Candidate Fellowship is open to orthopaedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and to non-physician members of allied specialties (such as research scientists). Candidate Fellows stay in this category for five years, during which time they must meet their membership requirements and demonstrate their interest in spinal deformity and in the goals of the Scoliosis Research Society. When you are admitted to Candidate Fellowship you agree to:

• Submit yearly on-line Morbidity & Mortality reports (for Surgeon Candidates).
• Submit at least 2 abstracts on different topics to an SRS Annual Meeting or International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST) Meeting during your 5-year Candidacy.
• Attend at least 2 SRS Annual or IMAST Meetings (one must be a SRS Annual Meeting) during your 5-year Candidacy.
• Serve on two committees during your five-year term.
• Review, sign and submit your Annual Requirement Report which shows your completed Morbidity & Mortality submissions (if a Surgical Candidate), abstract submissions, and meeting attendance. Your individualized report is mailed to you by the SRS office annually.
• For Surgeon Candidates - Submit a complete case list (non-operative and operative) for the fifth year of your Candidacy with your Active Application.
• For Scientific Candidates - Publish at least one paper on scoliosis or related spinal deformities in a peer-reviewed and Medline-indexed journal during the five-year Candidate Fellowship.
• Those who complete all requirements are eligible and required to apply for Active Fellowship in the Society at the end of the five-year Candidate period.
• Failure to complete these requirements during the 5-year period may require reapplication to Candidate Fellowship.

Candidate Applicant requirements:

• Must have attended an SRS Annual or IMAST Meeting prior to applying for membership. Meeting attendance must be within five years of the application date.
• Must have submitted an abstract to SRS Annual Meeting or IMAST within five years of application date (as of 9/20/10).
• All surgeon candidates must see patients independently for submitting annual Morbidity & Mortality reports.
• For Scientific Applicants - Must submit at least one abstract for the SRS Annual or IMAST Meeting prior to applying. Submission must be within 5 years of application date.

Senior Candidate Fellowship is limited to senior surgeons, neurosurgeons and to non-physicians members of allied specialties. This candidacy is the path to SRS Senior Active Fellowship. Senior surgeons have the opportunity to become Active Fellows of SRS in two years and not 5 years like the regular Candidate Fellowship track. They must have 20 years of experience (time spent with fellowship and training does not count), be a full professor, head of spine unit or chief of spine division, clinical practice which includes 20% spinal deformity.

• Attend one SRS Annual Meeting or IMAST.
  1. The World Wide Conference will not count toward this requirement.
  2. Meetings attended prior to acceptance date will not count toward this requirement.
• Submit one abstract to the SRS Annual or IMAST.
  1. Abstracts submitted prior to acceptance date will not count toward this requirement.
• Submit annual online morbidity and mortality reports (no chance to opt-out).
• Serve on at least one committee during the two year term.
• Pay annual membership dues on each calendar year of $500 USD or World Bank Economy rate.

If you meet the requirements, you may request a copy of the application from the SRS office. Please contact the Membership Manager, Arlensiu Garcia Novelli at agarcianovelli@srs.org.

Senior Candidate requirements:

• 20 years or more experience in spine deformity practice. (Time spent in fellowships and training does not count).
• Full professorship, head of spine unit or chief of spine division.
• A clinical practice which includes 20% spinal deformity.
• A minimum of twenty spine publications or a strong academic productivity of spine practice.
• Three abstracts submitted or one abstract accepted as a podium presentation to the SRS Annual Meeting or International Meeting on Advance Spine Techniques. Abstract submissions must be within five years of application submission date.
• Attended at least two SRS meetings within five years of application submission date.
  1. One meeting must be the SRS Annual Meeting and the other meeting can be the IMAST or an SRS World Wide Conference.

Active Fellowship is limited to orthopaedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and to non-physician members of allied specialties. They must have made a significant contribution to spinal problems, and must have a practice which includes at least 20% spinal deformity. They must have successfully completed a five-year Candidate Fellowship in the society. Only Active Fellows may vote and hold elected offices within the Society.

Active Fellowship requirements:

• Annual Morbidity & Mortality submissions.
• Meeting attendance, 1 meeting every 3 consecutive years and 1 SRS Annual Meeting at least every five years.

Associate Fellowship is for distinguished members of the medical profession including allied health professionals who have made a significant contribution to scoliosis or related spinal deformities but do not wish to assume the full responsibilities of Active Fellowship and do not have to go through a five-year Candidacy period.

• Associate Fellows pay reduced membership dues.
• Are not eligible to vote or hold an SRS office or apply for Active Fellowship.
• Are eligible to serve on and chair committees.
• Are required to attend an SRS Annual or IMAST Meeting once every five consecutive years.

Associate Applicants requirements:

• Must have attended two SRS meetings (SRS Annual or IMAST) prior to applying for membership. Meeting attendance must be within five years of the application date.
• Must have at least five years of spinal deformity work experience prior to applying for membership.