Fellow of the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved
Be Recognized for Your Outstanding Experience, Commitment, and Engagement
A New Professional Designation
The Fellowship of the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) was established in 2023 by the ACU Board of Directors as a professional designation to recognize ACU members who are bona fide specialists in working with underserved populations. Fellows of ACU are recognized for their dedication to caring for those people and communities that have faced barriers to accessing healthcare and related services, and their engagement with ACU and its broader community. ACU would like to recognize the contributions of the Task Force members who informed the development of the program.
Those eligible to receive the professional designation of Fellow of the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved must be an ACU individual member for at least one year prior to the application closing date or employed by an organization that has maintained an organizational membership for at least 2 years prior to the application closing date. Upon receiving the designation of Fellow of ACU, all fellows must become individual members if they received membership through their organization.
Clinical and non-clinical professionals applying for the Fellowship of the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved must demonstrate a nuanced, dedicated understanding of the needs of the underserved to provide outstanding care to the communities they serve. Applicants should ensure they meet the criteria of each of the three pillars of exceptional care to the underserved, shown below.
To open more doors to leadership for professionals across the career continuum, ACU is creating multiple entry points to achieve fellowship recognition:
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ACU-Engaged Leaders: Do you already meet the criteria for commitment, expertise, and engagement with ACU? You are eligible to join the 2026 cohort.
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ACU-Aligned Leaders: Do you meet the criteria for commitment and expertise, but haven’t engaged with ACU? Complete the interest form to learn about current opportunities to get involved with ACU to strengthen your application to a future cohort.
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Early-Career Professionals: Are you looking for opportunities to build your expertise and expand your professional network as you establish your career? Complete the interest form to start engaging with opportunities through ACU to strengthen your application to a future cohort.
All prospective fellows, regardless of which entry point best fits their experience, are encouraged to complete the Fellowship Interest Form to begin the process and receive guidance on the next steps.
Criteria
Commitment
A significant portion of the applicant’s career has been dedicated to caring for those people and communities that have faced barriers to accessing healthcare and related services.
- At least five years of work dedicated to caring for the underserved
- Or an equivalent amount of time spent voluntarily providing care, services, or advocacy that provides care for underserved populations
Expertise
Demonstrated, deep understanding of the factors that disrupt access to care for people and communities and best practices for providing care in those environments. Candidates should demonstrate:
- How they have continued to expand their knowledge of these topics and developed an expertise in their field and supporting the underserved
- How they have integrated this knowledge into their work to provide accessible, effective, and exceptional care
- How they have passed along this knowledge to others and advocated within or beyond their organization to improve access to appropriate, effective healthcare
Engagement
Applicants have engaged with ACU and the broader community of those caring for the underserved by attending trainings, webinars, or conferences, and/or participating in ACU committees, boards, task forces, or other programming support.
Further Guidelines
Applicants will be expected to submit a thorough application with supporting materials attached as evidence of meeting the standards of each of the three pillars above. Supporting materials are described in the application below, as well as in the application FAQ here.
Application Materials
Get started on your application for the Fellowship of the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved with the materials below:
