Acceptance into the American Psychoanalytic Association comes as the last of a great number of stringent qualifications. And yet, with this final accreditation and affiliation, one becomes only a “member.”

As we often have to list our affiliations, and many of us belong to a variety of organizations, such a list might read: Fellow, American Psychiatric Association; Fellow, Orthopsychiatric Association; Fellow, American Psychological Association;… Member, American Psychoanalytic Association.

The implication is that the affiliation in the American Psychoanalytic is of a lower order than the others. Much more important, it does not do justice to the fact that the American Psychoanalytic Association, unlike these other organizations, is an accrediting body which takes great pains to assure quality control over those its Board of Professional Standards certifies.

Therefore, I recommend that the designation of membership be changed to Fellow of the American Psychoanalytic Association. It would be more appropriate still if the erstwhile members be designated Fellows and certified as Diplomates in Psychoanalysis by the Board of Standards of the American Psychoanalytic Association.

In these days of increasing third party payment, a designation reflecting qualifying standards as a psychoanalyst may be of practical importance. Such a status would attest appropriately to the pains the Association takes—with better or worse luck—in striving for excellence.

Leopold Bellak, M.D. January 29, 1974