It is an exciting time for the psychiatry profession. While new innovations in diagnosing and treatment continue to expand the field, organized psychiatry has made great strides in providing a voice for our colleagues, advocating for our patients, and ensuring the profession’s continued growth. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the Oklahoma Psychiatric Physicians Association (OPPA) members at every level enjoy many benefits and services.
The American Psychiatric Association is an organization of psychiatrists working together to ensure humane care and effective treatment for all persons with mental illness, including substance use disorders. It is the voice and conscience of modern psychiatry. Its vision is a society that has available accessible quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. When you join the American Psychiatric Association (APA) you also join the local district branch, the Oklahoma Psychiatric Physicians Association (OPPA). All applications for membership and changes in membership status are approved by both the Oklahoma Psychiatric Physicians Association and the American Psychiatric Association.
Individual memberships with the Oklahoma Psychiatric Physicians Association and the American Psychiatric Association are available at any time. Memberships are based on a calendar year (January 1 to December 31), so if you renew or join in any month, your dues will be pro-rated for that calendar year. Membership dues for Oklahoma and the APA are billed together through the APA’s centralized dues billing and membership renewal process. The membership categories are detailed below along with the benefits of each.
In addition to APA benefits, OPPA members enjoy benefits including:
- Leadership opportunities
- Access to virtual and in-person CME conferences and meetings
- Networking with other professionals
- Access to the OPPA monthly newsletter and more
When you join the APA and the OPPA, you are becoming a member
of the LARGEST psychiatric membership organization in the world
with over 38,500 members in over 100 countries!
Medical Student Membership
Medical student membership is for physicians in training who are enrolled in a school of medicine or a school of osteopathic medicine. Medical student members are dues exempt and belong to APA at the national level only (there are no dual membership requirements with the OPPA). OPPA offers free/discounted registration to medical student members for its annual CME meetings and for chapter CME conferences from the Central Oklahoma Psychiatric Society and the Tulsa Psychiatry Association. APA provides grants to give medical students opportunities to travel to APA Meetings and receive mentorship from psychiatrists and leaders in the field. Online free CME learning modules, and several of the other benefits available to medical student members are listed below!
APA Guide and Roadmap for applying to psychiatric residency, including application materials, interview questions, and how to choose a program.
SAMHSA Summer Medical Student Program. The APA Foundation Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Summer Medical Student Program (SMSP) provides medical students who are interested in serving underserved communities the experiential learning, training, and professional development they need to be leaders in the field of psychiatry. This month-long program gives participants the opportunity to learn from world-renowned psychiatrists, receive invaluable academic resources, explore content in the award-winning APA Learning Center, and partake in the organization’s annual meeting.
Career and Networking Development Resources. Online directory of summer jobs and networking opportunities through APA JobCentral, including how to build a career in psychiatry and access to travel awards and other research funding opportunities.
Psychiatry Student Interest Group Network (PsychSIGN). PsychSIGN is the national network of medical students interested in psychiatry, from those with a rough interest in the brain and mind to those already in the residency application and match process. PsychSIGN connects students across the country to their peers, to psychiatry residents, and to practicing psychiatrists from a broad range of subspecialties. Join PsychSIGN and sign up for the free email newsletter.
Publications and Journals. Medical student members receive articles on cutting-edge research and the latest developments in the field with free online subscriptions to American Journal of Psychiatry, Psychiatric News Update, and APA Advocacy Update. Members also receive a 20% discount on over 700 books and special member pricing for journals and subscriptions.
Resident/Fellow Membership
Resident/Fellow membership is for physicians who have been accepted into and are active in an approved psychiatric residency or fellowship training program. Explore a career in psychiatry and find resources and ways to get involved! APA and OPPA dues are waived for Resident-Fellow Members (RFMs) for the first year of membership. After the first year of training, annual national dues are $111 for APA and $25 for OPPA ($136 annually until completion of residency/fellowship) for U.S. members. Many resources are available to RFM members!
Fellowship Opportunities. The APA and the APA Foundation Fellowships provide psychiatry residents the experiential learning, leadership, training, and professional development they need to be leaders in the field of psychiatry. The fellowship programs offer opportunities to work with Congress on health policy, conduct research of your design, expand access to care to minority and underserved populations, focus on child psychiatry or substance abuse, and much more. Fellowships are available in many areas including child and adolescent psychiatry, leadership, diversity, correctional psychiatry, public psychiatry, psychiatric research, and minorities and special populations.
Psychiatric News Residents’ Forum. The American Journal of Psychiatry Residents’ Journal (AJP-RJ), is published monthly online with the American Journal of Psychiatry and serves as a forum for psychiatry residents and fellows to share ideas and experiences in training, clinical practice, research, and careers with colleagues. RFMs are encouraged to submit original submissions for the Psychiatric News Residents’ Forum.
SET for Success. The Supplemental Education and Training (SET) program is an online experience to supplement and complement psychiatric training and education. SET provides Resident-Fellow Members with resources to enhance their medical knowledge and practice of psychiatry including practice management, treatment and care, and special populations. SET takes into consideration the core competencies of psychiatry and focuses on the achievement of milestones in psychiatric training.
Leadership Opportunities. Leadership positions in the APA are available for residents and fellows who are interested in organizational psychiatry.
Publications. Resident-Fellow members can receive articles on cutting-edge research and the latest developments in the field with free online subscriptions to American Journal of Psychiatry, Psychiatric News Update, and APA Advocacy Update. Featured free publications for residents and fellows include Building a Career in Psychiatry, A Resident’s Guide to Surviving Psychiatric Training, and the Resident-Fellow Member Handbook. Members also receive a 20% discount on over 700 books and special member pricing for journals and subscriptions.
General Members are practicing psychiatric physicians who have completed acceptable training and who have either a valid license to practice medicine in Oklahoma or hold an academic, research, or governmental position that does not require licensure. Oklahoma membership dues are based on the number of years after completing residency.
Early Career Psychiatrists are General Members who are within their first seven years after completion of training. Dues are reduced for the first six years of General Membership to ease the financial burden of early career psychiatrists.
Fellowship status is an honor that reflects a psychiatrists dedication to the work of the APA and the district branch and signifies allegiance to the psychiatric profession. To apply for Fellowship, the members must be a General Member in good standing and be board certified. Application is made to the APA and is approved by the APA Membership Committee and APA Board of Trustees. Dues rates for Fellows and General Members are the same.
Distinguished Fellowship is awarded to outstanding psychiatrists who have made significant contributions to the psychiatric profession in at least five of the following areas: administration, teaching, scientific and scholarly publications, volunteering in mental health and medical activities of social significance, community involvement, as wall as for clinical excellence. Distinguished Fellow is the highest membership honor bestowed upon members. Members who are invited to apply for Distinguished Fellowship have at least eight consecutive years as a General Member or Fellow, are board certified and approved by the District Branch. Applications require three letters supporting the nomination and must be received from current Distinguished Fellows or Distinguished Life Fellows.
Life Members and Life Fellows are those members whose years of membership plus age at the start of the fiscal year shall equal 95. Membership dues are pro-rated.
ONLINE: www.psychiatry.org/join-apa
PHONE: 1-888-357-7924 | EMAIL: membership@psych.org