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REASONS TO JOIN
THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY



 
From 1981 to the present I have been deeply involved with the American College of Forensic Psychiatry. The College is an association of psychiatrists and attorneys and other concerned scholars who have a common interest in the interface of psychiatry and law, with particular focus on forensic skills in their practice. Members frequently serve the needs of the civil and criminal courts as experts by interviewing and evaluating plaintiffs and defendants, and by rendering medical opinion to judges and juries. Each year since 1983 the College has hosted a symposium on forensic psychiatry and published the American Journal of Forensic Psychiatry. Since that time we have added an online directory for attorneys of expert psychiatric witnesses who testify in civil and criminal courts. The American College of Forensic Psychiatry is complementary to, rather than competitive with, AAPL. We are largely a younger and smaller association that focuses on the skills and practice issues of forensic psychiatry. Our members come from all parts of the U.S., Canada and other nations.
 
Michael F. Cleary, M.D.
Scottsdale, Arizona
 
 
I have been attending American College of Forensic Psychiatry meetings regularly since the first meeting that was given in Santa Barbara in 1983. I was so impressed and gratified that this symposium has now become the highlight of my academic year, and the conference I most enjoy. This level of satisfaction is, in my experience, very unusual compared with most meetings I attend, and there are several unique features of these meetings that I would like to point out.First of all, the psychiatrists, attorneys, psychologists and other mental health professionals who regularly attend are exceptionally friendly, stimulating, talented and experienced in a wide variety of the many areas of forensic psychiatry. The organization of the meetings is superb, the presentations of high quality and often controversial, the topics cutting-edge, and the caliber of the speakers extremely high. While lectures and workshops dominate most conferences, ACFP emphasizes the practical understanding and management of specific areas in forensic psychiatry, and makes for the acquisition of increased expertise in everyday challenges in our field. Some of the mock trials have been the best I have listened to. While the whole symposium has an air of informality, this is accomplished without loss of excellence and structure.
 
Eric W. Fine, M.D.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
 
 
I have been an active member of the American College of Forensic Psychiatry for the past 23 years. It has been my experience that this organization, through its annual symposia and Journal, has offered a unique opportunity to meet with participants who are on the cutting edge of forensic psychiatry and who are actually making a living from this ever-evolving field. The group is small and informal, allowing far more interpersonal contact than can be found in larger, more formal organizations. In addition, the Attorney's Directory of Forensic Psychiatrists Online allows members of this group to be easily accessed by members of the legal profession.
 
Frank Master, MD
Las Vegas, Nevada
 
 
I am privileged to be a member of the American College of Forensic Psychiatry and on its Advisory Board. Besides the high quality of meetings and the Journal, the College offers a very collegial atmosphere for forensic psychiatrists to share experiences and to socialize with peers.
 
Albert Drukteinis, MD, JD
Manchester, New Hampshire
 
 
The ACFP has been a valuable resource for me over the years. The annual meetings provide cutting edge information on a broad spectrum of forensic psychiatry issues. The Journal provides detailed information on topics selected for each issue. The annual meetings also provide high quality CME credits in consistently pleasant surroundings, and I look forward to renewing old acquaintances and making new ones each year.
 
Donald T. Lunde, MD
Stanford Medical School
 
 
As a member of many professional psychiatric and forensic organizations, I have always found the American College of Forensic Psychiatry to be a welcoming collegial organization, with an excellent level of professionalism. It is a forum in which experienced and recognized international experts maintain direct accessibility. Research, academics and practical expertise are openly and energetically shared without pretensions. The College fosters open interchange among dedicated and informed psychiatrists, attorneys, jurists and psychologists. The yearly meetings of the American College of Forensic Psychiatry highlight this unique organization's respected, dedicated forensic experts, providing a professional, practical and relevant educational experience, adhering to the highest ethical standards in a sufficiently intimate setting that respectfully compliments the efforts of APPL and the APA.
 
Anna Scherzer, MD, FAAP, FAACAP
Scottsdale, Arizona
 
 
I am interested in the relationship of psychiatry to law, ethics, philosophy, policy etc., and enjoy membership in a college which gives me ready access to similar minds, either by meeting them in person at the annual meeting, or by other forms of correspondence. I have thus enjoyed personal and professional friendships with colleagues who share these interests, and we often think together, chat, and write together. The college journal invites papers that reflect these interests, will publish controversies, and is not limited to data based research papers.
 
Ansar Haroun, MD
San Diego, California
 
 
As physicians we are prone to focus on a central problem which must be resolved. We lose sight of a larger issue: our role in the medical community at large. For this reason, affiliation with an organization such as the American College of Forensic Psychiatry is important. Membership in the College demands little but provides a very a meaningful connection with forensic psychiatry and offers a forum for sharing our expertise with our colleagues. I consider the college a marvelous and unusual medical phenomenon which has no comparison with any other medical community currently in existence. One may join if one is qualified. One may become a fellow through mastery, not competitive endeavors. One may attend and contribute to the yearly scholarly meeting without confronting barriers of meaningless consequence. One may engage members of the legal community in dialogue without rancor, but rather in a cooperative and mutually beneficial way.
 
Ronald Shlensky, MD, JD
Santa Barbara, California
 
 
I have found the program of the annual meetings of the American College of Forensic Psychiatry to be very informative and of great value for the beginning as well as experienced forensic psychiatrist. In addition to the formal program, there is a great opportunity for interaction with your peers.
 
Timothy J. Michals, M.D.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
 
 
I joined the American College of Forensic Psychiatry over 20 years ago as a young professional. My first article was published in their journal. The assistance that I received was extremely helpful in developing my professional publishing expertise. Since that time I have attended almost all of their conferences. These conferences have been extremely helpful, educational, and provide wonderful socialization with the members. I have presented papers in this organization's conventions and feel that as this organization has grown, I have grown with them. Again, the most striking point for me is how this organization, the American College of Forensic Psychiatry, has been sensitive and encouraging to young professionals to both present papers and publish in their journal. This is the most important assistance that I believe the ACFP can continue to provide.
 
Jamshid Marvasti, MD
Manchester, Connecticut

2008 Note to all college members of the American College of Forensic Psychiatry: You are invited to send us your Curriculum Vitae. We will post it on a new page of our website. Click for further information.

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