American College of Surgeons - Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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METHOD OF SELECTING FELLOWS The Board of Regents at its earlier meetings announced that it would be the spirit of the association to open the fellowship to all competitors in surgery without favor. The Board of Regents is anxious to have every surgeon on the continent who can fulfill the membership requirements become a Fellow of the organiza- tion. The General Secretary is therefore instructed to send ap- plication blanks to any legally qualified practitioner of medicine on the American continent who may signify his desire to become a member. The by-laws specifically state that the Fellows of the College ' shall be graduates in medicine who are legalized to practice medicine in their respective states or provinces and who meet the qualification requirements that shall from time to time be estab- lished by the Board of Regents. It was determined by the organization to admit surgeons to fellowship under two groupings: First, the charter members, con- sisting of surgeons of distinction and ability who have been in the practice of medicine not less than eight years and who, in the opinion of the Board of Regents, should be entitled to fellowship without the formality of an examination; second, those who should be required to submit to an examination or other test of qualifica- tion required by the Board of Regents. It was decided to limit the time of admission of the first group or charter members to November i, 1914, and to postpone the admission of Fellows by examination until the Board of Regents had formulated detailed plans of a satisfactory nature for admission by this method, not earlier than November i, 19 13. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP The application blanks are uniform and each applicant for membership is required to file an application blank filled out in detail and signed. The blank contains the following questions and specifications : Name. Address. Place and date of birth. What school, academy, college or university did you attend? Date of graduation? Degrees? 15

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14 American College of Surgeons dignity of the College or inconsistent with its purposes. Such expulsion must be voted by a majority vote of the whole Board of Regents at any meeting, at which meeting the member against whom charges are made shall be invited to be present, and may appear or may be represented, in a manner to be determined by the Board of Regents. XI. These by-laws may be amended by a majority vote of those present at any regular or special meeting of the Board of Governors, or at a meeting called for the purpose on request made in writing by a hundred members of the Corporation, provided that such proposed amendments are included in the call of the meeting at which such action is contemplated. INCORPORATION STATE OF ILLINOIS Department of State Cornelius J. Doyle, Secretary of State To All to Whom These Presents Shall Come, Greeting: Whereas, a Certificate, duly signed and acknowledged has been filed in the Ofl ce of the Secretary of State, on the 25th day of November, A. D. 191 2, for the organization of the American College of Surgeons under and in accordance with the provisions of An Act Concerning Corporations approved April 18, 1872, and in force July i, 1872, and all acts amendatory thereof, a copy of which certificate is hereto attached; Now Therefore, I, Cornelius J. Doyle, Secretary of State, of the State of IlHnois, by virtue of the powers and duties vested in me by law, do hereby certify that the said American College of Surgeons is a legally organized Corporation under the laws of this State. In Testimony Whereof, I hereto set my hand and cause to be affixed the great Seal of State. Done at the City of Spring- field this 25th day of November, A. D. 191 2, and of the Independ- ence of the United States the one hundred and thirty-seventh. [seal] (Signed) C. J. Doyle, Secretary of State.

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i6 American College of Surgeons What medical college or colleges did you attend? Date of graduation? Degrees? In what hospitals have you been an interne, resident or assistant? From to ? In what hospitals have you been a staff member and in what capacity? In what teaching capacity have you been active? What other appointments have you had? What post-graduate studies have you pursued in America and where? What post-graduate studies have you pursued abroad and where? What official positions have you held? How many years in special practice and where? What department of special practice? What percentage of your work is surgical? What research or experimental work have you done? Of what medical societies are you a member? Give the names of five prominent surgeons as references, at least three of whom are from your own state. Give the names of books and contributions to medical and surgical literature of which you are the author, with date and place of publica- tion. Signed Date The application papers contain a separate declaration against the practice of fee-splitting. This is in the nature of a personal pledge, and each applicant is required to attach his signature to it and file it with his papers. REFERENCE BLANK While the by-laws require that an applicant give three endorsers, the Committee on Credentials now recommends that five names be given, three of which should be from the applicant ' s own state. The reference blank contains the following questions and answers: Name. Address. College and date of graduation. How long have you known the applicant? What is his surgical standing in the profession? What is his ex perience as a surgeon? How extensively does he specialize? What special training in surgery has he had? What is his moral standing in his community? What is his ethical standing? Do you believe he will carry out in practice the spirit of the enclosed declaration? Do you beUeve from your knowledge of the applicant ' s hfe that we can accept in good faith his fulfillment of the principles in volved in the enclosed declaration if signed by him? Do you believe he is in every way qualified for Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons? Remarks.