RFS and YPS Operating Procedures

TMA Bylaws provide that the Texas Delegation to the AMA and the association's four sections, Young Physician, International Medical Graduate, Resident and Fellow, and Medical Student, shall be governed by operating procedures approved by the House of Delegates.

The Resident and Fellow Section was established in 1976. With expansion of the section over time, rules and policies, which do not conflict with the operating procedures, have been developed for internal activities. The section wishes to submit a new set of operating procedures, however, which offer a simple framework for its rules and policies. The proposed operating procedures offer streamlined language and include a section regarding residents on leave of absence. In addition, provision was made to recognize the section's rules and policies.  The revised RFS operating procedures, if approved, will be kept together with a set of rules and policies as a "Policy and Procedure Manual," patterned much like that of the Texas Delegation to the AMA.

Concurrent with review of operating procedures for the RFS, a revised set is proposed for the Young Physician Section. Language has been streamlined and the name of the section's governing body has been changed from Governing Council to Executive Council.

Recommendation 1 : Approval of revised operating procedures for the Texas Medical Association's Resident and Fellow Section.

Recommendation 2 : Approval of revised operating procedures for the Texas Medical Association's Young Physician Section.

Texas Medical Association Resident and Fellow Section Operating Procedures

1.10 NAME . The name of the organization shall be the Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) of the Texas Medical Association (TMA).

2.10 PURPOSES . The purposes of the Resident and Fellow Section are to (1) participate in shaping the future of medicine in Texas by active involvement in Texas county medical societies, the Texas Medical Association, and the American Medical Association; (2) foster dialogue between individuals and organizations within medicine; (3) promote and aid in programs which may serve to unify and give direction to health-related activities at all levels of education; and (4) provide a good and useful service to the residents and fellows in Texas.

3.10 ORGANIZATION AND VOTING PRIVILEGES . The section shall be comprised of physicians who are attending an approved intern, residency, or postgraduate fellow program in Texas, and are resident members of TMA for the current year by virtue of being resident members of TMA component county medical societies.

Any resident physician in Texas may attend meetings and speak to issues before the section, but only TMA resident members shall have the right to vote on matters before the section, or serve as section officers, or as section delegates or alternate delegates to the House of Delegates.

4.10 MEETINGS AND QUORUM . The section shall have the authority to meet as often as deemed appropriate, but will meet in conjunction with the association's winter conference and annual session of the House of Delegates. A majority of RFS Executive Council members must be present for the RFS or the section's Executive Council to transact business.

5.10  EXECUTIVE COUNCIL .

5.11 Composition . The section's chair, chair-elect, immediate past chair, secretary, and delegates and alternate delegates to the Texas Medical Association House of Delegates shall serve on the Executive Council.

5.12 Duties and term . The chair shall preside at section and Executive Council meetings. The chair-elect shall assist the chair and preside at meetings in the absence of the chair or at the chair's request. The secretary shall record the minutes of all section and Executive Council meetings. As provided in TMA Bylaws, section delegates to the TMA House of Delegates shall have the authority to introduce resolutions; alternate delegates to the house shall serve in the place of absent delegates. The Executive Council shall initiate or approve resolutions during the interim between scheduled meetings of the RFS.

The term of office for Executive Council members shall be one year. Terms shall begin at the conclusion of the association's annual session and terminate at the conclusion of the following annual session.

As provided in TMA Bylaws, the term of office for the RFS member serving in the alternate delegate position on the Texas Delegation to the AMA shall be one year and shall begin at the conclusion of the association's annual session and terminate at the conclusion of the following annual session.

The Executive Council shall approve RFS nominations to the TMA president for consideration as special appointees to association councils and committees as provided in TMA Bylaws.

6.10 ELECTIONS .

6.11 Authority to elect and time of elections . Section members attending the RFS meeting held in conjunction with the TMA Winter Conference shall elect all members of the Executive Council at that meeting.

6.12 Method of elections . Elections shall be held in the following order: chair-elect, secretary, and delegates and alternates to the TMA House of Delegates, and a resident to serve as alternate delegate on the Texas Delegation to the AMA.

Elections shall be by secret ballot, and a majority of the votes cast shall be necessary to elect. When there is only one nomination, vote may be by acclamation. In the event that no candidate receives a majority, the two candidates receiving the most votes shall be permitted to speak for one minute each, after which the section shall vote immediately.

Ballots shall be tallied by two members of the Executive Council who are not candidates for the office for which the ballots are being tallied. Should an insufficient number of Executive Council members qualify to count ballots, the council may appoint a resident or fellow who is in attendance at an institution from which there are no candidates for the office, provided that a majority of the section members approve the council's appointment.

7.10 VACANCIES . In the event of a vacancy in the position of chair, the chair-elect shall serve as chair and an election shall be held to elect a new chair-elect at the next section meeting. In the event of a vacancy in the office of chair-elect or secretary, an election shall be held to fill the position at the next section meeting. In the event of a vacancy in the position of TMA delegate or AMA delegate, the chair shall appoint a temporary replacement until the vacant position is filled by election at the next section meeting.

8.10 REPRESENTATION AT THE AMA . As provided in AMA Bylaws, the section shall receive one (1) delegate per 100 AMA members or fraction thereof. Rather than electing or appointing delegates, the section shall be represented by those RFS members who will attend the AMA meeting. Those attendees may include section members serving in AMA and AMA-RFS offices, and on AMA councils and committees; section members running for office or presenting resolutions to the AMA-RFS; and any other section member attending the AMA-RFS annual or interim meetings. The RFS chair shall chair the section's delegation to the AMA or, in the absence of the chair, an individual selected by the chair.

9.10 RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS ON LEAVE OF ABSENCE . A resident or fellow member on "Leave of Absence" status shall continue to have full rights of section membership and shall be eligible to participate in leadership opportunities at the state and national levels, provided that the resident or fellow member is in good standing with the Texas Medical Association and the county medical society, and intends to finish attendance of an intern, residency, or postgraduate fellow program . The Executive Council shall have the authority to monitor this provision to guard against abuse.

10.10 RECALL OF SECTION OFFICERS . Any RFS Executive Council member may be recalled by a three-fourths vote of the members present and in good standing at a section meeting.

11.10 SECTION RULES AND POLICIES . The section may adopt such rules and policies for its internal activities as the section considers necessary. Such rules and policies shall not conflict with these operating procedures and shall not be subject to approval of the House of Delegates before implementation.

12.10 RULES OF ORDER . The Executive Council shall have the authority to establish rules of conduct, but in general and in all instances not covered by its own special rules, Sturgis' The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure shall govern.

13.10  AMENDMENTS . Prior to being submitted to the association's House of Delegates, these operating procedures may be amended by a three-fourths vote of the members present and voting at a section meeting. As provided in TMA Bylaws, amendments must be approved by the TMA House of Delegates to become effective.

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Texas Medical Association: Young Physician Section Operating Procedures

1.10 NAME . The name of the organization shall be Young Physician Section (YPS) of the Texas Medical Association (TMA).

2.10 PURPOSE . The purpose of the YPS is to give young physician members a way to participate in TMA activities and influence association policy through access to and representation in the TMA House of Delegates.

3.10 MEMBERSHIP . The membership shall consist of TMA physician members who are under 40 years of age or within the first eight years of professional practice, after residency and fellowship training.

4.10EXECUTIVE COUNCIL . An executive council of the Young Physician Section shall direct the section's programs and activities.

4.11  COMPOSITION . The section's chair, chair-elect, and delegates and alternate delegates to TMA, and the delegate and alternate delegate to the American Medical Association shall compose the Executive Council. Should a member of the Executive Council cease to be a YPS member for any reason at any time prior to the expiration of the term for which the member was elected, the term of such member shall terminate and the position shall be declared vacant.

4.12  ELECTION . Except as provided in 1.133, elections shall be held at the section's annual meeting. Any YPS member shall be eligible for election to the Executive Council. Approval by a simple majority of the votes cast shall be required to elect members of the Executive Council.

4.13  ASSUMPTION OF OFFICE . All members of the Executive Council shall assume office at the conclusion of the section's annual meeting.

4.143  ATTENDANCE . If any member fails to attend two consecutive Executive Council meetings, the office will be declared vacant and will be filled by appointment of the chair until the next regularly scheduled section meeting, at which time an election for the vacancy will occur.

5.10 CHAIR, CHAIR-ELECT, IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR .

5.11  DUTIES . The chair shall preside at all section and Executive Council meetings. The chair-elect shall assist the chair and preside at meetings in the absence of the chair or at the chair's request. The immediate past chair shall participate in section Executive Council meetings and advise the chair.

5.12  TERM . Term of office shall be one year. The chair-elect shall be elevated to the office of chair, and the chair shall serve as immediate past chair.

5.13  VACANCY . In the event of a vacancy in the office of chair, the chair-elect shall assume the office of chair. In the event the offices of chair and chair-elect become vacant, both offices shall be filled by election at the next meeting of the section, the office of chair being filled first. Their terms shall fulfill the unexpired terms of the officers replaced.

6.10 DELEGATES AND ALTERNATE DELEGATES TO TMA HOUSE OF DELEGATES .

6.11  DUTIES . The delegates and alternate delegates shall represent the section in the TMA House of Delegates.

6.12  TERM . The term of delegates and alternate delegates shall be two years. Tenure shall not exceed two terms, except that election to or assumption of an unexpired term shall not be regarded as tenure in office. Delegates and alternate delegates shall be elected in opposite years.

6.13  QUALIFICATION . Any YPS member in good standing may be elected to serve as a delegate or alternate delegate from the section.

7.10 DELEGATE(S) AND ALTERNATE DELEGATE(S) TO AMA YOUNG PHYSICIANS SECTION .

7.11  DUTIES . The delegate(s) and alternate delegate(s) to the AMA-YPS shall represent the section at the AMA Young Physicians Section.

7.12  COMPOSITION . Delegates and alternate delegates shall be elected in accordance with the Bylaws of that organization. In the event that the number of seats for delegates allotted to the section decreases, the corresponding number of delegates with the shortest tenure shall become alternate delegates.

If, after such reapportionment, there are more alternate delegates than seats for delegates, the appropriate number of alternate delegates with the shortest tenure shall be dropped.

7.13  TERM . Delegates and alternate delegates shall be elected annually and shall assume office at the conclusion of the AMA annual meeting that immediately follows the section's annual meeting.

8.10 MEETINGS . An annual meeting shall be held in conjunction with TMA's annual session, TexMed. The section also shall meet in conjunction with the association's fall and winter meetings. The purposes of meetings are to: (1) consider and adopt resolutions section members submit; (2) hear appropriate reports; (3) consider and vote upon any issues of concern to young physicians; and (4) ratify policy made by the Executive Council and between meetings. Elections shall be held at the annual meeting as provided in 1.132 or at other section meetings to fill vacancies as provided in 1.133.

9.10 VOTING AND VOICE . Any section member may attend, introduce resolutions or reports, debate issues, and vote at section meetings. At the discretion of the chair, other TMA members may be permitted voice at section meetings. County medical societies are encouraged to send representatives to each meeting.

10.10 QUORUM . At least seven Executive Council members must be present for the YPS or the Executive Council to transact business.

11.10 RULES OF ORDER . The deliberations of the section shall be governed by the TMA House of Delegates rules of order.

12.10NOTICE OF MEETINGS . Notice of the meetings shall be provided to section members at least 45 days prior to the meetings. Any business, reports, or resolutions the section is to consider must be submitted in writing to the Executive Council at least 30 days prior to the meeting. Late reports and resolutions must be submitted to the Executive Council at its meeting immediately preceding the section meeting at which consideration is desired. All such reports and resolutions so presented shall require a two-thirds affirmative vote to be accepted as business to be acted upon by the section.

13.10 AMENDMENTS . Prior to being submitted to the TMA House of Delegates, these operating procedures may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at a section meeting. As provided in TMA Bylaws, amendments must be approved by the TMA House of Delegates to become effective.

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TMA House of Delegates: TexMed 2006