ACR and ARHP Membership Requirements

Fellows

To qualify as a Fellow, an applicant must:

1. Be a citizen or resident of the United States, Canada, or Mexico
2. Be fully licensed to practice medicine in a state of competent jurisdiction
3. Be of high moral, ethical, and professional standing
4. Be trained in internal medicine or pediatrics and provide either primary or consultative care to patients with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases
5. Have one or more of the following requirements or equivalent
   • Certification in the subspecialty of rheumatology by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Pediatrics or the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine
   • Written confirmation of successful completion of rheumatology training in a residency training program approved by the Accreditation Committee for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) which confirmation shall be received from the individual program director within one year of completion of such training
   • Completion of a rheumatology training program leading to board eligibility
6. Be sponsored by two voting members familiar with the applicant's professional competence, ethics, and moral standing

International Fellow

To qualify as an International Fellow, an applicant must:

1. Reside outside the United States, Canada, and Mexico
2. Be fully licensed to practice medicine in a state of competent jurisdiction
3. Be of high moral, ethical, and professional standing
4. Be trained in internal medicine or pediatrics and provide either primary or consultative care to patients with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases
5. Satisfy one or more of the following requirements or an equivalent:
   • Certification in the subspecialty of rheumatology by the American Board of Internal Medicine or the American Board of Pediatrics (or a similar acceptable certification)
   • Written confirmation of successful completion of two years of rheumatology training in a residency training program approved by the Accreditation Committee on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) which confirmation shall be received from the individual program director within one year of completion of such training
   • Written confirmation by three Fellows of the ACR (one of whom should reside in the same country as the applicant) attesting to the applicant's specialized interest and skill in rheumatology and five or more years' experience in an academic or community practice setting
6. Be sponsored by two voting members familiar with the applicant's professional competence, ethics, and moral standing, one of whom should reside in the same country as the applicant.

ARHP Rheumatology Health Professionals

To qualify as an ARHP Rheumatology Health Professional Member, an applicant must:

1. Be a citizen or resident of the United States, Canada, or Mexico
2. Be eligible for membership in his or her professional discipline's national association
3. Have demonstrated an interest in rheumatology practice, research or education
4. Be a degreed professional in fields including, but not limited to, physical therapy, social work, psychology, occupational therapy, pharmacy and nursing
5. Obtain the signature of a current member of the ARHP or ACR who is familiar with the applicant's professional competence, ethics and moral standing