This Fellowship is open to doctors practising in anaesthesia, critical care or pain medicine in the UK who do not hold the RCoA Fellowship in Anaesthesia and who meet the criteria as set out below.

Applications for Fellowship ad eundem are considered by the College through the Nominations Committee. This guidance clarifies the technical requirements for Fellowship ad eundem and provides guidance to applicants and to members of RCoA Nominations Committee.

1. Entry route
   1. Any person in bona fide practice of the profession of anaesthesia, critical care or pain medicine in the United Kingdom, who satisfies the conditions specified in this Regulation, may apply for admission to Fellowship of the College ad eundem provided that they hold one of the following qualifications:    
      1. Any specialist qualification in Anaesthesia, Critical Care or Pain Management for the time being accepted under the terms of the European Specialist Medical Qualifications Order for admission to the Specialist Register in the United Kingdom;
   2. In addition the conditions which must be satisfied by an applicant for the Fellowship ad eundem are that:
      1. The applicant is in practice in the United Kingdom in a substantive or honorary consultant post;
      2. Council consider the applicant to have furthered the interests of the College and/or the specialty;
      3. The applicant is a fit and proper person.
2. A person who is eligible to be admitted a Fellow ad eundem shall submit their application for election to the College which may also, in any case in which it thinks fit, invite such an application to be made.
3. An application for election to Fellowship ad eundem shall be accompanied by the following documents and such other matters as may be prescribed:
   1. a Declaration, in the prescribed form, signed by the applicant;
   2. a curriculum vitae of the applicant;
   3. a certificate, signed by six Fellows of the College, to the effect that the applicant is a fit and proper person to be admitted to the Fellowship. No Fellow who is deprived of privileges, for whatever reason, shall be eligible, while so deprived, to sign a certificate for the purpose of sub-paragraph (c) of this regulation.

4. An application, with accompanying documents, shall be submitted to Council through the committee with responsibility for considering such applications which, if satisfied that it meets the requirements of the Charter and these regulations and is otherwise acceptable, may recommend to Council that it should be granted.

5. Council shall consider a recommendation for admission to Fellowship ad eundem. If there is not a clear consensus a candidate’s application receiving the votes of two thirds or more of the elected Council members present shall be duly approved.

6. An applicant whose application for admission to the Fellowship ad eundem has been approved by Council shall be required to attend the College Diplomates Day, held in London during the month of September,  for the Declaration of Fellowship to be administered to them in the presence of the President or Vice President whereupon, having signed their name in the Roll of Fellows, they shall be admitted to the Fellowship. The President or Vice President shall welcome the Fellow who will then receive their Diploma Certificate.

Fellowship ad eundem is literally equivalent to a Fellow of the College and is not just about a test of knowledge (FRCA) or about being on the specialist register as both of these are addressed separately by different processes.

The objective of the selection process is to identify and support individuals who are or are beginning to engage in a material way with the College. Whilst we definitely wish to discourage ‘stamp collectors’ we do not want to bar or grossly discourage credible emerging individuals at the start of meaningful interactions with the College.

Typically a Fellowship ad eundem will have all of the characteristics as someone who is both FRCA and a ‘good Consultant’ plus a ‘bit more’.

Typically this might comprise:

• College tutor*
• other significant educational contribution in their own department
• the equivalent for Pain or Intensive Care Medicine (Faculty Tutor)*   
• regularly lecturing on College CPD events or courses with good feedback
• other service to the College

*In some cases applicants may be ‘on the cusp’ of some of these roles.

External markers of above average contribution include participation in regional/national/international societies, national NHS roles etc. These are important but they are not a substitute for a reasonable degree of engagement with the College. Thus no matter how celebrated somebody is for external markers unless there is at least some moderate degree of engagement with the College then it would not be appropriate for them to receive Fellowship ad eundem.

When evaluating an application for  Fellowship  ad eundem, the threshold should be that the assessor believes (from the evidence provided) that ‘on the balance of probabilities’ the applicant will, over the next few years, meaningfully engage with the College in a sustained and useful manner or that they are already doing so.

• The application form is available below.
• Part 1 of the form should be completed by the applicant, who should then arrange for Part 2 to be signed by six Fellows of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, who attest that the applicant has furthered the interests of the College and is a ‘fit and proper’ person to be admitted to the Fellowship. It is important to note that no Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, who is currently deprived of privileges, is eligible to sign Part 2 of the form.  Any Fellow who is in doubt about their status should check with the College’s Membership Supervisor (direct line: 020 7092 1701, email: membership@rcoa.ac.uk).
• The completed form should be submitted to the Membership Department at the Royal College of Anaesthetists with a copy of the applicant’s curriculum vitae. Those forms received by 1 May will be considered at the May Nominations Committee.  Those received by 1 November will be considered at the November Nominations Committee.
• There is no fee for applying for Fellowship ad eundem.  Successful applicants become Fellows of the College and thereby pay the annual Fellowship subscription, and will in due course receive a subscription payment request.

• Applications are initially considered by the Nominations Committee, which may seek further information from the applicant, or may defer a decision until the applicant is able to meet any relevant criteria not already met, or may recommend to Council that Fellowship ad eundem be granted to the applicant.
• The Committee’s recommendations are forwarded to the following monthly meeting of the College Council which is invited to approve the recommendations.
• Applicants are informed of the decision of Council.  Successful applicants are invited to attend a Presentation Ceremony, at which time they are admitted to the Fellowship and receive their Diploma.  They are then invited to join the President and Members of the Council for lunch.
• Further details are given to successful applicants following the outcome of their application.