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To be eligible for membership/fellowship in the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons, the applicant must meet the following requirements in the category applied:

MEMBERS:

Annual Dues -- $300; Initiation Fee -- $100
To qualify as a Member, an applicant:
(a)

1. shall be graduated from a medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), an accredited school of osteopathy or an accredited foreign medical institution;
2. shall be fully trained in general surgery as evidenced by (a) certification by the American Board of Surgery; (b) satisfactory completion of an accredited general surgery residency as evidenced by a letter of recommendation from the director of the Training program; or (c) completion of training in an accredited foreign medical institution which qualifies the applicant to practice general surgery in his or her country of residence. Foreign applicants must provide a letter from their Professor stating they have completed general surgery training and are practicing surgery with an interest in colon and rectal surgery;
3. shall be fully licensed to practice medicine in a state of competent jurisdiction;
4. shall be of high moral, ethical and professional standing;
5. shall be a member in good standing of any state or local medical societies to which he or she belongs;
6. shall be a member in good standing of any hospital staffs to which he or she has been appointed; and
7. shall meet such other criteria as the Executive Council shall establish and publish.

(b) Rights and Duties.

Members may serve on special committees, appear on scientific programs and participate in discussions of scientific papers, but may not vote or hold office in the Society.

FELLOWS:

Annual Dues -- $300; Initiation Fee -- $200
To qualify as a Fellow, an applicant must:
(a)

1. submit letters of recommendation from two (2) Fellows familiar with the applicant;
2. have served a minimum of two (2) years as a member of the society;
3. be certified by the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery;
4. have specialized in the practice of colon and rectal surgery for at least two (2) years immediately preceding application for Fellowship. This two-year period may begin when applicant finishes colon and rectal training.
5. have attended at least one (1) annual meeting of the Society within the three (3) years immediately preceding the application for Fellowship;
6. meet such other criteria as the Executive Council shall establish and publish;
   

(b) Special Qualifications.

A physician who does not meet the criteria set forth in Subsection (a) above may be nominated and elected to Fellowship by the unanimous affirmative vote of the Executive Council if such physician has made exceptional contributions to the advancement of colon and rectal surgery.

(c) Rights and Duties.

Fellows shall have all the rights and privileges of membership, including the right to vote, hold office and serve on any committee of the Society.

HONORARY FELLOWS:

To qualify as an Honorary Fellow, an applicant:

(a) may be recommended by unanimous vote of the Executive Council for those physicians who have made an exceptional contribution to the advancement of colon and rectal surgery or has achieved eminence in a field allied to colon and rectal surgery. Eligibility for membership in the Society under any other category does not disqualify one from eligibility for Honorary Fellowship.

(b) Rights and Duties.

An Honorary Fellow shall not be required to pay annual dues, fees or assessments, and shall not vote or hold office, but may serve on special committees, appear on scientific programs of the Society and participate in discussions of scientific papers.

CANDIDATE:

Annual Dues -- $25 (submit with application)
To qualify as a Candidate an applicant:

(a)

must be actively enrolled in an accredited residency program in general surgery or colon and rectal surgery. This membership category is renewable annually contingent upon the Candidate's continued enrollment in a residency program as evidenced by the signature of the program director, or by such other means as the Executive Council may from time to time determine. Upon completion of residency training the Candidate may apply for Membership in the Society if he/she meets the qualifications for that category of membership.

(b) Rights and duties.

A Candidate may serve on special committees, attend and appear on scientific programs of the Society, and participate in discussions of scientific papers, but may not vote or hold office in the Society.

*Applicants who are not certified by either the American Board of Surgery or the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery or in an ACGME Training Program must provide a Curriculum Vitae.

ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL:

Annual Dues -- $50
To qualify as an Allied Health Professional an applicant:

(a) must be a licensed Registered Nurse or Physician's Assistant with an interest in colon and rectal surgery. Each applicant must be sponsored by an active Member or Fellow of the Society.
(b) Rights and duties. An Allied Health Professional member may attend and appear on scientific programs of the Society, and participate in discussions of scientific papers, but may not vote or hold office in the Society.

AFFILIATED SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATOR:

Annual Dues -- $150
To qualify as an Affiliated Scientific Investigator an applicant:

(a) must hold an academic faculty appointment and have published articles related to diseases or conditions of the small bowel, colon, rectum or anus. Each applicant must be sponsored by an active Member or Fellow of the Society.
(b) Rights and duties. An Affiliated Scientific Investigator member may attend and appear on scientific programs of the Society, and participate in discussions of scientific papers, but may not vote or hold office in the Society.

Final determination of the acceptability of sponsors and/or documentation shall be with the Credentials Committee and Executive Council. At their discretion, any additional information deemed necessary for proper evaluation of the application may be requested from the applicant.

It is the applicant's responsibility to provide the information on which the Credentials Committee bases its evaluation. The Membership Committee may request an applicant to provide information and documents which it believes to be relevant to the applicant's qualification. The Membership Committee will defer making a recommendation until the information is received.