Membership Criteria

The Membership Committee is responsible for reviewing nominations for AOA membership. Consideration for membership is thorough and focuses on a candidate's experience in the following three domains:

  1. Professional Positions Held/Professional Employment
  2. Scholarships and Research
  3. Leadership in Orthopaedics and Medicine

A candidate should show accomplishment/experience in each of the domains. Candidates may also show accomplishment/experience through other leadership experience which the committee can consider for exceptional candidates who may not have the needed accomplishment/experience in the three primary domains. In order for a candidate's application to be reviewed, the AOA's Candidate Profile must be complete.

1. Professional Positions Held/Professional Employment

When providing this information, please indicate position title and length of time (include dates) in that position. Military service should be included here, as well as any special training.

2. Scholarships and Research

A. Research support (give titles, sources, amounts, investigators [specifically state whether you are a named principal investigator or a named co-investigator] and dates.)

  1. Institutional
  2. Industrial
  3. Federal grant as PI or Co-PI (NIH, CDC, VA, etc.)
  4. National peer reviewed grants

B. Publications, Presentations and Exhibits in the last five years.

  1. Refereed Articles
  2. Book chapters
  3. Book editor
  4. Non-refereed articles
  5. National presentations and exhibit

C. Scholarly or Other Academic Honors (include only those honors received after medical school; do not include "best doctor" awards) - Examples include:

  1. National or International awards or honors
  2. ABC Traveling Fellowship
  3. Other traveling fellowship
  4. Institutional award
  5. Presenter of Best Paper at regional or national meeting

3. Leadership in Orthopaedics and Medicine

A. Significant leadership positions held in orthopaedic related organizations in the last 10 years.

  1. Officer (i.e., president, vice president, secretary, treasurer)
  2. Board Member
  3. Committee Chair
  4. Committee Member

B. Significant leadership positions held in non-orthopaedic medical organizations in the last 10 years.

  1. Officer (i.e., president, vice president, secretary, treasurer)
  2. 2. Board Member
  3. Committee Chair
  4. Committee Member

Examples of Other Leadership Experience

Significant service within the last 10 years.

  • Officer in a local or regional organization
  • Member of a campaign committee or finance committee for candidate for public office
  • Held public office
  • President of a county medical society
  • Chief of Staff of a community hospital
  • Chairman of a citywide medical study group
  • Organizer or founder of a formal medical program of regional interest
  • Member of a similar group
  • Chairman of a state council or commission or governor's council with medical-health purpose

An individual's success as a leader is directly tied to professionalism. The AOA's Professionalism Guiding Leadership identifies the professionalism traits it seeks in its members.