Specialty Credentialing

Specialty Credentialing

Invitation to Become a Fellow of Orthopedic Specialty; Plastic & Reconstructive Specialty; Robotic & Minimally Invasive Specialty

The Orthopedic Advisory Council (“OAC”), Plastic & Reconstructive Advisory Council (“PRAC”), and the Robotic and Minimally Invasive Advisory Council (“RMIAC”) of the NSAA invite you to join a growing membership within the NSAA.  If at least 50% of your practice is in one of these specialties, we encourage you to apply for the special designation of Fellow.

If accepted as an F-OS, F-PRS, or F-RMIS you will receive special recognition within NSAA and will be entitled to use the credential behind your name.  In addition, members of these groups will be encouraged to network about appropriate CEU’s that are available and about new techniques.  This will be a group within an organization that you can trust when sharing your achievements in your specialty.

As you are already aware, one of the primary purposes of the NSAA is to improve the professional standing of all its members.  Accordingly, our “Fellow” members will be encouraged to assist “Non-Specialty” surgical assistants when they have questions or need expertise for their own specialty specific cases.

It is the plan of NSAA to develop other Fellowship specialties in the future. These will include Cardiac Surgery, General Surgery, Obstetrics, and Vascular Surgery just to name a few. Each group of fellows within the NSAA will be encouraged to develop an avenue of information helpful to others within NSAA.

The members of the Advisory Councils want to help you achieve your professional goals.  Come join us so we can grow together.  All you need to do is pick up an application by calling the office at 1-855-270-NSAA (also available on the NSAA website) or contact an NSAA board member.  We look forward to hearing from you.

NSAA Fellow of Plastics & Reconstructive Specialty (F-PRS)

The Fellow of Plastics & Reconstructive Specialty (F-PRS) designation recognizes those Certified Surgical Assistants who have demonstrated the highest standards and traditions of the surgical assistant profession, and whose professional activities have been devoted to a plastic surgery specialty while advancing the profession by improving the quality of care for the plastic surgery patient. A candidate designated as a Fellow is also recognized as one whose dedication to professional excellence in plastics has furthered the practice of surgical assisting.

NSAA Fellows are certified surgical assistants, whose professional activities have been devoted to the practice of surgical assisting and who abide by the NSAA Professional Code of Ethics

Candidates chosen as a Fellow will commit and adhere to these ethics when declaring the Oath of a CSA Fellow of Plastics & Reconstructive Specialty (F-PRS)

The evaluation process involves a comprehensive inquiry and evaluation of each candidate’s professional practice as a surgical assistant and his or her contributions to the Plastic Surgery Specialty. Candidates are required to provide NSAA with all relevant information required for the evaluation of the individual.

Attaining and maintaining certification as a Certified Surgical Assistant does not, by itself, entitle the individual to acceptance as a CSA Fellow of Plastics & Reconstructive Specialty (F-PRS).

The specific criteria required for the “Fellow” designation is determined by the Plastics & Reconstructive Specialty Advisory Council. NSAA will require at a minimum, but not limited to, the following:

1) A sponsorship letter from a surgeon who is a member of one of the professional educational associations of surgeons whose mission is to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice. (This will include ACS, ASPS, AAPS, etc…)

2) A Personal Statement indicating the candidate’s desire to obtain the F-PRS distinction.

3) An affidavit pertaining to candidate’s plastic surgery experience.

4) A character reference letter from a fellow CSA.

5) Photocopy of current NSAA Certificate/Recertification.

6) $ 25 application fee made out to NSAA with F-PRS in subject line. 

NSAA Fellow of Orthopedic Specialty (F-OS)

The Fellow of Orthopaedic Specialty (F-OS) designation recognizes those Certified Surgical Assistants who have demonstrated the highest standards and traditions of the surgical assistant profession, and whose professional activities have been devoted to an orthopaedic specialty while advancing the profession by improving the quality of care for the orthopaedic patient. A candidate designated as a Fellow is also recognized as one whose dedication to professional excellence in orthopaedics has furthered the practice of surgical assisting.

NSAA Fellows are certified surgical assistants, whose professional activities have been devoted to the practice of surgical assisting and who abide by the NSAA Professional Code of Ethics.

Candidates chosen as a Fellow will commit and adhere to these ethics when declaring the Oath of a CSA Fellow of Orthopaedic Specialty (F-OS).

The evaluation process involves a comprehensive inquiry and evaluation of each candidate’s professional practice as a surgical assistant and his or her contributions to the Orthopaedic Specialty. Candidates are required to provide NSAA with all relevant information required for the evaluation of the individual.

Attaining and maintaining certification as a Certified Surgical Assistant does not, by itself, entitle the individual to acceptance as a CSA Fellow of Orthopaedic Specialty (F-OS).

The specific criteria required for the “Fellow” designation is determined by the Orthopaedic Specialty Advisory Council. NSAA will require at a minimum, but not limited to, the following:

1) A sponsorship letter from a surgeon who is a member of one of the professional educational associations of surgeons whose mission is to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice. (This will include ACS, AAOS, ASPS, AATS, etc…)

2) A Personal Statement indicating the candidate’s desire to obtain the F-OS distinction.

3) An affidavit pertaining to candidate’s orthopaedic experience.

4) A character reference letter from a fellow CSA

5) Photocopy of current NSAA Certificate/Recertification.

6) $ 25 application fee made out to NSAA with F-OS in subject line. 

NSAA Fellow of Robotic and Minimally Invasive Specialty (F-RMIS)

The Fellow of Robotics & Minimally Invasive Specialty (F-RMIS) designation recognizes those Certified Surgical Assistants who have demonstrated the highest standards and traditions of the surgical assistant profession, and whose professional activities have been devoted to a robotic and minimally invasive surgery specialty while advancing the profession by improving the quality of care for the surgical patient. A candidate designated as a Fellow is also recognized as one whose dedication to professional excellence in robotic surgery has furthered the practice of surgical assisting.

NSAA Fellows are certified surgical assistants, whose professional activities have been devoted to the practice of surgical assisting and who abide by the NSAA Professional Code of Ethics

Candidates chosen as a Fellow will commit and adhere to these ethics when declaring the Oath of a CSA Fellow of Robotics & Minimally Invasive Specialty (F-RMIS).

The evaluation process involves a comprehensive inquiry and evaluation of each candidate’s professional practice as a surgical assistant and his or her contributions to the Robotic & Minimally Invasive Surgery Specialty. Candidates are required to provide NSAA with all relevant information required for the evaluation of the individual.

Attaining and maintaining certification as a Certified Surgical Assistant does not, by itself, entitle the individual to acceptance as a CSA Fellow of Robotics & Minimally Invasive Specialty (F-RMIS).

The specific criteria required for the “Fellow” designation is determined by the Plastics & Reconstructive Specialty Advisory Council. NSAA will require at a minimum, but not limited to, the following:

1) A sponsorship letter from a surgeon who is a member of one of the professional educational associations of surgeons whose mission is to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice. (This will include ACS, ASPS, AAPS, etc…)

2) A Personal Statement indicating the candidate’s desire to obtain the F-RMIS distinction.

3) An affidavit pertaining to candidate’s robotic surgery experience.

4) A character reference letter from a fellow CSA.

5) Photocopy of current NSAA Certificate/Recertification.

6) $25 application fee made out to NSAA with F-RMIS in subject line.