American College of Surgeons - Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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8 American College of Surgeons he may be required to pass a technical examination in one or all subjects of the medical curriculum. 3. The candidate shall give evidence that he has served at least one year as an interne in a creditable hospital and two years as a surgical assistant, or he shall give evidence of an ap- prenticeship or equivalent value. Special importance is attached to laboratory and research work. 4. The moral and ethical fitness of the candidate shall be determined by the reports of surgeons whose names are sub- mitted by the candidate himself and by such other reports and data as the Credentials Committee and the administration of the College may obtain. 5. The professional activity of the candidate shall be limited to the study, diagnosis, and operative work in general surgery or in special fields of surgery, such as eye, ear, nose, and throat, genito-urinary, orthopedics, and gynecology and obstetrics, as follows: First, if the candidate resides in a city of less than fifty thousand inhabitants, at least fifty per cent of his professional activity shall be limited to the practice of general surgery, or to practice within the special fields of surgery as stated. Second, in cities of over fifty thousand inhabitants, at least eighty per cent of the professional activity of the candidate shall be limited to the practice of general surgery or to practice within the special fields of surgery. In other words, the College desires to admit to its Fellowship only those who are primarily specialists in surgery, and the minimum proportion of specialization which is acceptable may vary according to the size of the city in which the candidate resides. 6. The candidate shall make formal application for Fellow- ship, giving specific information upon the following subjects, — Preliminary and medical education Hospital service Assistantship as a surgeon Teaching positions (past and present) Post-graduate work Research and experimental work Department of special practice and years devoted to same Specialization Medical societies of which applicant is a member Writings, publications, and research.

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General Survey 7 and to the profession of medicine upon subjects of medical pro- cedure and the whole meaning of fitness to practice surgery. As one comes into wide acquaintance with the Fellows of the College and catches some fair notion of their earnestness, he sees the future of the organization not by means of logic. There is something more subtle and potent than argument. A determined optimism carries a momentum of its own. Without a logical process it seeks concrete expression; and, more than this, it really recreates circumstances through all shifts of weather or play of incident with a certainty not excelled by an utterly rational course. The Fellows of the College, in their widely scattered districts, fuse their consciousness of the organization with a splendid hope in their hearts to advance all that is important and valuable in the profession. This very attitude of mind is the first promise for the future of the College. It is a promise that admits of no defeat. It is a pledge of loyalty to medical patriotism which means loyalty to the public welfare exercised through intellectual sincerity and scientific accuracy. It means a safe-guard to the public, for it indicates where honest and adequate surgery may be found. REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO FELLOWSHIP In submitting the following regulations , for admission to Fellowship by examination, the Board of Regents is conscious of its trust to the profession of medicine, first, that the regulations shall be administered without favor or prejudice; second, that the regulations shall be effective in their scrutiny. Further, the members of the Board feel that the regulations as outlined below mark a passing stage in the development of the College. It is probable in the near future that, in addition to these require- ments, the candidates for Fellowship will be asked to appear per- sonally before an examining board for further verification of fitness. 1. The candidate shall be a graduate of medicine, licensed to practice medicine in his respective state or province, or accepted as a medical officer in the service of his respective country. 2. To be ehgible for Fellowship without technical examina- tion the candidate shall be a graduate of a medical school approved by the American College of Surgeons. If the candidate ' s school of graduation is not accredited by the American College of Surgeons,

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General Survey g Blank forms for the purpose of making application may be had, upon request, from the General Secretary of the College. 7. In making application for Fellowship the candidate shall sign a declaration which reads as follows, — I hereby promise upon my honor as a gentleman that I will not, so long as I am a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, practice division of fees in any form; neither by collecting fees for others referring patients to me; nor by permitting them to collect my fees for me; nor will I make joint fees with physicians or sur- geons referring patients to me for operation or consultation; neither will I in any way, directly or indirectly, compensate any one referring patients to me; nor will I utilize any man as an assist- ant as a subterfuge for this purpose. 8. The Regents of the College reserve the right to alter from time to time regulations respecting the admission of Fellows to the College as they may think proper. 9. As evidence of his qualifications in the art and technique of surgery, the candidate is requested to submit the histories or rec ords of fifty consecutive major operations performed by him- self after the date of application for Fellowship. The College has prepared a series of history-forms which in- dicate, in a general manner, first, the data desired in so far as they are applicable to each case, and, second, the form within reason- able limits in which these data should be submitted. These blank forms may be had, upon request, from the General Secretary of the College. The College does not supply these forms for actual record-keeping. The original hospital records, it is assumed, may, upon request, be reviewed for verification with the records submitted. The name of the patient, however, need not be given in any record. The hospital number of each case should be given. 10. In addition to the complete histories of fifty consecutive major operations, as stated in the preceding paragraphs, the candidate is asked to submit in brief abstract a report of at least fifty other major operations in which he has acted as an assistant or which he has performed himself. APPLICATION FOR FELLOWSHIP The application blanks are uniform and each candidate for Fellowship is requested to file an application blank filled out in