Fellowship is the highest honor the Association bestows. To be awarded Fellow, the nominee must have made outstanding contributions to the discipline of interventional regenerative orthopedic medicine.

The key word for this award is "outstanding:" the nominee must truly stand out among one's peers. The term implies contributions that are significant and would be so regarded within and beyond one's community or state. While there are thousands of members who fulfill their professional responsibilities competently, only a small percentage have, by virtue of the quality and amount of their contributions, distinguished themselves sufficiently to warrant recognition.

The Honors and Awards Committee awards nominees solely on the information provided in the nomination documents prepared by the sponsor. When information and/or documentation are incomplete, the Committee may be unable to award deserving individuals.

Required Components for Fellow Nominations

• Nominee is an AAOM member in good standing or an international affiliate.

• Nominee must have completed with passing grades both the written and practical exams of the AAOM IROM-C program.

• Nominee must provide a professional vita (using the template provided below).

• Nominee must provide a head shot photo.

• Nominee must provide a short biography for announcement to membership and affiliated news outlets.

• One Fellow of the AAOM sponsor-member in good standing or international affiliates must write a letter of recommendation.

Note: The nominee may provide supporting information directly to the sponsor and may assist in the preparation of the document. However, the sponsor has ultimate responsibility for the final nomination materials. Once the materials have been submitted, the nomination process should remain confidential among all participants.

Areas of Outstanding Performance

Nominees for Fellow must show outstanding contributions to their profession within and beyond one's community or state in three of the six areas listed below. The nomination is evaluated only on the three areas designated by the sponsor and agreed upon by the co-sponsors. The reviewers will be looking for objective evidence of specific accomplishments in the identified three of the six areas. Sponsors are encouraged to focus on both the quantity and quality of the nominee's achievements. The letters should describe clearly the outcomes and significance of the nominee's achievements in each area and should explain why the contributions are outstanding. Achievements should be specific to one area, that is, the same accomplishment should not be used as evidence for outstanding contributions in more than one area.

1. Clinical Service in the Area of Regenerative Orthopedic Medicine. Documentation should be in the form of factual information that verifies the quality, extent, and outcomes of outstanding clinical service. Examples of ways an individual may have rendered outstanding clinical service include the following:

• The development of new or more effective service/delivery models. Evidence that the model was adopted by other clinicians or organizations can demonstrate the model's impact or importance.

• The organization of methods for disseminating clinical information

• The amount and quality of direct client/patient care provided

• Development of new or improved diagnostic and/or treatment procedures

Neither an occasional letter of appreciation from clients and/or patients, nor routine performance of high-quality professional services is sufficient, in itself, as documentation of outstanding clinical services.

2. Clinical Education and/or Teaching in Regenerative Orthopedic Medicine and its Multiple Disciplines. Evidence of outstanding contributions may include (but are not restricted to) the following:

• Number and quality of new courses developed by the nominee

• Amount and quality of contributions to continuing education (workshops, lectures, symposia, short courses, seminars)

• Courses, workshops, lectures etc. to other professionals and students of other professions (e.g., medical education) about regenerative orthopedic medicine and its multiple disciplines

• Development of innovative or unique instructional methods and/or materials

• Supervision and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students and Clinical Fellows

• Nominations for or receipt of awards for outstanding teaching

• Results of representative samples of evaluations of teaching and mentoring by regular and/or continuing education students

• The number and nature of any invited lectureships, etc.

3. Research and Publications Contributing to the Knowledge Needed by the Professions. Evidence of excellence in this area should include a listing of professional presentations and publications and their theoretical or practical impact. Evidence of outstanding contributions may include (but are not restricted to) the following:

• Articles in national or international refereed journals

• Articles in non-refereed local, state or regional publications

• Impact factors for the journals in which articles appear

• Books (including whether nominee was author or editor)

• Chapters, technical reports

• Author citation rates

• Internal and external funding

• Awards and other recognition of outstanding contribution(s) in research

The amount and quality of supervision and mentoring of others in the area of Research and Publications may be included in this area. (Unpublished reports and other research efforts of limited scope or availability to the profession are not considered sufficient evidence of an outstanding contribution in this category.)

4. Administrative Services. Evidence of contributions in this area may include:

• Administrative titles held by the nominee, e.g., head, chief, chair, director

• Programs or units administered, e.g., academic, department, clinic, research program

• Nature of the institutions in which the nominee served as administrator, e.g., college, university, hospital, public/private schools, practice ownership

• Time periods spent in various administrative roles

• Size and scope of programs administered, e.g., number of clinicians, faculty, students, patients/clients

• Amount and quality of supervision and mentoring of staff members who do not provide direct client/patient services

• Impact of innovative administrative structures and processes

Quality of administrative activity should be evidenced by information pertaining to broad planning and administration of programs that have impact on the quality of service or the image of the profession; development and administration of innovative programs directed at special needs; and/or growth patterns in programs administered, e.g., increases in scope of service/research, funding, staff development. Outcomes and the quality and impact of those outcomes should be addressed for key administrative roles.

5. Service to AAOM. Evidence of outstanding leadership and/or service to AAOM may include:

• Membership or leadership on AAOM committees, boards, councils, task forces, etc., Advisory Councils, or the Board of Directors

• Service as the AAOM representative(s) to the boards, committees, task forces, etc., of other organizations and regulatory bodies (e.g., FDA)

• Editorial and/or review service on AAOM publications

• Annual convention program chair, section chair, or reviewer

Documentation in this area should address how the nominee's service and participation contributed to quality outcomes that impacted the professions. Regular attendance at professional meetings and/or presentation of papers at such meetings is not construed to be sufficient evidence of outstanding contributions in this context.

Fellow General Requirements

Vita Template (required)