Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

NSM is an academic non-profit medical society. Membership is typically open to professionals who are actively engaged in the medical sciences, clinical practice, public health, health systems, or medical education. This generally includes:

• Physicians and surgeons holding recognised medical qualifications and, where applicable, licences to practise.
• Other health professionals (e.g. public health practitioners, epidemiologists, allied health professionals) with substantial involvement in medical or health-related work.
• Researchers and academics working in clinical, translational, epidemiological or basic medical sciences.
• Educators and leaders in medical or health professions education.

NSM may define specific membership categories (for example, Member, Early-career Member, Allied Health Member, Institutional contact) through its official membership policies. Final eligibility decisions are made by NSM in accordance with its statutes and governance framework.

Individual membership signifies that a professional has been accepted into NSM and participates in its activities, benefits and community. Fellowship (typically indicated as Fellow of the National Society of Medicine, FNSM) is a higher level of recognition that may be granted to individuals who have demonstrated sustained, distinguished contributions to clinical practice, research, education, leadership or service aligned with NSM’s mission.

Key distinctions often include:

• Criteria: Fellowship normally involves more stringent criteria, such as leadership roles, scholarly output, impact on patient care or policy, and professional standing.
• Nomination / review: Fellowship usually requires nomination or endorsement (for example by existing Fellows) and a formal review process by NSM committees or boards.
• Use of title: Fellows may be authorised to use the FNSM post-nominal in professional contexts, in accordance with NSM guidance.

Details of Fellowship processes, if implemented, are set out in NSM’s official Fellowship or honours documentation.

Prospective members usually complete an online application form via the official NSM website (nsmedicine.org). The application form is designed to gather information needed to confirm eligibility and to understand the applicant’s professional background. Typical information requested includes:

• Personal and professional details (name, professional title, institution, role, country/region).
• Primary clinical or scientific specialty and areas of practice or research focus.
• Licensure or registration details (where applicable) and confirmation of being in good standing with relevant regulatory bodies.
• Academic background and, for some categories, a brief statement on how the applicant’s work aligns with NSM’s mission.
• For Fellowship or certain senior roles, names of referees or NSM Fellows who can provide endorsement.

The application form will also include declarations regarding NSM’s Code of Conduct, privacy policy and terms relating to use of NSM titles and resources.

No. NSM membership does not confer or replace any licence to practise medicine, nor does it substitute for registration with national medical or health professional regulators. Clinical licensing, credentialing and disciplinary authority remain the responsibility of relevant national or regional bodies, employers and institutions.

NSM may request confirmation that members are in good standing with their regulatory bodies and may take appropriate action if serious concerns are brought to its attention, but it does not function as a licensing or disciplinary authority.

Many NSM events welcome both members and non-members, although registration fees, access to certain sessions, or priority for limited-capacity activities may differ. NSM may:

• Offer preferential registration fees or early-bird access for NSM Members and Fellows.
• Provide certain governance or members’ meetings exclusively for members or designated representatives.
• Open major scientific sessions, plenaries and educational tracks to the wider professional community.

Specific conditions are set out in the information for each event, which should always be consulted when planning to attend.

For many formal courses, congresses or structured webinars, NSM may issue certificates of attendance or completion, which can be downloaded from a participant portal or emailed after the event. Where continuing medical education (CME) or continuing professional development (CPD) credits are available, this will be clearly indicated in the event materials.

Participants remain responsible for:

• Checking whether NSM-issued certificates and credits are recognised by their national or institutional accrediting bodies.
• Retaining documentation as required for local appraisal or revalidation processes.
• Ensuring that any self-reported credits accurately reflect their participation.

NSM aims to curate programmes that are scientifically robust, balanced and inclusive. Programme committees typically consider:

• Expertise and scholarly contribution in the relevant topic area.
• Clinical and practical experience relevant to the session.
• Geographical, institutional and disciplinary diversity.
• Inclusion of early-career speakers where possible, with appropriate support.

Conflicts of interest and potential industry relationships are reviewed in line with NSM’s conflict-of-interest policies and Code of Conduct, and may influence programme roles or disclosure requirements.

NSM may develop or support research registries, observational cohorts, surveys or consensus initiatives that align with its mission to advance medical sciences and patient care. Each project is governed by its own protocol, oversight structure and data protection arrangements.

In general:

• Participating centres remain responsible for local ethics approval and regulatory compliance.
• Data use, authorship rules and publication plans are usually set out in project-specific agreements.
• NSM seeks to promote transparency, fair authorship practices and high scientific standards.

NSM expects all research and registry activities to comply with applicable data protection laws and ethical standards. Depending on the project, this may include de-identification or pseudonymisation of data, data transfer agreements, secure hosting arrangements and clearly defined access controls.

NSM’s general Privacy Policy explains how personal data are processed for membership and organisational purposes. Project-specific documentation (e.g. patient information sheets, consent forms, registry protocols) provides further detail for each study or registry.

Members may generally mention their NSM membership or Fellowship in biographical notes where this is relevant and accurate. However, listing NSM as an institutional affiliation in scientific publications is usually appropriate only when:

• The research was formally coordinated, sponsored or supported by NSM; and
• NSM has agreed on the manner in which its name and logo are used in the publication.

Personal research undertaken primarily through a university, hospital or other institution should use that institution as the main affiliation, in line with local policies. Any uncertainty should be discussed with both NSM and the primary institution.

The National Society of Medicine is established as an independent, non-profit academic organisation, with 501(c)(3) status in the United States. Its registered office is located at 1717 N Street NW STE 1, Washington DC 20036. The Society operates under its own statutes, bylaws and governance framework, and is not a regulatory authority or governmental body.

NSM’s charitable and educational purposes focus on advancing medical sciences, promoting high-quality care and supporting ethical education and research across the health professions.

The NSM Code of Conduct sets out expectations for professional behaviour, integrity, independence and collegiality for everyone acting in an NSM-related capacity. This includes Members, Fellows, officers, committee members, speakers, authors, reviewers and participants in NSM activities.

The Code complements — but does not replace — national laws, regulatory standards and institutional policies. Individuals remain accountable to their employers, regulators and local authorities, in addition to NSM’s internal governance processes.

Concerns relating to behaviour, professionalism, harassment, discrimination, conflicts of interest or other aspects of the Code of Conduct should be raised as promptly as reasonably possible. NSM typically provides dedicated contact details (e.g. a governance or ethics email address, or a secure reporting form) for this purpose.

In serious situations involving immediate risk to safety or patient care, individuals should always prioritise local emergency, institutional or regulatory channels. NSM may subsequently review the matter within its own remit, which may include seeking further information, issuing guidance or referring the concern to appropriate external bodies.

NSM typically provides a secure account area on nsmedicine.org for members and, in some cases, event participants. To create or access an account, you will usually:

• Use the “Sign in / Create account” link on the official website.
• Provide an email address associated with your NSM membership or event registration.
• Set a strong password and, where available, enable additional security features.

If you encounter difficulties signing in, you can use the password reset function or contact NSM support using the details on the Contact page. For security reasons, NSM staff will not request your password and will only ask for limited information to verify your identity.

NSM may offer a membership verification process for employers, academic institutions and other legitimate third parties. This may include:

• Online verification tools that confirm whether a membership ID and name correspond to an active member.
• Official letters or emails from NSM, issued upon appropriate request and subject to privacy and data-protection requirements.
• Guidance on how NSM titles and credentials should be cited in institutional records.

Any verification request must respect NSM’s Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection law. NSM may request additional information to validate the legitimacy of the enquiry.

If you identify an error in your NSM profile, membership certificate, event certificate or related documentation, you should contact NSM using the official contact channels, ideally from the email address registered with your membership or event.

Where appropriate, NSM may ask for supporting documentation (e.g. proof of name change, institutional affiliation letter) before updating records, in order to maintain accuracy and integrity of its membership database and certificates.