A Fellowship applicant has listed you as a reference: Now what?

You recently received an e-mail from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) notifying you that an applicant for ACS Fellowship has listed you as a reference in their application. What are the next steps?

To complete the reference form, log into your ACS membership profile at facs.org and go to “My Profile.” Then select “My Reference Requests” and the reference(s) will be there waiting for your input. The process takes less than five minutes to complete.

Your feedback is important, and you can easily complete the online reference via your ACS account. The references help ensure the thorough evaluation of applicants based on their surgical judgment and experience, professional competence, ethical conduct, and professional standing in the local community. Fellows serving as a reference have the chance to impact the future of the College and its membership by not just asserting acquaintance with applicants and their work, but also by providing comments based on their knowledge of the applicants and their surgical practice for review as part of the Fellowship application process.

The references also are part of the interview process. The Committee on Applicants and the International Interview Teams receive the names and e-mails of the references listed for each applicant, which allows them to contact you if they would like additional information.

Requests for references and follow-up reminders are sent by e-mail to Fellows for whom the ACS has a valid e-mail address. For additional information about submitting a reference, contact the Credentials staff at facsapplications@facs.org (domestic) or intlapps@facs.org (international), or by phone at 1-800-293-9623, 8:00 am–5:00 pm Central time, Monday through Friday.

If you have been selected to serve as a reference for a Fellowship applicant, we look forward to receiving your response, and thank you for contributing to the application process.