ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION FOR THE SOCIETY OF OBSTETRIC MEDICINE

The organization shall be known as the International Society of Obstetric Medicine (ISOM).

The purposes of the Society are to:

1. provide an international forum for doctors involved in the care of medical problems during pregnancy to present clinical and basic science research for discussion and critical evaluation;
2. provide an international forum for academic interaction between internists, obstetricians, anaesthesiologists and other related professionals
3. promote research interests in obstetric medicine and collaborative research activity;
4. promote the development of guidelines for training internists in medical complications of pregnancy
5. promote the development of guidelines for training obstetricians in medical complications of pregnancy
6. promote educational programs to further international and regional expertise in the area of medical problems in pregnancy;
7. encourage obstetric medicine curriculum development at undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels; and
8. Foster the creation of criteria for the recognition of special competence in the area of obstetric

Membership:

1. Regular Members must pay dues Those eligible include:
   1. Medical doctors trained in sub-specialty or general Internal Medicine, Anaesthesia, Obstetrics/Gynaecology and/or Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Pathology, Paediatrics
   2. Other practitioners actively involved in Obstetric Medicine Including trained nurse midwives or nurses active in medical complications of pregnancy or high-risk pregnancy
2. Associate Membership will pay annual dues at one half the established rate for Regular members Those eligible include: 
   1. Residents, fellows, registrars or other trainees in relevant
   2. Trainee nurse midwives or nurses active in medical complications of pregnancy or high-risk
   3. Investigators and other research scientists
3. Emeritus status will be granted upon completion of a four-year term as Past Membership dues will be not required in perpetuity of members with this status. Emeritus status may also be granted in special circumstances to honour major life-long contributions to the field of Obstetric Medicine by dispensation of the Executive Committee.

Executive Committee: 

1. The executive committee will consist of 8 individuals whose offices will be organized in the following manner plus regional Executive committee members will serve for a four -year term and may be re-elected to the same position for one further four-year term only.
   1. President
   2. Past President
   3. Vice President 
   4. Secretary
   5. Treasurer
   6. Training director
   7. Conference director 
   8. Research director
2. The executive committee will also include regional representatives to the ISOM
   1. North America (representing the North American Society of Obstetric Medicine)
   2. South America
   3. United Kingdom (representing the MacDonald Club)
   4. Australia and New Zealand (representing SOMANZ)
   5. Continental Europe 
   6. Africa (representing the South African Group in addition to the rest of Africa)
   7. India
   8. SE Asia
   9. Middle East
   10. Additional regions as deemed appropriate by the executive 

        

3. A President, will be chosen from among the existing executive committee Any of the above listed directorships may be held concomitantly with the title of President. The President will oversee the entire committee. The appointment of the President will be overseen by the Past President
4. In the initial set up process, officers on the executive committee will be determined by a simple majority vote of the executive committee from names submitted for nomination by the executive committee members to the executive committee The executive committee chair will assign positions for the initial founding executive committee.
5. Future nominations for vacant positions on the executive committee (except regional representatives) will be solicited from the membership at least 3 months before each business meeting of Applicants must be proposed and the applicant agreeable to being appointed. Applicants will be asked to write a short five-line biography. Two months before the business meeting of ISOM, ISOM members will be notified of applicants and given the opportunity to vote electronically. The Nominating Committee for all new executive members except President shall be the President and Past president. For appointment of a new President the out-going President and current Past President will prepare a slate of nominees. One month before the business meeting of ISOM, the vote will be closed. The Past President will oversee the counting of votes, election to be made by a simple majority vote of the membership. The method of appointment of regional representatives should be decided by the Society at its next business meeting.
6. The finances of the Society will be resident in the place in which the Treasurer resides and will be subject to local tax

 Membership Dues 

1. Membership dues are payable annually, the amount being determined by the Executive Committee
2. The dues amount will be reviewed every two years by the Executive Committee, and approved by a simple majority of the membership at the subsequent business meeting of the membership
3. Payment of annual dues is required in order to be eligible to vote and to hold any office.
4. Payment of annual dues is required to obtain password access to all facilities on the ISOM website.

Meetings and Courses

1. The Society will sponsor an international scientific meeting for the membership occurring at a frequency of no less than every two calendar The Executive Committee will select the dates and sites.
2. The Society may sponsor or assist in the organization of postgraduate educational courses in medical complications of pregnancy independently of or in association with the international scientific meeting as determined by the Executive 
3. The Society will hold a business meeting for the membership at each international scientific
4. The Society may hold its meetings in conjunction with organizations such as the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy or any of the annual meetings of the regional obstetric medicine 

Amendments

1. Amendments to the Articles of Organization of the Society may be proposed by any dues-paying member to the Executive Committee by mail. If the amendment is passed by a simple majority of voting members by mail ballot, it will be come effective at the end of the next Society Business Meeting.

Expulsion/removal

1. Any membership can be reviewed upon the recommendation of any active member to the secretary of the executive
2. Decisions regarding dismissal will be determined by simple majority vote of the executive

 Personal details 

1. In general the officers of the society should not divulge personal details of members such as e-mail addresses to third parties
2. However there may be circumstances when a member of the Society may wish to e-mail all members, for example to advertise a meeting that would be of particular interest to Such exceptions should be considered on an individual case basis by e- mailing all the executive committee. Three consenting signatures are needed for agreement. One dissenting signature within one week of the original mailing demands further discussion by the committee.