Why your name must lead a German doctor CV
German hospitals expect your name first on the CV, not your job title. Here is the header order that gets your CV read, not skipped.
Ahmed Quteishat
Assistenzarzt, Innere Medizin (Berlin) · Founder of Klaro
Your name goes first on a German CV (Lebenslauf). Not your job title, not 'Assistenzarzt', not a heading that says Curriculum Vitae. Just your name, large and bold, at the very top.
Why does the order matter so much?
A secretary or a chief doctor scans a stack of CVs fast, often under a minute each. The first thing their eyes find becomes who you are to them.
If the first bold line is 'Assistenzarzt in Weiterbildung', you read as a job title, not a person. German CVs are built the other way: the person first, the role after.
What goes where, top to bottom
- Your full name, in large bold letters at the top.
- A passport photo, top right corner (common, though not required by law).
- Contact block below your name: address, phone, email.
- Date of birth, place of birth, nationality, usually in that block too.
- Your current job title and specialty, as a line under the contact block, not above your name.
There is no need for a heading that says 'Curriculum Vitae' or 'Lebenslauf' at all. German hospitals know what the document is from the layout alone. A heading wastes a line that could show your name faster.
A common mistake doctors trained abroad make
Many CVs from Egypt, India, or Syria lead with 'Dr.' and the job title. That is the respectful way to introduce a doctor at home. In Germany, that line reads as a header for the wrong document, a certificate, not a CV.
Dr. med. or Dr. still belongs on the CV. It goes as part of your name line, or right after it.
It should not replace your name.
'Dr. Amina Hassan' as the top line works. 'Assistenzärztin' as the top line does not.
What to do before you apply
- Open your CV now and check the very top line: is it your name?
- Move any job title, 'Curriculum Vitae', or 'Lebenslauf' heading off that line.
- Put your photo top right if you are applying inside Germany; many hospitals still expect it.
Stand: 2026-11-01. This is a guide, not legal advice. Every German state has its own rules, and rules change. Check with your state's medical chamber (Landesärztekammer) before you act.
Ahmed Quteishat — Assistenzarzt, Innere Medizin (Berlin) · Founder of Klaro
Ahmed built Klaro after watching how much of a doctor's move to Germany gets lost in paperwork rather than medicine.
