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Call for Fellows

Now is the time to begin the process of nomination if you would like to be considered for initial or current Fellow from Div. 42. Please note that the Division actively supports its candidates with a mentoring program that matches applicants to Fellows who will help them prepare their application packet.

The information below is intended for reference, as a sort of informal or practical guide through the application process.

Some Division 42 members have expressed skepticism about their qualifications, and I think it is important to acknowledge that Initial Fellow status is difficult to achieve, partly because applications are reviewed by the Membership Committee of APA, where practitioners are at best under-represented. Nevertheless, we on the Fellows Committee do not want anyone to feel intimidated by this process.

Let me suggest three steps that each applicant might take, after reviewing the forms from the Division 42 Central Office. First, I suggest you look at your c.v., both to make sure it is up to date and to ensure it completely reflects all the things you have done professionally. This includes offices in organizations, awards, papers presented at regional or national meetings, as well as publications, whether refereed or not. Many practitioners use a stripped-down c.v. but for this purpose that will not be helpful.

Having made sure that your c.v. is complete and accurate, the next step is to evaluate it yourself in terms of any themes represented, and then relating those to the scene in professional practice over the last few years. The crucial question is, what part of your work has had an impact beyond the local level?

The next step should be to structure your self-nomination letter along the line of the themes that you wish to develop. Remember that the emphasis is on the things you have done, or in other, words the work that you did and its visibility. Then select your endorsers, and instruct them as far as necessary on what aspects of your work you wish for them to comment on.

Send each endorser a copy of your c.v. and your self nomination letter, with a brief statement of your intent for their endorsement.

The endorsement letter should be sent back to Central Office through you, so do not hesitate to read them, or at least read a copy. Many applicants in the past have selected more than the minimum of three endorsers, in order to cull any letters that are not sufficiently on target or that are not worded properly. Remember, the key element here is endorsement of your work, not you as a person. In other words, it will not matter to the APA Membership Committee that you are knowledgeable, a skilled teacher, an accomplished practitioner, or the like. What does matter is that you have received recognition for excellence, such as awards or offices in which you have accomplished various things, and that your work has received recognition. The job of your endorsers is to drive home the point of what you have accomplished and how they know your work. It may be somewhat helpful to select endorsers who do not live in your local area, and it probably helps to have endorsers who themselves are likely to be known to the APA Membership Committee members. Please note: your letters of endorsement must be from APA Fellows and at least two must be from Division 42 Fellows.

We have set a deadline of January 1, 2005 for receipt of your application by the Division 42 Central Office. Let me review, then, the steps that are necessary for this process: (1) Complete and tweak your c.v. into good professional form, making sure that you have included nationally important offices or professional activities in which you have participated, together with both refereed and non-refereed publications, paper presentations, and the like. (2) Contact your minimum of three endorsers (who must be Fellows of APA and at least two of which must be from Division 42). It helps to have more than three endorsers. (3) Send a copy of your c.v. and your self-nomination letter to your endorsers, with a brief cover letter directing their attention to the aspects of your work that you want them to mention specifically.

To obtain a packet for Initial Fellow, please contact the Division 42 Central Office: 919 W. Marshall Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85013, FAX 602 246 6577, email:div42apa@mindspring.com
If you wish to apply for Fellows status (you are currently an APA Fellow, please indicate your status and request an application from the Central Office (above).

Please contact Iline A. Serline, PhD, Union Street Health Assoc., 2084 Union St., San Francisco, CA 94123; Ofc: 415 931 3819, Fax 415 563 2457 or email iserline@ileneserlin.com or Alan Entin Lee Medical Building #510, 1805 Monument Ave, Richmond, VA 23220 - PH; 804 359 0109 or adentin@earthlink.net if we can be of any help.

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