cover letter.

Address your cover letter to the hiring person by their medical title and surname. If you can’t find it in the job posting, use LinkedIn. Failing that, you can try to call them up and find out the information directly.

There probably aren’t dozens of openings they have at any one time, but still state exactly which job opening you’re applying for in the opening paragraph of your cover letter. State your most significant achievement to keep them reading until you can expand in the next paragraph.

Fill in the [blanks]:

Physician Cover Letter Sample: Introduction

Dear [Dr. Surname]:

I would like to offer my candidature as a physician at [Target Institution Name]. I have [number of years]+ years experience at [Previous Employer Name], which is a [size of clinic / hospital / etc.]. At my previous role, I was able to [Achievement] and I believe I can translate those skills to benefit the patients and staff at [Target Institution Name].

Expert Hint: The prospects are very strong for physicians—the aging population is no joke, and there will be 7% more, or 55,400 new physician jobs in the next decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pack your physician resume and cover letter with action words to beat the competition.

4. Write a Convincing Second Paragraph

Here is where you make all the arguments for your application. To make sure your hiring manager does not have a cerebrovascular accident while reading—avoid empty statements and descriptions of obvious responsibilities.

Instead, try and focus on the tangible achievements, and things that will set you apart from the crowd. Show that you are not a glorified waiter/waitress. Think numbers, achievements from your resume.

Start with this:

Cover Letter for Physician Sample: Second Paragraph

In my [X]+ years as a [Physician/Your Position Name] at [previous employer] flights, I have spent [X]+ clinical hours [in your specialization], serving approximately [X] patients, and managing to [improvement/achievement/metric]. I have also managed to [improvement/achievement/] by [describe what you did]. In the job posting, you state you require a physician skilled in [specialization/skill/experience]. I have [the relevant specialization/experience/skill] in abundance due to [explain why] and my track record is proven by [achievement].

Expert Hint: Only include things like honors, achievements and relevant coursework if you don’t have much experience and expand your resume education section to make up for it. If you are really scarce on work experience, describe your clinical rotation experience.

5. Make The Final Interview

In the third paragraph of your physician cover letter, placate the potential employer a tiny bit. Explain exactly why you’re applying to work here: whether it’s due to the specialist profiles, equipment, or approach. 

Remember to remind them what’s in it for them by explaining what you can do for them. Perhaps there’s a dire need you can fulfil, or their values are right up your alley.

Fill in the [blanks]:

Cover Letter for Physician Sample: Third Paragraph

I am especially excited to be applying to join [Target Institution Name] as I know how much emphasis you put on [talk about their values/specializations/etc.]. This resonates with what I personally believe is important in providing patient care. I believe I can satisfy your need for [kind of responsibilities they need] due to [your achievements in this field].

6. Ask For the Interview and Sign Off

Sometimes, you must be your own self-advocate. If someone isn’t going to hire you—they aren’t going to hire you. If they’re on the fence, you might be able to pull them your way. Show initiative and drive by requesting an interview and signing off politely.

Like this:

Cover Letter for Physician Sample: Sign Off & Call to Action

I’ll look forward to catching up with you about this opportunity. I am eager to tell you more about how [something you did] and managed to [achievement].

Best Regards,

[Digital Copy of Your Handwritten Signature]

[Your Full Name]

[Phone Number]

[Email Address]

Expert Hint: Make your email cover letter shorter than a traditional cover letter you would send as an attachment.

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Key Points

When writing your cover letter for physician positions, make sure to:

  • Double-check all the header information, and match it to resume.
  • State clearly the position you’re applying for, and show right away that you’re the right match in the first paragraph. 
  • Examine the key requirements and responsibilities of the job, and show them that you are up to the task—by describing your achievements in the second paragraph. 
  • Demonstrate interest in this employer in the last paragraph. 
  • Ask for a meeting, or a call, and sign off. 

Do you have any more questions about writing a cover letter for physician jobs? Did you find our physician cover letter examples helpful? Leave us a comment, we’ll get back to you.

About ResumeLab’s Editorial Process

At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.

Dave Rygielski
Written byDave Rygielski

Dave is a career expert delivering a wide range of well-researched advice regarding the job hunting and application process. At ResumeLab, his data-driven resume and cover letter guides help readers capitalize on their potential.

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