Fellow of the American Burn Association (FABA) status allows physicians to demonstrate specialization in burn care through advanced training, contribution, and commitment to the field.
The FABA designation encourages excellence, clarifies the referral process, and creates a publicly available benchmark to reference physicians that specialize in burn surgery.
Application Process for FABA Candidates
- Applications will be accepted annually in spring/summer. The 2023 application will be sent to ABA physician members in June 2023.
- Applications will be reviewed by the FABA Ad Hoc Committee and decisions will be announced in September each year with FABA designations going into effect the following January.
- An induction will be held each year during the ABA Annual Meeting.
Candidacy Requirements
- All applicants must be licensed, board-certified physicians with current ABA membership.
- Applicants must have a clinical appointment in a burn center for a term of no less than 3 continuous years prior to application.
- Applicants are evaluated on evidence provided within three of five principle categories. Each category requires a brief narrative from the candidate and either a letter of recommendation from a colleague, participation in specific burn-related activities, and/or evidence of advanced work in the burn field. See table below for detail.
FABA Candidates Submit Application Materials Using 3 of 5 of the Principle Categories
| Principle | Narrative | Letter | Participation | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Care | <100 words | In burn quality and performance improvement program | Deidentified surgical case or patient care log demonstrating care of 50+ burn patients | |
| Prevention | <100 words | From non-clinical entity (such as fire, govt, or public health agency official) | In advocacy event (ABA National Leadership Conference or equivalent) | |
| Rehabilitation | <100 words | From licensed burn rehabilitation therapist or behavioral health therapist | In survivor program, foundation, or equivalent | |
| Research | <100 words | As ABA Annual Meeting Program Participant | First/last author on 1 manuscript and co-authored 3 additional manuscripts in JBCR or equivalent peer-reviewed journal | |
| Teaching | <100 words | Teaching evaluations or letter from educational specialist | ABLS Instructor, ABA mentor, or resident instructor |
Frequently Asked Questions
In addition to the FABA member benefits, FABA members also receive:
- Entitlement to use the designation of Fellow of the American Burn Association (FABA), reflecting training, certification, and commitment to the field of burns
- Special recognition on the ABA website
- Special badge recognition at ABA programs
- VIP benefits for Annual National Meeting
- Induction and recognition at a special event during the Annual National Meeting
- Fellow lapel pin
- Mounted certificate
- Fellows of the ABA will be converted to the FABA membership category following application approval, with annual dues of $525.
- Memberships expire on December 31 of each year and are permitted a 90-day grace period prior to membership cancellation. Fellows who allow their membership to lapse will lose permission to use the credential and must join the ABA again at the regular member rate, prior to reapplying for FABA membership.
Upon approval, you will be invoiced at the FABA rate at the end of your current membership cycle. Please do not send dues payment with your application.
No, the application processing fee is non-refundable.
FABA membership begins immediately upon notification of advancement to FABA.