The Award of Fellow in the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians may be conferred on Founder and Active Members who have:

• Contributed outstandingly through teaching, authorship, research, or professional leadership, either state or national, to the stated purposes of the ACOFP, and who shall have served a one-year AOA-approved internship and who shall have been a dues paying member at any level of the ACOFP for at least six (6) consecutive years prior to nomination. In the event the nominee has not served a one-year AOA-approved internship, the nominee shall have been a dues paying member of this College for at least eight (8) consecutive years prior to nomination.
• Be certified by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) or the American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS).
• Actively participate in local and state osteopathic organizations and ACOFP affiliate societies.
• Nominees must have attended a minimum of at least six (6) ACOFP or AOA (registered as a family physician) Annual Conventions in the immediate past ten (10) years. At least three (3) meetings must be ACOFP Annual Conventions and the remainder may be the AOA Scientific Seminars/Annual Conventions. One ACOFP Intensive Review and Board update may be used in place of an AOA Scientific Seminar/Annual Convention.
• Supported past and current hospital, state society, and national activities of the ACOFP.
• A nominee in the military who is unable to attend the ACOFP and AOA Annual Conventions may substitute up to 3 AMOPS (Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons) Conventions for AOA Annual Conventions.

• Each Fellow application shall be accompanied by a letter of endorsement by the sponsor and a letter of recommendation from the ACOFP state society, if applicable. If there is no state society, a letter from another ACOFP Fellow who practices in the area or state of the nominee is acceptable.
• The application should include the completion of an unpublished scientific paper pertinent to family practice and suitable for publication. This paper should be edited by the sponsor prior to submission, and the sponsor shall submit a written appraisal of the nominee’s paper, which shall be included in the nominee’s file prior to consideration. All submitted scientific papers shall become the property of ACOFP.
• A fee of $195 or more, as determined by the ACOFP Board of Governors, submitted by the sponsor of the nominee, shall accompany the Fellow nominee application to cover administrative and Awards Committee expenses. A suitable portion of the fee ($125) or less, as determined by the ACOFP Board of Governors, shall be refunded to the sponsor of an unsuccessful candidate.
• Upon notice of approval by the ACOFP Board of Governors, the successful nominee shall bill an additional $375 or more, as determined by the Board of Governors.
• Fellow applications shall be sent only to Fellow sponsors.
• All completed applications must be postmarked no later than August 31, 2008 for the next award ceremony to:
  American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP)
  c/o Awards Committee
  330 E. Algonquin Road, Suite 1
  Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005
• Any active Fellow may nominate only one qualified member for the Award of Fellow per year.
• This award shall not be conferred on any person outside of the osteopathic profession.
• Notwithstanding any of the requirements herein above stated, the ACOFP Board of Governors shall have the authority, in its discretion, to confer the Award of Fellow in the ACOFP on an Active Member, in addition to those nominated by the Awards Committee. The nominee shall be approved by a majority of the ACOFP Board of Governors. Nominations shall be made as confidential as possible.
• Should the Awards Committee find that a candidate does not meet the requirements, the sponsor will be contacted for consultation.