Candidate Membership

Qualifications

• Shall be within three (3) years of completing an ACGME or Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (“RCPSC”) accredited residency in orthopaedic, plastic or general surgery or an AOA (American Osteopathic Association) accredited osteopathic orthopaedic surgery residency; shall be engaged in an ACGME-accredited or RCPSC-accredited fellowship in hand surgery; or shall be within five (5) years of having completed an ACGME-accredited or RCPSC-accredited fellowship in hand surgery;
• At the time of application residents and/or fellows who are not fully licensed to practice medicine in a state, territory, or province of competent jurisdiction, shall obtain and maintain institutional licensure as long as they are engaged in formal training.  Once they complete residency and/or fellowship, Candidate Members must be fully licensed in a state, territory, or province of competent jurisdiction.
• Shall reside in the United States or Canada;
• Shall be of high moral, ethical, and professional standing;
• Shall have a sponsor letter from the chair of the residency program or fellowship training program or ASSH Active member (elected 2015 or earlier);
• Shall agree that the Candidate Membership is limited to a maximum period of five (5) years after completion of fellowship, and at a date on or before that five-year period, shall make efforts towards application for Active Membership in the American Society for Surgery of the Hand;
• Shall acknowledge that conferral of Candidate Membership does not imply that the Candidate Member will be qualified or admitted as an Active Member.

Terms

Candidate Members of the ASSH must agree to these terms as detailed in the application in order to maintain Candidate Member status.

• I intend to eventually meet the qualifications for and become an Active Member of the ASSH.
• I acknowledge that conferral of Candidate membership does not imply that I will be qualified or admitted to the ASSH as an Active Member.
• I acknowledge that completion of the examination for Certification in the Subspecialty of Surgery of the Hand (formerly CAQ Hand) DOES NOT mean that I am automatically an ASSH Active Member.
• I acknowledge that I may not advertise or represent myself as a “Member of the ASSH”, but may represent myself as a “Candidate Member of the ASSH.”
• I acknowledge that ASSH Candidate Membership may be terminated if I become ineligible for the ASSH Candidate Membership category.

Before applying, please ensure that you read and understand the ASSH Code of Ethics.

2019 ASSH Candidate Membership application

2019 ASSH Candidate Membership application instructions

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Complete ALL sections of the application form. No part of the application form may be left blank.  Any activities and/or contributions must be added to the application form. Do not attach your curriculum vitae.
2. Submit your one-time Candidate Membership application fee of $75.  Upon acceptance, Candidate Members who have completed their fellowship in hand surgery will be billed dues for the first year based on month of acceptance.
3. Submit sponsorship letters from your residency program director OR hand fellowship director OR an ASSH Active member, elected in 2015 or earlier (only one letter is required). Letters of recommendation from other members of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (particularly chiefs of service, training program directors, persons familiar with the applicant's practice or contributions to hand surgery, and other qualified individuals) are not required but do serve to strengthen the application.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

1. Electronically: Must be submitted to [email protected] in Word or PDF format.  You may fax your documents if they are legible to (847) 384-1435 Attn: Mary McCarthy.
2. Paper submissions:  All paper submissions should be mailed originals. Please send to:

Membership Committee
American Society for Surgery of the Hand
822 West Washington Boulevard, 2nd Floor 
Chicago, IL 60607

SPONSOR LETTERS

Residency directors and fellowship directors are not required to be ASSH members in order to submit a sponsorship letter.  Any ASSH members providing sponsor letters must be Active Members, elected in 2015 or earlier. Sponsorship letters can be submitted via email, fax, or mail (instructions above) and must follow the following criteria:

• Include the following information:
  • • Length of time sponsor has known the applicant
    • Knowledge of the applicant's present practice
    • Statement of unequivocal support on behalf of the applicant
• Must be submitted on sponsor's letterhead.
• Must be signed by sponsor.

IMPORTANT NOTES

*Your application and any other information obtained in connection with your application becomes the property of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand upon receipt and will not be returned to the applicant during or at the conclusion of the application process.

With questions, please contact Membership at [email protected] or (312) 880-1934.

Candidate Residents

• Pay $0 annual dues
• Your status as a Candidate Resident is maintained while you are participating in a residency program.
• Post-residency, you may immediately become a Candidate Fellow by providing ASSH with your fellowship program name, start date and expected completion date.  Your benefits will not be interrupted if we receive this information before your residency ends.
• You may extend your Candidate Resident status if you are completing a second qualifying residency by:
  • Providing ASSH with a letter from second residency director indicating your current status in the program and giving the start and completion dates for the residency.

Candidate Fellows

• Pay $0 annual dues
• Your status as a Candidate Fellow is maintained while you are participating in a hand surgery fellowship.
• Post-fellowship, you may immediately become a Candidate Member by paying $420 annual dues, beginning the year after you complete your fellowship.
• You may extend your Candidate Fellow status if you are completing a second year in a qualifying fellowship by:
  • Providing ASSH with a letter from second fellowship director indicating your current status in the program and giving the start and completion dates for the fellowship.

Candidate Members

• Pay $420 annual dues
• Your status as a Candidate Member is maintained during your first five years of practice post-fellowship.  This status cannot be extended. The ASSH Council may offer an exception for candidate members serving in the military.

With questions or to request an extension, please contact Membership at [email protected] or (312) 880-1900.

After your first five years of practice, your status will change to Non-Member unless you begin the process of applying for ASSH Active Membership.

Active Membership

• Available to those who:
  
  • Have passed the Certification in the Subspecialty of Surgery of the Hand.
  • Are fully licensed to practice medicine in a state, territory, or province of competent jurisdiction and shall have hospital privileges in hand surgery.
  • Have attended, by the application due date, one Annual Meeting of the Society within the last three years (full, paid registration).
  • Have performed at least 125 major hand surgery operations in a consecutive 12-month period, in categories delineated on the application form.
  • Canadian trained ASSH Active Membership applicants “shall be certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada”.
• Your benefits will increase.
• Dues: $750 (you will pay Candidate Member dues during your Active Member application year)
• More information on the Active Membership category.

Steps to Apply for ASSH Active Membership

• Begin planning for the Certification in the Subspecialty of Surgery of the Hand (formerly CAQ Hand):

1. Review the requirements with your board now, so you are ready when the time comes.
2. Sit for the exam as soon as you are eligible, generally within your third year of practice. You must apply to take the exam.  Applications are typically available in November of the year prior to exam date, and the deadline is typically in February.
3. Perform at least 125 major hand surgery operations in a consecutive 12-month period, and track those cases for your examination application.
4. Remember to SAVE a copy of your case list and coversheet submission from the examination for Certification in the Subspecialty of Surgery of the Hand (formerly CAQ Hand) to facilitate the ASSH Active member application process.
5. For questions regarding the examination for Certification in the Subspecialty of Surgery of the Hand (formerly CAQ Hand), contact the appropriate specialty Board.

• Attend at least one ASSH Annual Meeting during the three years before you apply for ASSH Active membership.  “Attendance” at an ASSH Annual Meeting is considered a full paid registration and is not fulfilled by single day registrations, individual pre or post course registrations, or acting as faculty/presenter/discusser for a course.  This is a Bylaws requirement which cannot be waived or overlooked. Review the list of future ASSH Annual Meeting dates and locations.
• Download an ASSH Active Membership application (applications are usually available in September) during the year prior to your year of application to ASSH. Decisions are made in July of the application year.
• Pay your one-time initiation fee of $700 if accepted to Active Membership.
• Benefits and the $750 membership dues go into effect January 1 of the year following election.

With questions on changing your ASSH status, please contact Membership Manager Mary McCarthy at [email protected] or (312) 880-1934.