Become a Fellow of IDSA
What is an IDSA Fellow?
Fellow of IDSA, or FIDSA, is a designation that recognizes individuals who have achieved professional excellence and provided significant service to the profession.
Applicants must meet the specified criteria for either the clinical practice or academic/investigator/administrator track. Candidates for fellowship must demonstrate sustained excellence in the profession as defined below and complete the application to become a Fellow.
Becoming a Fellow
Upon review, IDSA will advance most meritorious individuals who apply for fellowship after five years of full membership.* The Society, however, may advance individuals with exceptional qualifications to fellowship after three years of full membership.* Rarely, IDSA will induct a new candidate for IDSA membership directly to fellowship, bypassing the member category for individuals exhibiting unusual degrees of productivity and peer recognition.
* Full membership does not include those years in training. To be eligible, you must have completed training at least five years ago and must have been an active IDSA member for the last five years.
Clinical practice track
Clinical practice of infectious diseases or related field as primary activity; service to the profession must be significant in quality and have local, regional or national impact as described below.
Clinical track candidates must meet the following criteria:
Continuing identification with the field of infectious diseases (as an infectious diseases clinician, researcher, microbiologist, epidemiologist, pharmacologist or administrator)
Local Recognition
Evidence of local recognition could include any of the following: organization and/or participation as a teacher in local courses; and/or service as an officer for a local or state infectious diseases society; and/or documented excellence as a teacher, clinical microbiologist; and/or clinical appointment at a medical school (associate professor or higher); and/or leadership positions in a hospital (e.g., related to infection control, pharmacy and microbiology); and/or leadership in local or state public health initiatives (e.g., related to planning for bioterrorism or pandemic influenza).
National Recognition
Service on committees and task forces of IDSA; service on national committees addressing infectious diseases issues, e.g., those of the American Medical Association, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Publication after post infectious disease Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education training is not a requirement for advancement to fellowship in the clinical track. However, significant contributions to articles in peer-reviewed journals (e.g., case reports, case series and review articles), chapters in textbooks and/or contributions to other publications endorsed and disseminated by hospitals or health departments provide additional evidence that candidates for fellowship in this track have met the scholarly and pedagogical expectations of a fellow.
Academic track
Clinical or basic research, administration or teaching in infectious diseases or in a related field as primary activity; service to the profession must be significant in quality and have local, regional or national impact as described below.
Academic/investigator/administrator track candidates must meet the following criteria:
Continuing identification with the field of infectious diseases (as an infectious diseases clinician, researcher, microbiologist, epidemiologist, pharmacologist or administrator)
Local Recognition
Evidence of local recognition could include any of the following: medical school appointment as associate professor or above; and/or documented excellence as researcher, administrator, teacher; and/or appointment as department head or head of an infectious diseases division.
National Recognition
Principal investigator or major investigator on National Institutes of Health, Veterans Administration, CDC, foundation or industry-sponsored grant; IDSA committee membership; NIH study section or VA merit review board member; and/or invited participant in national/international meetings
Five or more substantial, scholarly first-authored publications or 10 or more multi-authored publications in peer-reviewed journals; and evidence of continued productivity as a researcher and scholar since completed training, e.g., via presentations at national/international meetings and publications
How to apply
The following items must be submitted to be considered for fellowship:
- Complete the online application during the application cycle, which will next open in fall 2025.
- Statements of support must accompany the application for advancement.
Assessment and Approval of Applications
Applications are reviewed for approval by the IDSA Board of Directors each spring.