ACLM has eight different membership categories:
Physician
Physician members shall be doctors of medicine or osteopathy (MD/DO) and hold a valid license in a relevant field as may be required by law. In addition, physician members shall be eligible to vote, be directors, and may hold office. Annual dues for Physician Members are to be set by the Board of Directors.
Physician members practicing in countries other than the United States and Canada must be certified by the medical specialty board or other certifying agency recognized in their country. International Physician members shall vote but not be eligible to be directors, officers, or hold office.
Those whose physician-level training occurred in a country other than the United States or Canada and whose equivalency in educational requirements cannot be adequately verified are not eligible to be Physician members.
Doctoral
Doctoral members shall hold clinical or academic doctoral degrees and be engaged in the practice, teaching, and/or research relevant to lifestyle medicine. Doctorates may include PhD, PharmD, PsychD, DC, ND, DNP, DPT, or other clinically appropriate doctorates approved on a case-by-case basis by the Board of Directors. Doctoral members shall hold a valid clinical license in a relevant field as required by law. The degree must be from an institution recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the Association of Accrediting Agencies of Canada. Those with Doctoral Membership shall be eligible to vote and be Directors but not hold office. Annual dues for Doctoral Members are to be set by the Board of Directors.
Doctoral members employed in countries other than the United States and Canada must be certified by the appropriate certifying agency recognized in their country. International Doctoral members shall not be eligible to vote, be directors, or hold office.
Those whose doctoral-level training occurred in a country other than the United States or Canada and whose equivalency in educational requirements cannot be adequately verified are not eligible to be Doctoral members.
Healthcare Executive Member
Healthcare Executive members shall hold a master’s degree or higher in Administration (i.e. MBA, MHA) and have a minimum of five (5) years experience in an executive-level position (VP or above) in a healthcare system, independent hospital, or other healthcare-related organization, which may include healthcare benefits consultancy or health plan.
Healthcare Executive members are expected to understand the efficacy of lifestyle when used as a therapeutic intervention to prevent and treat disease and are committed to advancing its cause in the healthcare industry and society in general. Healthcare Executive Members shall be eligible to vote. Healthcare Executive members may be elected as members of the Board of Directors, although ineligible to hold office.
Professional Team Member
Professional (non-physician) team members shall be part of or are interested in becoming part of the lifestyle medicine practice team. They may be certified healthcare professionals who have completed an accredited healthcare training program leading to a nationally recognized healthcare bachelor’s, associate’s, master’s or non-clinical doctorates in the United States or Canada, and hold a valid clinical license in their lifestyle medicine relevant field where required by law. In addition, the degree must be from an institution recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the Association of Accrediting Agencies of Canada.
Professional Team Members include, but are not limited to, registered dietitians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, physician assistants, exercise physiologists, physical therapists, kinesiotherapists, behavioral psychologists, occupational therapists, ethicists, etc. Professional Team Members shall vote and serve on committees (as assigned) but may not be eligible to be directors or hold office.
Resident & Fellow Trainee
Resident and Fellow Trainee members shall be in an ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship program, with interest in lifestyle medicine. Members shall pay reduced dues but are eligible to vote in the general Board election and hold office within ACLM’s Trainee Executive Board. Resident and Fellow Trainee membership may be offered jointly with other organizations. One duly elected Student or Resident/Fellow training-level member shall have a seat on the Board of Directors.
Individuals who select the Resident and Fellow Trainee membership level will need to provide proof of verification.
Student
Student members shall be in a post-secondary training program (minimum 0.5 FTE) leading to a nationally recognized healthcare degree from an educational institution recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the Association of Accrediting Agencies of Canada, with interest in lifestyle medicine. Student members shall pay reduced dues but shall not vote and are not eligible to hold office as an Officer or Director but are eligible to vote and hold office within ACLM’s Trainee Executive Board. Student membership may be offered jointly with other organizations. One duly elected Student or Resident/Fellow training-level member shall have a seat on the Board of Directors.
Individuals who select the student membership level may need to provide proof of student verification upon request.
Affiliate
Affiliate Members include medical assistants, patient advocates, health coaches, life coaches, health educators, public relations or marketing professionals, and other interested parties who support and/or practice lifestyle medicine. Affiliate members may neither vote nor hold office. However, affiliate members are to be encouraged to support the business of the ACLM and may be involved in planning and implementing official business (committees and others) as assigned by the President, Executive Committee, and/or Board of Directors.
Retired
Retired members shall no longer be engaged in gainful professional employment and do not qualify for any other membership classification. Retired members shall pay reduced dues but shall not vote and are not eligible to hold office. Physician or Doctoral retired members may serve on the Board of Directors.