Currently, the Macula Society has 328 members, including many international members. Applications are accepted once a year, and members are selected by rigorous acceptance criteria, including extensive contribution to retinal literature. Membership is, therefore, smaller than some organizations, which has promoted exceptional camaraderie and loyalty to the Society. Most members come to almost every meeting. Nearly all members are involved in current research and are investigators in clinical trials. During the annual scientific program, members present original papers on current diagnostic advances and new surgical and pharmacological treatments for macular and retinal diseases. Papers include updates on ongoing clinical trials.

Credentialing Information

The Macula Society Credentialing Committee welcomes your application to our society. Our mission is to promote research and publication in macular and retinal vascular diseases. The purpose of this letter is to clarify what we (the Society and specifically the Credentialing Committee) are looking for in new member applications.

We have a directive from the Executive Committee on the competitive criteria for membership. These criteria do not ensure admission; rather, these criteria provide a basis for selecting our future membership from the best possible applicant pool.

The bylaws of the Macula Society mandate the following for Active Members:

1. MD degree, license to practice medicine, and Board certified (ABO) or the equivalent of these requirements from countries outside the US.
2. Retina fellowship training (at least 1 year).
3. At least 2 years in post-fellowship practice (>50% of time devoted to diseases of the posterior segment).
4. Authorship as first or corresponding author of 2 or more publications on posterior segment diseases that have been published within the preceding 4 years in refereed, peer review journals.
5. Recommendation letters by 2 active members of the Society.
6. Some candidates for membership who have made major contributions in the field may be admitted without fulfilling these criteria.

Applicants are ranked according to the following: (Please submit credentials and letters in English, in a well-organized manner).

1. Organization of the curriculum vitae is important.
2. List years of post-residency training.
3. List years of practice after fellowship.
4. List peer-reviewed publications (Do not include manuscripts that are ‘submitted’, no value will be attributed to non-peer reviewed work). Articles ‘in-press’ are acceptable as long as revisions are not pending. Priority is given to publications in journals with high impact factors. Additionally, priority is given to major articles, then case series, and less priority to single case reports. Finally, first or senior authorship is given priority. Electronic versions of the top 2 articles should be included in the application (i.e. PDF format).
5. Grant support, especially for independent research (i.e. RO-1), is highly valued and should be specifically highlighted. Other forms of grant support, such as clinical trials, are also valued. Identify the source of the funding (i.e. NIH).
6. Letters of recommendation (in English) need to be received by the review deadline.
7. List service work to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) or to State Societies. This work is also valued and should be specified.

Affiliate Members:

1. Persons, other than practicing physicians, whose primary interest is in the basic scientific disciplines related to the purpose of the Society.
2. Authorship of at least 2 publications on posterior segment diseases that have been published within the preceding 4 years in a refereed, peer reviewed journal.

We look forward to reviewing your application for membership in the Macula Society.

Sincerely,
Timothy W. Olsen, MD
Credentialing Committee Chair