Membership In The Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society

Individuals who have a significant interest in congenital heart surgery may apply for membership in the Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society (CHSS).

Active (Individual) members in the CHSS must be in practice in Congenital Heart Surgery for at least five years. Membership applications are completed online from January-June. The applicant must select three CHSS members to endorse their application. It is the applicants responsibility to ensure their letters of support are submitted. The online application requires the applicants to upload their current CV, a minimum of three representative manuscripts considered to represent their most significant work, as well as relevant fellowship and training certificates. Candidates are reviewed and voted upon during the Annual Business Meeting during the Society's Annual Meeting each fall. Applicants will be notified by October 31 of their acceptance.

Applicants for Active Membership must complete an online application which must include:

1. Three letters from your designated CHSS member sponsors*, and
2. At least three representative manuscripts considered to represent your most significant work; and
3. Copies of certificates for relevant fellowships and training (i.e., ABTS). Fellowship completion certificates should indicate completion greater than five years prior to the application.

*Applicants will indicate their CHSS sponsor members within the application. Once all required documentation is uploaded and the application is submitted, your sponsors will be notified via email to submit their letters of support electronically.

Applicants for Associate Membership must be nominated by a CHSS member and submit a hard copy application.

Member Dues and Obligations
Membership shall consist of individual and institutional designations. Institutional members must be clinical facilities committed to providing congenital heart surgery and must be associated with at least one Active individual member. This Active individual member, designated as the institutional representative, will assume responsibility for overseeing data submission as well as the payment of institutional dues. Institutions with multiple Active individual members shall designate one member to serve as the institutional representative to the Society. Individual and institutional membership are interrelated in that Active individual membership requires membership of that individual's associated institution, and the institutional membership requires the association of at least one Active individual member. Institutional members must be willing to support ongoing studies sponsored by the Society by the payment of annual institutional dues.

Dues for Active Members shall be $750.00 per year
Dues for Institutional Members shall be $8,000.00 per year
Dues for Associate Members shall be $50.00 per year
Emeritus and Honorary Members of the Society are exempt from all dues.

There are four types of membership in the CHSS: Active, Emeritus, Honorary, and Associate.

Categories Of Membership

Active Members are cardiac, cardiothoracic and cardiovascular surgeons whose practice is predominantly congenital heart surgery. Applicants for Active Membership must be associated with an institution that performs a minimum of 100 congenital cardiac surgical procedures annually. The candidate is expected to have achieved distinction in the field of congenital heart surgery and to have made a meritorious contribution to knowledge pertaining to congenital heart disease or its surgical treatment. They must also be sponsored by a CHSS Active or Emeritus Member in good standing as well as receive endorsements by two additional CHSS members in good standing.

Emeritus (Senior) Members are Active Members of the CHSS who have attained the age of 70. Active members who reach age 70 are automatically transferred to Emeritus status.

Honorary Members are selected by the membership of the CHSS.

Associate Membership is open to collaborators who have made meritorious contributions to the mission of the Congenital Heart Surgeons Society. Applications for Associate Membership must be submitted by the annual deadline for all membership applications and must include a letter of sponsorship from an active member with two additional letters of support from active CHSS members. Applications for Associate Membership will be processed by the Membership Committee and approved through the same process as Active members. Associate members may serve as members of standing committees and workforces, but are not eligible to vote, hold office, or serve on the Executive Council.

The 2019 CHSS Membership Application Cycle is open until June 30, 2019.