SUS New Member Application Criteria

The SUS Membership Dues Structure

All files must be uploaded to the online submission site by the applicant in PDF format (REQUIRED). Please remember to include your name and the title of each document when naming files to be uploaded (ex: John Smith – List of Publications).

SUS Membership Qualifications, Eligibility, and Criteria for Applicants

QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP:

a. under fifty-five (55) years of age at the time of election during the Annual Business Meeting;

b. has occupied a faculty position in a university department of surgery and its affiliated teaching hospital, following completion of a graduated university residency training in surgery; and

c. by their work as surgeon, teacher, and investigator gives promise of a successful career in academic surgery.

Individual exceptions to the above qualifications shall be made at the discretion of the Council.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Please Note: only completed applications will be considered for acceptance into the Society of University Surgeons.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Three (3) recommendations are required:

DEPARTMENT CHAIR:  

One (1) attestation that the application is accurate from the Chair of the department from which the candidate derives their appointment. The Chair may upload an optional recommendation. The Division Chief of the applicant may be substituted for the Department Chair with prior approval.

SUS MEMBER SPONSORS:

Two (2) recommendations from the nominating SUS Member Sponsors (one recommendation each from two different SUS Member Sponsors).

NOTE: In order to meet the eligibility requirements, SUS Member Sponsors must be members in good standing. If an SUS Member Sponsor is unsure of their status, they should contact Member Services at [email protected] or call (310) 986-6442, ext. 138, as soon as possible to confirm. Applicants who need assistance in identifying SUS member to serve as Sponsors are also encouraged to use our Public Member Directory feature or contact Member Services.

Recommendations should fully describe the past and present activities of the applicant as they may bear on his/her future promise as a University Surgeon. The Department Chair and both SUS Member Sponsors should be informed in advance by the candidate that they are expected to complete an online recommendation form. The Department Chair may not also be an SUS Member Sponsor.

A link to the online recommendation form will be sent to the email addresses the candidate provides on the new member application. SUS Member Sponsors will be provided with a copy of the applicant’s CV, and the Department Chair will receive a copy of the applicant’s completed application. Please note that paper documents sent by fax or US Mail will not be accepted or reviewed and may result in an incomplete application status.

If the Chair or SUS Member Sponsors do not receive the online recommendation link or have any technical issues, contact SUS member services at [email protected] or (310) 986-6442 ext. 138.

CURRICULUM VITAE:

Each applicant is required to upload his/her Curriculum Vitae (CV) with the application form.

PUBLICATIONS:

Applicants must have published at least 15 peer-reviewed manuscripts during their time as faculty. A list of publications must be uploaded as a separate document with the application form.

In addition, successful applicants are expected to meet at least two of the four criteria in the categories listed below, and documented within the application, CV, and/online recommendation forms.

 1. GRANT FUNDING:
Evidence of extramural research funding of at least $100,000 per year for a current or previous three-year period. On the CV, the applicant must delineate the percent effort devoted to each grant and funding received.

2. EDUCATION:
Details for at least one (1) of the following: (a) Departmental (or higher) teaching award as a faculty member, (b) Director or Associate Program Director of a resident, medical student, or fellowship training program, (c) Chair of national or international committee focused on education, or (d) other major leadership role in education, including international educational projects or initiatives.

3. INSTITUTIONAL LEADERSHIP:
Director of a major, independent functional unit (i.e., SICU) or multidisciplinary program, Division Chief or other major named administrative position (i.e., Chair of the institution’s IRB or quality committee) within the past five years.

4. NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL, OR REGIONAL LEADERSHIP:
Evidence of leadership activities at a national, international, or regional level within the past five years, such as: Chair of a national committee, member of the Executive Council or an officer of a national surgical or scientific organization, inclusion on an extramural grant review panel, editor or associate editor of a major journal, leadership of a global surgical initiative, or editor of a major textbook.