Every year select members of the respiratory care profession are honored with the Fellow of the American Respiratory Care Profession, or “FAARC.” Bestowed at the AARC Congress in the fall, this designation recognizes outstanding contributions to the profession in areas ranging from education to research to clinical practice and more.
The AARC Board of Directors recently announced changes to the eligibility requirements for the Fellowship Program. The eligibility requirements are as follows:
- Be an active or associate member of the AARC in good standing for at least ten consecutive years prior to the deadline for receipt of nominations.
- [UPDATED] Possess the RRT credential issued by the NBRC and be licensed or hold registration/certification (if applicable) within their state of employment or, be a licensed physician with a respiratory care-related specialty.
- [NEW] International respiratory therapist nominees must meet the eligibility criteria for AARC membership above and possess the RRT credential from the NBRC or equivalent from the credentialing agency for the country they work or reside. They must have a license (if licensure if applicable) and/or be approved to work within the country they work/reside.
- First term members of the AARC Board of Directors or Officers of the House of Delegates are not eligible.
Two minor changes to the rules governing the Fellowship Program were also made. These changes remove calendar references from the rules, adding flexibility to the nomination review process. Updated rules:
- Deadline for receipt of nominations and all supporting documentation will be determined each year in which the nomination is to be considered or, by pronouncement, an earlier deadline as determined by the dates of the AARC’s Annual Congress. Nominations not received by the established date will not be accepted.
- Selection Committee members will be provided an electronic folder containing all accepted nominations and supporting documents in alphabetical order. Committee members will also receive a ballot to indicate which nominees they consider worthy of induction as a Fellow. Completed ballots will be returned to the Chair anonymously for final tabulation.
For a complete list of Fellowship Program requirements, go to the Criteria and Rules page.
Email newsroom@aarc.org with questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.
