Application For Appointment As Fellow - Honors College: Fill & Download for Free

Use of the FACS CredentialThe FACS credential exists to foster the professional growth and development of surgeons, promote high standards and best practices in surgical care, and establish and maintain patients’ confidence in the ability and integrity of their surgeon. Conferred on surgeons who meet specific academic and practice requirements, the FACS credential can only be used by Fellows in good standing with the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The FACS credential is not an honor that should be discarded lightly; members are expected to engage in ACS activities and remain financially current with their membership dues in order to continue to use the designation. Once membership lapses, a surgeon is no longer legally allowed to display FACS after their name and medical degree in any context. The designation is the exclusive intellectual property of the ACS. Misuse of the FACS designation by nonmembers is pursued by the ACS.United States and CanadaThe American College of Surgeons admits to its Fellowship only those surgeons whose professional activity is devoted to surgical practice and who agree without compromise to practice by the professional and ethical standards of the College.The standards of practice established and demanded by the American College of Surgeons are contained in the Fellowship Pledge, Statements on Principles, and the Code of Conduct. All Fellows of the College and applicants for Fellowship are expected to adhere to these standards.Surgeons voluntarily submit applications for Fellowship. In so doing, they are inviting an evaluation of their practice by their peers.In evaluating the eligibility of applicants for Fellowship, the College investigates each applicant's surgical practice. Applicants for Fellowship are required to provide to the appointed committees of the College all information deemed necessary for the review and evaluation of their surgical practice.Attainment of board certification in the appropriate surgical specialty does not, in and of itself, entitle a surgeon to Fellowship.Fellowship RequirementsThe College has designated December 1 of each year as the final date for acceptance of these applications. The completed applications (new or continuing) must be on file in the Division of Member Services in Chicago by this date. Only completed applications from surgeons who fulfill the following requirements will be considered for entry into Fellowship in October of the following year.Applicants for Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons are required to have the following qualifications:Graduation from a medical school acceptable to the American College of SurgeonsCertification which is appropriate to the applicant's specialty practice by an American Surgical Specialty Board which is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties, or an American Osteopathic Surgical Specialty Board, or an appropriate specialty certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.A full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the respective state or province with no reportable action pending which could adversely affect the status of that licensure.One year of surgical practice after the completion of all formal training is required.A current appointment on the surgical staff of the applicant's primary hospital with no reportable action pending that could adversely affect staff privileges at that or any other health care facility.A current surgical practice that establishes the applicant as a specialist in surgery. All applicants are expected to be physicians who have primary independent responsibility for the surgical treatment of patients.Ethical fitness as well as professional proficiency. This determination is based upon information obtained from Fellows who were consulted as references and from other sources.Interest in pursuing professional excellence both as an individual surgeon and a member of the surgical community. Such interest may be evidenced by membership in local, regional, and national surgical societies; participation in teaching programs and on hospital committees; continuing medical education through attendance at professional meetings, courses, and seminars.The Member Services Liaison Committee determines whether the requirements for Fellowship are satisfied and may, at its discretion; defer any application until such requirements are met.The Board of Regents makes the final decision regarding the applicant's eligibility for Fellowship.The Board of Regents may, at any time, modify the requirements for Fellowship.Process of Applying for FellowshipAll properly submitted and accepted applications for Fellowship are evaluated on a one-year cycle. The closing date for receiving completed applications is December 1 of each year.Surgeons who fulfill all of the requirements may submit an online application for Fellowship.A completed online application is required from each applicant. In addition to providing information regarding their surgical training and practice, applicants are requested to:Abide by the bylaws, rules and regulations of the College and the Fellowship PledgeAccept an Authorization to Release Information for hospital, medical organization, and others to release information deemed by the College to be material to its evaluation of the applicant.Furnish as references the names of five Fellows of the College who can provide an evaluation based on their actual knowledge of your surgical practice. The applicant is to obtain verbal assurance from these Fellows of their willingness to serve as references.Each Fellow named as a reference will be asked by the College to complete a form about the applicant's qualifications as a surgeon, as well as the applicant's professional and ethical standing in the community. The chief of surgery at each applicant's designated primary hospital(s) will be requested to provide a letter of reference. The College may also consult others.Applicants are expected to compile and submit the most recent twelve-month summary listing of all surgical procedures they have performed after completion of all formal training. The appropriate forms and instructions will be provided. This surgical list is intended to serve as an index to the volume, variety, and character of an applicant's surgical experience.Applicants may be requested to present detailed case reports and related information as additional evidence of their professional proficiency.Evaluation of Applications for FellowshipThe evaluation of an applicant for Fellowship is based on information relating to the applicant's surgical judgment and experience, professional competence, ethical conduct, and professional standing in the local community. Such information is obtained from appointed College committees, references named by the applicant, and others.The College Credentials Division reviews each application for completeness and prepares a summary of the biographical information and other pertinent information for applicant review and evaluation by the appointed Committee on Applicants.The Committee on Applicants interviews each applicant and reports its findings regarding the applicant's eligibility for Fellowship to the Credential Division.The College Credentials Division appraises information and recommendations from all sources relating to Fellowship applications and make recommendations to the Board of Regents. The Applicant Review Committee (ARC) evaluates unusual practice situations to determine if the requirements for Fellowship have been met and recommends an action to the Board of Regents.After review and evaluation of all information, the Board of Regents makes one of three decisions:Approved for Fellowship—In order to attain Fellowship, each applicant must receive the approval of three-fourths of the Board of Regents. Postponed (for one or two years)—an applicant's postponement is not considered a denial of the application. It is designed to give the applicant an opportunity to acquire further knowledge or additional experience or to develop professionally. It also provides the College with an additional period for observation, investigation, and further evaluation of the applicant's eligibility for Fellowship.Denial of ApplicationFollowing a denial of an application, the applicant may submit a new application after a waiting period of three years.Applicants who have received a denial of their application may request an appeal. To initiate an appeal, the applicant must submit a written request to the Director of the Division of Member Services. Appeals are heard under the direction of the Board of Regents.The Board of Regents may reverse a denial of an application at its discretion. However, the final decision of the Board of Regents, following an appeal, is binding.No action is taken when an application is determined by the College's Division of Member Services to be incomplete. Incomplete applications are deferred for consideration to the following year.Successful applicants (Initiates) are admitted into Fellowship during the Convocation Ceremony at the College's Clinical Congress in October of each year. Fellowship is conferred by the President of the College.Initiates are notified by email of their acceptance prior to August 1. Between the date of the acceptance notification letter and the Convocation, Initiates must notify the Division of Member Services of any changes in their location, practice situation, type of practice or hospital privileges since such changes may affect their admission into Fellowship.The College provides information concerning the status of an application for Fellowship only to the applicant or those individuals involved in the College's evaluation of the application.The regulations for admission into Fellowship have been formulated by the Board of Regents and apply uniformly to all applicants. No other means of admission is available.FeesApplication FeeThe fee must accompany every application for Fellowship and is paid at the time the application is submitted. The fee covers a portion of the cost of reviewing and processing the application and is not refundable. No application will be processed without the fee.Initiate FeeA statement for the Initiate Fee is sent to the applicants who are notified of their Initiate status. If this fee is not received at the College by September 1 of the appropriate year, the Initiate will not be awarded Fellowship in the College.Annual DuesUpon the recommendation of the Board of Governors, the Board of Regents determines the amount of annual dues.Fellowship PledgeRecognizing that the American College of Surgeons seeks to exemplify and develop the highest traditions of our ancient profession, I hereby pledge myself, as a condition of Fellowship in the College, to live in strict accordance with the College's principles and regulations.I pledge to pursue the practice of surgery with honesty and to place the welfare and the rights of my patient above all else. I promise to deal with each patient as I would wish to be dealt with if I were in the patient's position, and I will respect the patient's autonomy and individuality.I further pledge to affirm and support the social contact of the surgical profession with my community and society.I will take no part in any arrangement or improper financial dealings that induce referral, treatment, or withholding of treatment for reasons other than the patient's welfare.Upon my honor, I declare that I will advance my knowledge and skills, will respect my colleagues, and will seek their counsel when in doubt about my own abilities. In turn, I will willingly help my colleagues when requested.I recognize the interdependency of all health care professionals and will treat each with respect and consideration.Finally, by my Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons, I solemnly pledge to abide by the Code of Professional Conduct and to cooperate in advancing the art and science of surgery.Code of Professional ConductAs Fellows of the American College of Surgeons, we treasure the trust that our patients have placed in us, because trust is integral to the practice of surgery. During the continuum of pre-, intra-, and postoperative care, we accept responsibilities to:Serve as effective advocates of our patients' needs.Disclose therapeutic options, including their risks and benefits.Disclose and resolve any conflict of interest that might influence decisions regarding care.Be sensitive and respectful of patients, understanding their vulnerability during the perioperative period.Fully disclose adverse events and medical errors.Acknowledge patients' psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual needs.Encompass within our surgical care the special needs of terminally ill patients.Acknowledge and support the needs of patients' families.Respect the knowledge, dignity, and perspective of other health care professionals.Our profession is also accountable to our communities and to society. In return for their trust, as Fellows of the American College of Surgeons, we accept responsibilities to:Provide the highest quality surgical care.Abide by the values of honesty, confidentiality, and altruism.Participate in lifelong learning.Maintain competence throughout our surgical careers.Participate in self-regulation by setting, maintaining, and enforcing practice standards.Improve care by evaluating its processes and outcomes.Inform the public about subjects within our expertise.Advocate strategies to improve individual and public health by communicating with government, health care organizations, and industry.Work with society to establish just, effective, and efficient distribution of health care resources.Provide necessary surgical care without regard to gender, race, disability, religion, social status, or ability to pay.Participate in educational programs addressing professionalism.As surgeons, we acknowledge that we relate to our patients when they are most vulnerable. Their trust and the privileges we enjoy depend on our individual and collective participation in efforts that promote the good of both our patients and society. As Fellows of the American College of Surgeons, we commit ourselves and the College to the ideals of professionalism.Source: www.facs.org

What extracurriculars you participate in is less important than your demonstrated dedication and ability to excel at said activity. This means that most admissions officers are looking for four years of participation (during high school) in an activity as well as a leadership role or honor/award in that specific activity. Here’s the list of accomplishments, with respect to achievement and dedication to extracurricular activities that I usually give “extra points” for on an application. For me, these activities demonstrate both commitment and achievement.Being named yearbook or newspaper editorBeing elected ASB presidentServing as captain of your varsity teamAchieving the Gold Award or Eagle Scout rankTraining or competing on a Junior Olympic or OlympicBeing selected as a drum majorJoining a school-wide or district-wide committee composed of students who are appointed or elected to represent the interest of fellow studentsAuditioning for and playing in a region or higher level orchestra/bandWinning a Top 3 award at a state or national competitionGetting a paid internship at a Fortune 500Creating a business with a significant online presence and revenueCompeting at a national level sports or academic competitionGetting published in a peer-reviewed journal or bookCompleting a major self-directed project (at least 400 hours of work) in the community that benefits the publicPresenting at a major conference or seminar (think Ted Talk)Developing a product or program that reaches a broad audience (nationally or internationally)

First, I hope that a person with self-harm scars has obtained the help they needed.Second, the ASVAB scores and a medical waiver are not related. A person’s ASVAB scores must reach a certain level to be qualified at all for US military service. The higher, the more likely they are to be considered, and to get bonuses and the jobs they might wish to get.A person’s medical conditions — all of them — must be revealed during the recruitment phase. And ANY of them might require a “waiver.” Some medical waivers are done locally, simple things like marginally bad eyesight, warts, a broken bone as a child that obviously healed correctly, etc.Other things require a full medical work-up, possibly with multiple military and/or civilian contracted doctors (or other specialists), who must render opinions on whether the potential recruit’s medical condition(s) are likely to impair their ability to serve globally, in any weather, under combat and other stressful conditions, etc. Both mental and physical conditions may need to be waived.A waiver is an exception to policy, in that the medical condition that is being waived is actually disqualifying for military service. Otherwise, no waiver would be needed…Some medical conditions are not waiverable…by anyone. AT any level. Down’s Syndrome. Spina bifida. Many cancers (even after surviving them). To name a few.Others, go through the work up by the medical experts, who help the Service decide if a waiver will be granted.If a waiver is not granted by one Service, that decision is not binding on others (except the Navy and Marine Corps use the same doctors, so generally the decision of one is unlikely to be challenged by the other because the same doctors will be consulted once again and are unlikely to change their opinions unless the person’s situation changed or they provided new medical evidence). So a waiver by the Army might not have been granted by the Air Force, or vice versa.There is a DoD Manual (see below) that governs the majority of medical waivers, and describes the majority of conditions that might require a waiver, and when. Some conditions only require waivers after certain lengths of time, or specific conditions, and otherwise allow for it. But unless otherwise stated, any condition listed, mental or physical, is disqualifying and must be waived for enlistment/appointment to continue.This Manual is virtually identical to the standards for the US Coast Guard (as an agency of the Department of Homeland Security), Senior ROTC programs in colleges, the Federal Service Academies (cadets and midshipmen), and for commissions in the US Public Health Service (USPHS) and NOAA.See: DOD INSTRUCTION 6130.03, MEDICAL STANDARDS FOR APPOINTMENT, ENLISTMENT, OR INDUCTION INTO THE MILITARY SERVICES, https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/613003p.pdf?ver=2018-05-04-113917-883If a person presented to a recruiter with “only” the condition asked here, “self-harm scars,” let’s review the Manual to see what it says about it, starting in Section 5:“5.21. SKIN AND SOFT TISSUE CONDITIONS.…v. Current scars that can reasonably be expected to interfere with properly wearing military clothing or equipment, or to interfere with satisfactorily performing military duty due to pain or decreased range of motion, strength, or agility.”and, the most pertinent sub-sections of paragraph 5.28 (see below for the full paragraph text) that pertain to this inquiry:5.28. LEARNING, PSYCHIATRIC, AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS.…m. Suicidality, including suicidal ideation with a plan, suicidal gesture(s), or attempt(s).n. History of self-mutilation.See paragraph 5.28 (below) of the reference for the complete list of “learning, psychiatric, and behavioral disorders” that are disqualifying…without a waiver.Remember, if it’s listed, it requires a waiver unless the text specifically says so.But, there are many medical conditions that are not listed, and might or might not require waivers, and thus they ALL must be disclosed…or a fraudulent enlistment situation arises, which might have very bad consequences later, up to and including court-martial or discharge with less than honorable conditions:5.28. LEARNING, PSYCHIATRIC, AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS.a. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, if with:(1) A recommended or prescribed Individualized Education Program, 504 Plan, or work accommodations after the 14th birthday;(2) A history of comorbid mental disorders;(3) Prescribed medication in the previous 24 months; or(4) Documentation of adverse academic, occupational, or work performance.b. History of learning disorders after the 14th birthday, including but not limited to dyslexia, if any of the following apply:(1) With a recommended or prescribed Individualized Education Program, 504 Plan, or work accommodations after the 14th birthday;(2) With a history of comorbid mental disorders; or(3) With documentation of adverse academic, occupational, or work performance.c. Autism spectrum disorders.d. History of disorders with psychotic features such as schizophrenic disorders, delusional disorders, or other unspecified psychoses or mood disorders with psychotic features.e. History of bipolar and related disorders (formerly identified as mood disorders not otherwise specified) including but not limited to cyclothymic disorders and affective psychoses.f. Depressive disorder if:(1) Outpatient care including counseling required for longer than 12 cumulative months;(2) Symptoms or treatment within the last 36 months;(3) The applicant required any inpatient treatment in a hospital or residential facility;(4) Any recurrence; or(5) Any suicidality (in accordance with Paragraph 5.28.m.).g. History of a single adjustment disorder if treated or symptomatic within the previous 6 months, or any history of chronic (lasting longer than 6 months) or recurrent episodes of adjustment disorders.h. History of disruptive, impulse control and conduct disorder to include but not limited to oppositional defiant and other behavior disorders.i. Any personality disorder including unspecified personality disorder or maladaptive personality traits demonstrated by:(1) Repeated inability to maintain reasonable adjustment in school, with employers or fellow workers, other social groups, or psychological testing revealing that the degree of immaturity, instability, of personality inadequacy, impulsiveness, or dependency may reasonably be expected to interfere with their adjustment to the Military Services;(2) Recurrent encounters with law enforcement agencies (excluding minor traffic violations) or antisocial behaviors are tangible evidence of impaired capacity to adapt to military service; or(3) Any behavioral health issues that have led to incarceration for any period. j. Encopresis after 13th birthday.k. History of any feeding or eating disorder.l. Any current communication disorder that significantly interferes with producing speech or repeating commands.m. Suicidality, including suicidal ideation with a plan, suicidal gesture(s), or attempt(s).n. History of self-mutilation.o. History of obsessive-compulsive disorder.p. History of post-traumatic stress disorder.q. History of anxiety disorders if:(1) Outpatient care including counseling was required for longer than 12 cumulative months.(2) Symptomatic or treatment within the last 36 months.(3) The applicant required any inpatient treatment in a hospital or residential facility.(4) Any recurrence.(5) Any suicidality (in accordance with Paragraph 5.28.m.).r. History of dissociative disorders.s. History of somatic symptoms and related disorders.t. History of paraphilic disorders.u. Any history of substance-related and addictive disorders (except using caffeine or tobacco).v. History of other mental disorders that may reasonably be expected to interfere with or prevent satisfactory performance of military duty.w. Prior psychiatric hospitalization for any cause.BOTTOM LINE: a person with self-harm scars will need at least two waivers, and probably more:The scars themselves, which might or might not be found disqualifying in and of themselves, andThe underlying psychological issues that give rise to the harmful behavior, that result in:Suicidality, andHistory of Self-MutilationSince it is unlikely that a close examination under the bright lights at the MEPS processing center for the medical exam will not discover the scars resultant from self-mutilation, they will need to be disclosed up front, which will thus require discussion about why there is self-mutilation…and waivers for both. Plus whatever else is required to be waived for medical conditions.Good luck.