EURAPS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION PROCESS

The Membership Committee is appointed to evaluate and score potential candidates for EURAPS. The Membership Committee consists of six members. Four members are proposed by the Executive Council and voted upon by the membership present at the General Assembly. They will serve for three years and are not eligible for re-election. The Chair of the Membership Committee is the President-Elect. The Secretary General participates ex-officio. The members of the Membership Committee investigate the contents of each application and score the contents according to the Guidelines Application Form.

Section 1 There shall be five classes of Membership in the Association: Active, Senior, Associate, Corresponding and Honorary.

Section 2 Membership of the Association is by application. Membership is a privilege and not a right, and it is contingent upon continuing compliance with the by-laws of the Association. No person shall be elected or remain a member of the Association unless they are of good moral character and adhere to accepted principles of medical ethics.

Section 3 Membership in the Association shall be limited to plastic surgeons of a high level of scientific and clinical excellence. It is the prerogative of the Membership Committee to determine the minimum level of scientific and clinical excellence. Under exceptional circumstances, like internationally recognized outstanding clinical practice, the below requirements can be waived by a two-third majority of the Executive Council.

Section 4 – Active members

A. QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Shall be full members of their National Society of Plastic Surgery.
2. Shall be officially qualified in plastic surgery.
3. Shall have been in active practice of plastic surgery for a minimum of three years after completion of training.
4. Shall have published 3 publications (related to plastic surgery) as a first author or senior last author in an international, peer-reviewed journal with an impact factor >1
5. It is strongly recommended to have personally presented a paper to a EURAPS Annual Meeting or at another international high standard meeting in Plastic Surgery, recognized by EURAPS.
6. The candidate needs to be recognized for their contributions to the specialty of plastic surgery. This can be, amongst others, by lectures and/or by presentations at well- established meetings, by numerous international publications, by leadership positions in local or international societies and/or by academic appointments.
7. Should have attended at least one annual EURAPS meeting in the past 5 years (either virtual or physical)

B. RIGHTS and DUTIES

1. May vote, hold offices and serve on committees of the Association.
2. May use the name and logo of the Association after obtaining authorization from the Secretary General or from the President.
3. Shall pay the annual dues.
4. If absent for three consecutive meetings, members shall be dropped from the membership roster, unless the absence is excused in writing by the Officers and the Council.

Section 5 – Senior members

A. QUALIFICATIONS:

1. When Active or Corresponding members retire completely from active practice they may, upon request, become Senior members. This class of membership must be conferred by the Executive Council and approved by the General Assembly. Senior members are not required to pay dues or attend meetings. However, they shall pay the same registration fee as Active or Corresponding members for the meetings they attend.

B. RIGHTS and DUTIES

1. May participate in the General Assembly but may not vote or hold an Association office.
2. Shall not be required to pay dues or attend meetings. However, they shall pay the same registration fee as active members for the meetings which they attend.
3. Are obliged to notify the Association if they resume active practice or if their status changes in any other way. In this case eligibility lapses automatically.

Section 6 – Associate members

A. QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Should be Board certified or resident in training in Plastic Surgery.
2. Shall also be junior or full member of their National Society of Plastic Surgery.
3. Should apply for active membership when the criteria are met.
4. This type of membership can be maintained for a maximum of 5 years.
5. Should have presented personally a paper at EURAPS Annual Meeting or ERC Meeting or at another international high standard meeting in Plastic Surgery, recognised by EURAPS.
6. Shall have published 2 publications (related to plastic surgery) as a first or second author in an international, peer-reviewed journal with an impact factor >1
7. Should have attended at least one annual EURAPS meeting in the past 5 years (either virtual or physical)
8. Under exceptional circumstances, the above requirements can be waived by a two-third majority of the Executive Council

B. RIGHTS and DUTIES

1. May not hold offices, may not vote but shall have the rights and privileges of the Association.
2. If absent for three consecutive meetings they shall be dropped from the membership roster unless the absence is excused in writing by the Officers and the Council.
3. Shall pay the Annual dues 100,00€ less than active members.
4. Shall pay the same registration fee as active members for the meetings they attend.
5. Will be awarded an additional bonus when applying for full active membership, if they were active participants in at least 2 meetings since becoming members.

Section 7 – Corresponding members

A. QUALIFICATIONS:
Corresponding members shall be those who reside and practice in countries other than Europe, and who:

1. Shall be full members of their National Society of Plastic Surgery
2. Shall be board certified in Plastic Surgery.
3. Shall have at least two years training in Plastic Surgery at a program recognized by EURAPS
4. Shall have been in active practice of Plastic Surgery for a minimum of three years after completion of training.
5. Shall have published 3 publications (related to plastic surgery) as a first author or senior last author in an international, peer-reviewed journal with an impact factor >1
6. Under exceptional circumstances, the above requirements can be waived by the Executive Council.
7. Should have attended at least one annual EURAPS meeting in the past 5 years (either virtual or physical)

B. RIGHTS and DUTIES

1. May not hold offices, may not vote but shall have the rights and privileges of the Association.
2. If absent for three consecutive meetings they shall be dropped from the membership roster, unless the absence is excused in writing by the Officers and the Council.
3. Shall pay annual dues as full members

Section 8 – Honorary members

QUALIFICATIONS:
Honorary members shall be individuals whom the Association deems worthy of special honor because of notable contributions in the field of Plastic Surgery or because of long activity in the interests of the Association. This class of membership must be conferred by the Executive Council and approved by the General Assembly. They are not required to attend Meetings or pay dues.

Section 9 – Election of members

Active, Associate and Corresponding candidate for membership:

1. Can apply if supported by two full members of EURAPS, one of them must belong to the same country as the candidate. In case of countries with no active members, the Secretary General needs to be one of the two patrons.

2. Each candidate for Active, Associate or Corresponding Membership must submit the following items to the Secretary General

• The membership application form signed by the two sponsors
• Certificate of registration as a specialist in Plastic Surgery
• Evidence of full membership to the National Plastic Surgical Society
• Curriculum Vitae, submitted according to the Membership Application Guidelines
• One copy of a regular CV
• Evidence of the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (EBOPRAS) examination, if taken.

3. The Executive Council shall consider the slate of candidates as recommended by the Membership Committee and approve each Member based on their qualifications. The General Assembly shall vote on the list of Members to be elected.

Section 10 – Application for Membership

Completed applications for active, associate and corresponding membership must be submitted to the Secretary General by 1st of December of the year preceding the Annual meeting, usually the following May.

Section 11 – Notification of Members

All new Members will receive a certificate of Membership signed by the President and Secretary General and a copy of the by-laws of the Association.

1. Can apply if supported by two full members of EURAPS, one of them MUST belong to the same country as the candidate. In case of countries with no active members, the Secretary General needs to be one of the two patrons.

2. Must submit to the Central Office-Secretary General ( euraps@eurotraining.it ) before December 1st the following:

• Membership application form supported by two sponsors
• Certificate of registration as a specialist in Plastic Surgery
• Evidence of full membership of the National Plastic Surgical Society
• the APPLICATION FORM filled in according to the Membership Application Guidelines
• One copy of a Curriculum Vitae in European format
• Evidence of the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (EBOPRAS) examination, if taken.

3. The Executive Council shall consider the slate of candidates as recommended by the Membership Committee and approve each Member based on their qualifications. The General Assembly shall vote on the list of Members to be elected.

4. If rejected for 2 consecutive times they must wait two years before resubmitting the application.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS
Amendments to the above rules shall be decided by Members of the Membership Committee and approved by the General Assembly.