MEMBER* - Any scientist, physician, other health care professional, or any individual who is qualified and duly licensed to engage in independent clinical practice and is qualified and recognized in his or her respective field. This category is voting, dues-paying, and not eligible for elective office unless the Member is a duly nominated representative of the Nursing/Allied Health Division, in which case the Member may be elected to serve on the Society's Board of Directors or unless the Member achieves "Fellow" designation. Only Fellows of the Society may be eligible for and hold elective office. To apply for Member status, an official application must be completed and submitted with the applicant's resume.
ASSOCIATE MEMBER - Includes individuals in postgraduate training. This category is voting and dues-paying, but not eligible to hold elective office. Following postgraduate training Associate Members will be required to petition the Secretary for advancement to the status of Member. To apply for Associate Member status, a letter from the applicant's Chief of Service and a resume must accompany the application.
STUDENT MEMBER - A student seeking an undergraduate degree at an accredited educational institution may be elected to the Student Member category. Applicants must submit an official application and resume. This category is non-dues paying, non-voting and not eligible for elective office.
*"Fellow" designation is granted to those members, who by their activities are qualified for being so-designated and who have been Members in good standing for a period of two (2) years or a period as specified by the Board of Directors, Fellows must attend an Annual Conference at least once every three (3) years in order to maintain their status. A point system for achieving and maintaining Fellowship status is available upon request from the Society's Central Office. Fellows must accumulate a minimum of two (2) points in each three (3) year period in order to achieve and/or maintain Fellow status. Those Fellows that do not accumulate the requisite points shall revert to Member status. Fellows will be renewed every three (3) years. Those individuals who have maintained active Fellow status for four (4) cycles (i.e. 12 years) shall be exempted from the point system requirements and shall be automatically renewed as Fellows upon continued dues payments. Similarly, those Fellows who are 60 years old or older will be exempted from the point system requirements. Only Fellows of the Society may be eligible for and hold elective office. Board Certification - Those persons who wish to denote their achievement of board certification in their area of expertise must submit appropriate documentation with the application for membership or at such time as board certification has been achieved in the case of persons who are already Members of the Society. In order to be designated as being "board certified", an individual must have received certification from one of the following: a) an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) approved board, b) an organization recognized by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) as qualified to certify physicians as doctors of podiatric medicine, c) an American Osteopathic Association (AOA) approved board, d) the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), e) the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), or f) an American Dental Association (ADA) approved board as qualified to certify Doctors of Dentistry. Applications for board certification submitted by persons not certified by an organization described above, but certified by similar boards, organizations or authorities from countries other than the United States and Canada will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Membership Committee.
