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Become an AAN Fellow

• For AAN members who are current Neurologist or Physician Affiliate members of the AAN, certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, the American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or the Collège des médecins du Québec, and who meet the application requirements. 
• For AAN international members who are current Neurologist or Physician Affiliate members of the AAN, a recognized specialist in neurology in their country for at least seven years, and who meet the application requirements.
• Members within eligible categories from all practice settings and subspecialties are welcome and encouraged to apply.

Once an application is complete, the application review process will take 6-8 weeks.

If a FAAN’s AAN membership ends due to non-payment of membership dues, this will result in the loss of the FAAN designation.

To nominate a candidate for Fellow status, you must be a current Fellow or Honorary member of the AAN.

FAAN application requirements

The Fellow designation is a formal distinction available to AAN members and recognizes special achievement in the neurosciences, the clinical practice of neurology, or academic or administrative neurology. Fellows may be elected only from among candidates who meet the qualifying criteria.

Certification

Applicant must be certified in neurology, or neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology, by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, the American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or the Collège des médecins du Québec. 

OR

Applicant must be a recognized specialist in neurology in their country for at least seven years. 

Neurology interest

Applicant must show their chief interest is directed toward practice, teaching, or research in the neurosciences. 

Professional standing

Applicant must have an overall professional reputation and standing, as determined by the AAN Board of Directors or AAN Executive Committee, that qualifies the candidate for this premier designation.  

AAN membership status

Applicants must be a Neurologist or Physician Affiliate member of the Academy for no less than seven current, consecutive years at the time of application submission and after residency end date. The AAN Member Engagement Committee may waive the consecutive years' requirement if the candidate's membership has briefly lapsed because of hardship or other exceptional circumstances. 

Meeting participation 

Both virtual and in-person meeting attendance count towards FAAN status. Meeting on-demand purchases do not count towards FAAN status.

Applicants located in the United States or Canada must have attended no less than five AAN Annual Meetings, AAN Regional Conferences, AAN Leadership Programs, or Neurology on the Hill after becoming a Neurologist or Physician Affiliate AAN member. The conference/meeting attendance count begins at residency end date.

Applicants located outside the United States or Canada must have attended no less than three AAN Annual Meetings, AAN Regional Conferences, AAN Leadership Programs, or Neurology on the Hill after becoming a Neurologist or Physician Affiliate AAN member (after residency).

Special achievement 

Applicant must have demonstrated special achievement in the neurosciences, the clinical practice of neurology, or academic or administrative neurology pursuant to the following criteria. The candidate’s cumulative body of achievement is considered on a case-by-case basis from the criteria of any or all of the following areas of special achievement:

• Academic achievement: Significant and continuing service as an educator in the neurosciences or neurology, or significant scientific or clinical research in neurology, or significant contributions to the medical literature.
  • Examples of service as an educator include, but are not limited to, holding a teaching appointment of associate professor or comparable status with evidence of significant contribution to the medical literature. Both the publication of papers and presentations at national meetings will be considered in reviewing a teacher's contributions to the medical literature. Examples of contributions to the medical literature as an educator include, but are not limited to, a national educator's award or serial local/regional educator's special recognition; publications in medical education including textbooks, curricula, or education research; or consistent contributions as course director or faculty at AAN annual, regional, or online CME offerings; or preparation of enduring contributions for use in the curricula of residency or fellowship programs. Although there is no absolute numerical requirement for publications, presentations, or dissemination by educators, the candidate's body of work should, at a minimum, meet the level judged by the Committee to be appropriate for promotion to associate professor in the academic setting.
  • Examples of scientific or clinical research include, but are not limited to, the acquisition of new knowledge through hypothesis-driven original work in the neurosciences; clinical, epidemiological, or educational research, or other areas of investigation such as patient safety and health care disparities. Examples include, but are not limited to, success in obtaining peer-reviewed funding and peer-reviewed publications in medical or scientific journals.
  • Examples of contributions to the medical literature include, but are not limited to, the synthesizing of current knowledge in appropriate formats that make information available and useful to other clinicians, educators, researchers, policy-makers, and patients; or using knowledge to improve health care practice, education, health systems, public health, or policy through the publication of review articles in peer-reviewed journals or chapters in high-quality textbooks; and publications or presentations at meetings including case reports, clinical series, didactic lectures (including journal club and grand rounds) at local, regional, and national professional or scientific society meetings.
• Clinical achievement: Significant and continuing community, state, regional, national, or international service in the area of clinical neurology above and beyond the requirements of the physician’s employment contract or activities which promote neurology or the neurosciences.
  • Examples of clinical achievement include, but are not limited to, significant dedication of time and effort to public education outside practice; practice in an underserved community or for an underserved patient population; charitable or volunteered medical services inside or outside practice; service to health or medical-related community service organizations; public relations explaining neurology; and awards from medical or community organizations. The AAN reserves the right to review evidence of clinical achievement on a case-by-case basis.
• AAN leadership: Significant and continuing service to the Academy in a leadership position.
  • Examples of AAN leadership include, but are not limited to, service as a member of an Academy committee or executive officer of a section or other official Academy body, including the American Brain Foundation, AAN BrainPAC, and the AAN Institute; as a member of an editorial board of an AAN publication; as a member of an AAN guideline panel; as an AAN spokesperson on a neurology subject; or as a key advocate on state or federal issues impacting neurology.
• Non-AAN leadership: Significant and continuing service in a prominent leadership position as an officer in a state, regional, national, or international neurological society, or service in a leadership position with a hospital, health organization, government board, or other entity, or medical society.
  • Examples of non-AAN leadership include, but are not limited to, service as an officer of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN); Chief of Staff at a hospital or member of a hospital board of directors; chair of a hospital committee or department; director of a resident, fellowship, or clerkship program; executive health care leadership roles including CEO, officer in a state medical association, or advisor to a President’s Council on Health.
• Community service: Consistent, documented voluntary community service related to neurology. The Member Engagement Committee reserves the right to review evidence of community service on a case-by-case basis.
• Other special achievements: Other special or unusual achievements, as determined by the AAN Board of Directors or AAN Executive Committee upon recommendation by the Member Engagement Committee.

Nominations

Two nominations are required for all Fellow applications. Nominators must be current AAN Fellow or Honorary members. There is space on the application to enter your two chosen nominators. Once submitted, your nominators will receive an automatic, personalized email with a link to your application so they may submit their nomination directly to your application. To search for potential nominators, use the AAN Member Search.

Distinguished Colleague of the AAN

The AAN has a distinction for its non-physician members who work as a part of a physician-led care team and demonstrate exemplary engagement in the AAN and an ongoing commitment to professionalism and leadership in the field of neurology.

The Distinguished Colleague of the AAN (DAAN) designation, while not a class of membership, is a formal designation available to Researcher, Advanced Practice Provider, and Business Administrator members of the AAN. 

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