Earn a Prestigious Mark of Distinction – Become An ACEP Fellow

If you're looking for more from your ACEP membership, consider

History of Fellowship

ACEP Fellowship was first established in 1982 to honor members who made special contributions to the College and the specialty of emergency medicine. Requirements for Fellow Status include Active membership status for three continuous years; board certification by ABEM, AOBEM, or ABP certification for pediatric emergency physicians; and additional service to the specialty.

In October 2007, the ACEP Council created an alternate pathway to allow the specialty to honor the first wave of emergency physicians, known as Legacy Physicians. The eligibility criteria for members using this pathway are considerably stricter and apply only to a small number of ACEP members. The change was made to recognize those Legacy Physicians who have made significant contributions and helped build the specialty through their service and dedication.

Criteria for Election to Fellow Status

Fellows of the College shall meet one of the following two sets of criteria:

1. Be active, life, honorary, or international members for three continuous years immediately prior to election and must have been certified in emergency medicine at the time of election by the American Board of Emergency Medicine, the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine, or in pediatric emergency medicine by the American Board of Pediatrics. Maintenance of Fellow status requires continued membership in the College. In addition, the following requirements demonstrating evidence of high professional standing must be met by candidates some time during their professional career prior to application.
   1. At least three years of active involvement in emergency medicine as the physician's chief professional activity, exclusive of training, and;
   2. Satisfaction of at least three of the following individual criteria during their professional career:
   1. active involvement, beyond holding membership, in voluntary health organizations, organized medical societies, or voluntary community health planning activities or service as an elected or appointed public official;
   2. active involvement in hospital affairs, such as medical staff committees, as attested by the emergency department director or chief of staff;
   3. active involvement in the formal teaching of emergency medicine to physicians, nurses, medical students, out-of-hospital care personnel, or the public;
   4. active involvement in emergency medicine administration or departmental affairs;
   5. active involvement in an emergency medical services system;
   6. research in emergency medicine;
   7. active involvement in ACEP chapter activities as attested by the chapter president or chapter executive director;
   8. member of a national ACEP committee, the ACEP Council, or national Board of Directors;
   9. examiner for, director of, or involvement in test development and/or administration for the American Board of Emergency Medicine or the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine;
   10. reviewer for or editor or listed author of a published scientific article or reference material in the field of emergency medicine in a recognized journal or book.
       
       
2. Be active, life, honorary, or international members for six continuous years immediately prior to election and eligible for membership at the close of business on December 31, 1999. Maintenance of Fellow status requires continued membership in the College. In addition, the following requirements demonstrating evidence of high professional standing must be met by candidates sometime during their professional career prior to application:
1. At least ten years of active involvement in emergency medicine as the physician's chief professional activity, exclusive of training, and;
2. Satisfaction of at least three of the following individual criteria, of which one of the three must be number 7 or number 8, during their professional career:
   1. active involvement, beyond holding membership, in voluntary health organizations, organized medical societies, or voluntary community health planning activities or service as an elected or appointed public official;
   2. active involvement in hospital affairs, such as medical staff committees, as attested by the emergency department director or chief of staff;
   3. active involvement in the formal teaching of emergency medicine to physicians, nurses, medical students, out-of-hospital care personnel, or the public;
   4. active involvement in emergency medicine administration or departmental affairs;
   5. active involvement in an emergency medical services system;
   6. research in emergency medicine;
   7. active involvement in ACEP chapter activities as attested by the chapter president or chapter executive director;
   8. member of a national ACEP committee, the ACEP Council, or national Board of Directors;
   9. examiner for, director of, or involvement in test development and/or administration for the American Board of Emergency Medicine or the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine;
   10. reviewer for or editor or listed author of a published scientific article or reference material in the field of emergency medicine in a recognized journal or book.

In addition, the candidate must provide a written letter of recommendation from their chapter, as attested by the chapter president or chapter executive director, or two letters of recommendation from current Fellows of the College.

Provision of documentation of the satisfaction of the above criteria is the responsibility of the candidate and determination of the satisfaction of these criteria shall be by the Board of Directors of ACEP or its designee. Fellows shall be authorized to use the letters FACEP in conjunction with professional activities. Fees, procedures for election, and reasons for termination of Fellows shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

For more information on Fellow Status, contact Membership Services at 800-798-1822, ext. 5, or membership@ACEP.org

For more information on VACEP endorsement of your Fellow application, see that attached definition of "active involvement" in Virginia, and contact VACEP Executive Director at 800-649-4911 or vacep@vacep.org

To review the current VACEP Strategic Plan and opportunities for active involvement, go here.