ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP

SECTION A – CLASSES

The membership of the Medical Society of the State of New York shall be divided into nine classes:

(a) active
(b) student
(c) resident and fellow
(d) post medical graduate
(e) retired
(f) life
(g) honorary
(h) affiliate and
(i) part-time

Active membership shall be limited to graduates of recognized medical and osteopathic schools, hereafter referred to as medical schools) who are eligible for medical licensure in the State of New York and either reside or work in New York State.  Active members shall be all active members in good standing of the component county medical societies who live or work in a component county society as a physician, researcher or in an academic setting as defined in Article X.  A copy of the roster of such members, certified to be correct by the respective secretary of each component county medical society, shall be evidence of the right of the members whose names appear therein to membership in the Medical Society of the State of New York.

The active member shall also include physicians who meet the above requirements and participate through group or institutional membership agreements approved by the Council and the Board of Trustees and by participating county medical societies. (HOD 2019-1)

The active members shall also include physicians who meet the above requirements and are participants in a pilot program or an alternative route to membership that has been approved by the Council and the Board of Trustees and by participating county medical societies, as provided under Article XV. (HOD 2019-2)

Student members shall be those members enrolled in recognized medical or osteopathic schools in the United States or in medical schools included in the World Directory of Medical Schools (www.wdoms.org), who attend medical or osteopathic school or attend clerkships or maintain a residence in New York State.

They shall apply for student membership on a form supplied by the secretary.  When a student member ceases to be enrolled in a recognized medical school pursuing a course of study leading to a degree of Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, other than by reason of graduation, or leave of absence, said student member shall be considered to have resigned from membership in the Medical Society of the State of New York.

Resident/Fellow Membership shall be limited to graduates of recognized medical schools who are in residency training or fellowship and who are resident members of a component county medical society.  Resident membership with full rights and privileges shall also be open:

(1) for one year after graduation to medical school graduates who have not immediately entered a residency program;
(2) for one year after a resident has resigned from a residency program to look for a new residency position in a different field or hospital;
(3) for one year after a resident has resigned from a residency program for a personal or medical leave of absence; and
(4) for the duration of a structured educational program taken within or immediately following residency training.

Post-Medical Graduate members shall be individuals who reside in New York State and hold a medical school diploma from a school in the United States or Canada, or hold a medical diploma and certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates but have not yet entered residency training or been employed as a physician in New York State.  No individual may be a member in the post-medical graduate category for more than three years.

If an individual enters residency training in the year in which the individual has already paid dues in the post-medical graduate category, the individual shall apply for membership in the resident and fellow membership category, and have dues and assessments paid to the Medical Society of the State of New York for the post-medical graduate category be applied as payment for the resident and fellow membership category.  Concurrent membership in a component county medical society is a requirement for post-medical graduate membership unless the individual can demonstrate that the county medical society in the county in which the individual resides has not established a post-medical graduate category.

Retired members shall be those individuals who have fully retired from medicine, irrespective of age.  In order to qualify for retired membership, the physician must have been an active dues paying member in good standing of a component county medical society and the Medical Society of the State of New York for at least twenty-five years.

Life Members may apply for life membership and shall be either:

An active or retired member in good standing who has completely withdrawn from the active work of medicine and who has been a member in good standing for ten consecutive years, prior to the attainment of the age of sixty-seven years, or
an active member in good standing who continues in the active work of medicine and who has been a member in good standing for the ten consecutive years prior to the attainment of the age of seventy-two years, or
an active or retired member in good standing for ten consecutive years or more who is permanently disabled.

The House of Delegates or the Council may waive the requirements in a proper case where there appears to be extenuating circumstances.   A physician shall apply for such life membership to the component county medical society of which he is a member.  Said member’s application shall be governed by the constitution and bylaws of the component county medical society relative to active membership or retired membership.

Such application shall be sent to the secretary of the State Society for presentation to the Council for approval.

Honorary members of the Medical Society of the State of New York shall be such distinguished physicians residing outside the State of New York as may be elected by the House of Delegates.  Nominations for honorary membership shall be endorsed by three members of the State Society and forwarded to the secretary of the State Society for presentation to the House of Delegates.  A two-thirds vote of the House of Delegates present and voting shall be necessary for election to a three-year honorary membership.

Affiliate members shall be those physicians other than life or honorary members who were previously members in good standing of a component county medical society and the Medical Society of the State of New York who no longer reside or work in medicine in New York State, yet wish to be affiliated with the Medical Society of the State of New York.

In order to qualify for affiliate membership, the physician must have been a member in good standing of a component county medical society and the Medical Society of the State of New York at the time the physician terminated the residence and/or working in medicine in New York State.  An affiliate member who re-establishes either residence or work in medicine in New York State shall no longer qualify for affiliate membership but must apply for an appropriate class of membership.  Any dues paid for affiliate membership in the year of reapplication shall be credited towards the dues required for the applicable class of membership.

In the event that an affiliate member resumes the status as an active member of a component county medical society and the Medical Society of the State of New York following the re-establishment of residence and/or working in medicine in the State of New York, the duration of time in which the individual held the status as an affiliate member in good standing shall not be considered as an interruption in active membership for the purpose of determining eligibility for life membership in accordance with paragraph 9 of this section.

A part time member shall be defined as a physician who qualifies for active membership but practices 20 hours or less a week, inclusive of administrative work, or other medical-related duties. Part-time membership will only be offered in those counties that choose to offer such membership. The House of Delegates has the discretion to suspend offering this membership category.

SECTION B – PRIVILEGES

The following members may vote and hold office in the Medical Society of the State of New York:  active, resident and fellow, part-time, retired and life members.

All members shall be entitled to receive the News of New York, and other electronic publications.

Student members shall be entitled to the rights and privileges otherwise accorded in these Bylaws to students.

Honorary members shall be entitled to the privilege of attending the meetings of the Medical Society of the State of New York.

Affiliate members shall not vote nor hold office, but shall be entitled to receive publications of the Medical Society of the State of New York.

A member of the Medical Society of the State of New York who is in arrears for component county medical society dues and State Society dues or assessments shall not be eligible for any office or delegacy or be entitled to vote.

SECTION C – DUTIES, PENALTIES AND CONSEQUENCES

The duties of membership are to follow the Code of Ethics of the AMA, adhere to the policies and Core Values of the Medical Society of the State of New York, and be current in dues as defined in Article III.

A member convicted in a court of law of a crime evidencing moral turpitude shall thereupon cease to be a member of the Medical Society of the State of New York.

A member expelled from a component county medical society or suspended from its rights and privileges shall likewise be expelled or suspended for the same period from the Medical Society of the State of New York. The right of appeal to the State Society shall not be impaired. Members not in good standing or ceasing to be members of their component county medical society shall ipso facto have the same status in the State Society.

A member who has been dropped from the roll of a component county medical society by reason of failure to pay dues shall not be accepted by another component county medical society except by regular transfer after reinstatement in the original component county medical society. A member of one component county medical society shall not be permitted to transfer to membership in another component county medical society until said member has paid the current annual dues and assessments to the former component county medical society and has established a legal residence or works in the county to which said member desires transfer, except as provided in Article X, Section B, “Component County Medical Societies,” Section 2. The question of legal residence or locus of work shall be verified by the component county medical society to which the member desires transfer.

A student member who is suspended from his medical school shall likewise be suspended for the same period from the Medical Society of the State of New York.