How to Address a Cover Letter—20+ Examples & 3 Easy Steps
Here’s how to address a cover letter with no name—or with one. 3 easy steps and great addressing a cover letter samples + expert tips.
Tom Gerencer
Career Expert
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Doctor Cover Letter (Physician): Examples & Template
You prevent, diagnose, and treat the nastiest of the nasty diseases. Let’s diagnose your doctor cover letter and see if there isn’t a virus hiding within.
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 that time the prank during class ended badly. It’s like someone is producing an antigen for your applications.
This guide will help your doctor cover letter avoid seemingly benign mistakes which usually end up very malignant.
This guide will show you:
- A doctor cover letter sample that will do better than 9 out 10 cover letters for physicians.
- A walkthrough on all the formatting tricks that make for a clear, readable cover letter for doctors.
- A doctor cover letter 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 21 cover letter templates and download your cover letter now.
What users say about ResumeLab:
I had an interview yesterday and the first thing they said on the phone was: “Wow! I love your cover letter.”
Patrick
I love the variety of templates. Good job guys, keep up the good work!
Dylan
My previous cover letter was really weak and I used to spend hours adjusting it in Word. Now, I can introduce any changes within minutes. Absolutely wonderful!
George
Let’s see the first patient.
Doctor 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.
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 Honours 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 doctor 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 CV 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 doctor cover letter header matches the CV 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 ]
Double your impact with a matching CV and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter builder and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There’s 18 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 doctor 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/Doctor 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 doctors—the ageing 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 Labour Statistics. Pack your physician CV 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 CV.
Start with this:
Cover Letter for Doctor Sample: Second Paragraph
In my [X]+ years as a [Your Position Name] at [previous employer] flights, I have spent [X]+ clinical hours [in your specialisation], 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 [specialisation/skill/experience]. I have [the relevant specialisation/experience/skill] in abundance due to [explain why] and my track record is proven by [achievement].
Expert Hint: Only include things like honours, achievements and relevant coursework if you don’t have much experience and expand your CV 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 doctor 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 Doctor/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/specialisations/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 a Doctor 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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Nail it all with a splash of colour, choose a clean font, highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You’re the perfect candidate and we’ll prove it. Just pick one of 18 CV templates and get started now.
Key Points
When writing your cover letter for doctor positions, make sure to:
- Double-check all the header information, and match it to CV.
- 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 doctor jobs? Did you find our physician cover letter examples helpful? Leave us a comment, we’ll get back to you.
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