Requirements
Board Certification
CME Requirements
Narrative Statement
Contributions
Membership Requirements
Letters of Recommendation
Miscellaneous
Answers
Requirements
- Be an ACOEM Active Physician member for three years
- Hold a valid, unrestricted medical license
- Be board certified
- Contribute to the field of OEM and ACOEM
- Obtain two letters of recommendation
- Submit a completed application and processing fee
Board Certification
Yes, board certification is required to be eligible for Fellowship.
No. At this time only members who are board certified are eligible to apply for Fellowship.
There are three pathways members can take to apply for Fellowship depending on the board certification held:
- ABPM board certified in occupational board medicine.
- ABPM board certification in another subspecialty PLUS a Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree, PLUS 50 hours of ACOEM CME hours earned within 5 years from the date of application (maximum of 15 hours from component activities).
- ABPM board certification in another subspecialty PLUS 100 hours of ACOEM CME hours earned within 5 years from the date of application (maximum of 30 hours from component activities).
Board certifications the equivalent of the ABPM occupational medicine board certification are accepted. Applicants must provide verification of the current board certification at the time of application.
CME Requirements
CME submitted to meet the application requirements must be earned from ACOEM activities within the five years preceding the date of application.
If following the pathway which requires 50 hours of CME, only 15 of those hours can come from component activities.
If following the pathway which requires 100 hours of CME, only 30 of those hours can come from component activities.
Applicants are required to submit a copy of their ACOEM transcript with the Fellowship application. Transcripts can be obtained by logging into acoem.org, then clicking on ACOEM Connect > Education > View My CME Transcript.
No. Only CME hours earned within the five years preceding the date of application may be used to meet the requirements.
Narrative Statement
The narrative statement is intended to highlight contributions to OEM. It should include detailed descriptions utlining contributions to the field of OEM, including dates, titles, positions or activity, and benefactors of contributions (volunteer roles, publications, teaching and lecturing, mentoring, public advocacy, committee service, etc.)
The narrative statement should not be a personal reflection of the journey to or introduction of OEM, the applicants work history, or work or personal interests.
Contributions
Activities that give back to the field, bring awareness of, advance, or enhance the field of OEM beyond the normal scope of daily work responsibilities are considered contributions. They can be fulfilled through a multitude of activities including but not limited to teaching, presentations, public advocacy,publications, or committee service.
Due to the numerous ways members can give back to the field of OEM, the Fellowship Committee does not require specific activities.
Fellowship is ACOEM's highest membership category, recognizing the contributions and education of its most esteemed members. As such, contributions to ACOEM, such as volunteering, are given significant weight in the review process.
General membership in an organization does not count as a contribution. Holding leadership positions or volunteering for an organization in the field of OEM would be considered a contribution.
General conference attendance does not count as a contribution. Speaking, lecturing, presenting, volunteering on organizing committees, and other conference volunteer activities count as contributions.
Applications are reviewed and approved by the Fellowship Committee with final determination by the ACOEM Board of Directors. Due to the varying eligibility requirements and qualifications, each application go through the entire review process beofre a final determination is made. ACOEM staff and members of the Fellowship Committee are not able to pre-qualify applicants.
The Fellowship Committee will provide guidance to applicants on outstanding requirements. Applicants are given one year to fulfill missing requirements. Once the requirements have been fulfilled, the Committee will re-review the application during the next application cycle.
Membership Requirements
Applicants must be current members at the time applications are submitted and at the time of determination. If membership lapses during the review process, applicants must reinstate their membership before being notified of the final determination and Fellow status is granted.
Applicants are required to have three years of ACOEM Active Physician Membership to be eligible for Fellowship.
Membership years during the medical student and resident training periods do not count towards the three-year requirement. Once members transition to Active Physician Members, their three years will begin accumulating.
Letters of Recommendation
Two letters of recommendation are required.
One letter of recommendation must come from a current ACOEM Fellow.
You may search for them in the ACOEM Member Directory (log in required).
You may know an ACOEM Fellow and not realize it. You may search for Fellows using the ACOEM Member Directory (login required).
If you do not recognize any names, we recommend you begin networking with your regional Component and participating in the Mentoring Program.
Responsibility for these letters is solely that of the applicant. ACOEM will not contact references.
References should be directed to submit their letters of recommendation to
fellows@acoem.org.
Letters should reference the applicants contributions to and work in the field of OEM. Letters should not highlight the applicants interests, work history, or how they met each other. Previously written letters for other purposes will not be accepted.
Letters of recommendation are taken into consideration during the review process. The quality of letter may reflect on the applicant. We suggest formal letters of recommendation be submitted in PDF format with a signature.
Miscellaneous
ACOEM Fellowship is an elevated membership category that recognizes the training and contributions physicians have completed. It is not a training program.
Completed applications should be emailed to fellows@acoem.org.
Please allow two weeks for delivery and processing. If you have not received a confirmation at that time, please email fellows@acoem.org or call 847-818-1800.
The review process varies depending on how many applications have been received, the length of application, and the Board of Directors meeting schedule. Determinations will be communicated by March 1st of each year.
Applicants will first be notified by email and then a letter through the post.
The Fellowship Committee will work with applicants to identify outstanding requirements. Applicants are given one year to fulfill missing requirements. Once the requirements have been fulfilled, the Committee will re-review the application during the next application cycle.
No, there is no increase in membership dues once the Fellow status has been awarded. Fellows pay the same dues rate as Active Physician Members.