Fellowship Overview

What do Henry Wagner, Barbara Croft, Don Schauwecker, Rosalyn Yalow, and Robert Lull have in common along with 213 other select Nuclear Medicine Professionals? All are Fellows of the American College of Nuclear Medicine (FACNM). Any full, honorary, emeritus, corresponding, corporate, or affiliate member of the College is eligible to be designated as a Fellow of the ACNM.

Although some organizations allow members to become fellows simply by belonging for a certain number of years and perhaps having a publication or two, being named a fellow of the ACNM means much more. Those who have attained fellowship are recognized for their contributions, not just their membership. A fellow is recognized as someone who has helped the College, or nuclear medicine as a whole, by giving of their time and energy for the betterment of our profession. There are many who are good physicians, scientists, or supporters of nuclear medicine, but only a select group has been recognized by their peers as deserving of this honor because of what they have done besides their day-to-day work.

As stated in the college bylaws, "fellows shall be those persons who have evidenced to their peers superior competence, integrity and maturity in the application of their Nuclear medicine knowledge and skill and who have been elected to this honor by the Board of Directors." Those given this honor have provided significant and sustained service to the college and to the nuclear medicine community combined, extraordinary and sustained service to the ACNM, or extraordinary and sustained contributions to the field of nuclear medicine.

Requests for fellowship may be made to the Board by completing a nomination packet. The application requires that the nominee have at least one recommendation letter from another ACNM member. Other items required include: a list of the nominee's past service to the ACNM, a list of all ACNM meetings the nominee has attended in the past five years, a list of up to five of the nominee's most recent books or chapters published, a list of up to ten of the nominee's published articles (including reprints of three most significant), a list of up to five other organizations of which the nominee is a member (including significant awards, honors, offices held, etc.), a list of all other significant contributions by the nominee to the field of Nuclear Medicine, and the nominee's current curriculum vitae.

Fellows may initiate the application themselves or someone else may initiate the nomination. The packets may be submitted any time, but, traditionally, fellowships are only announced at the ACNM annual meeting. If you know someone who deserves this honor, obtain an application and make the nomination or encourage him/her to apply. Write that supporting recommendation and help the College recognize the best of our profession.