How to become a member?
How can we help you?
Medicine is rapidly evolving in Belgium, and the same is true for your Society. The Royal Belgian Association of Medical Scientific societies (RBAMS) is ready to help you to find your way through the labyrinth of laws, insurances and finances. Without forgetting the administrative support at a modest price. Moreover, there is a meeting room at your disposal. RBAMS accomplishes this task since 1947! This explains why more than 25 Societies work with us. Take a few minutes to read our conditions, stipulated below, and do not hesitate to contact us.
How to become an effective member, and why?
The EFFECTIVE MEMBERS are the Belgian medical scientific societies, with or without medical journal published by the association, which fulfill 4 criteria:
- to be a society
- to be a scientific society
- to be a medical society
- to be a society which exerts its activities in Belgium
They are fully incorporated into the association because their objectives coincide with those of the RBAMS. This means that they enjoy several services:
- access to all the services offered by the RBAMS.
- take-over of their secretariat, if wanted.
- administrative aid.
- computerized registration of their members: new members, corrections, annual
- listing as required by the law on the non-profit organizations.
- impression of labels for the mailing of journals, invitations and dunning-letters
- administrative, financial and juridical advice: statutes, new laws about the non-profit sector, insurances, social obligations versus the secretaries, administrative and fiscal obligations.
- taking over of administrative, financial and juridical tasks, for instance the management of foreign subscriptions to medical journals.
The RBAMS publishes several medical journals under the name of “Acta Medica Belgica Publications”:
- the Association places the software “editorial manager” at the disposal of the editors.
- the Association takes care of the registration of the subscriptions: enrolment,
- corrections, renewal, payment.
- the Association stocks the volumes and keeps a reserve of the most recent issues.
- the Association sends copies to the National Library, as required by the law.
- the Association takes care of the TAV related to the foreign subscriptions.
Finally, the Association acts as an intermediary between its members and fiscal, advisers, lawyers, insurers, printers, and publicists.
All affiliated societies enjoy these services if they pay a contribution, and if they allow a commission for subscriptions by non-members.
These contributions are established as follows:
- society without journal, but with all other permanent and regular services: 3.75 € per member.
- society with journal, with all other permanent and regular services, including publication : 6.50 € per member-subscriber, and 3.75 € for all other members. The Association earns a commission on every subscription from outside: 21% for direct subscribers and 36% for subscribers brought on by a bookseller.
- society without journal or regular services: 150 € + 21% TAV per year on a forfaitary basis. These societies can enjoy all the services cited below.
How to become an adherent member, and why?
The ADHERENT MEMBERS are individuals or organizations, eventually non- scientific, accepted as such by the General Assembly because of their interest in the objectives of the Association. Normally they do not receive any regular assistance, but they can call upon all other services stipulated below. They pay an annual sum of 190 € + 21% TAV on a forfaitary basis.
MOREOVER, RBAMS OFFERS THE FOLLOWING SERVICES TO ALL ITS MEMBERS:
- all societies and adherent organizations can establish their seat on the address of RBAMS, if the Association agrees.
- all societies-members can call upon our trilingual secretariat (French, Dutch and English), to be delivered of administrative tasks, such as daily secretarial work, mailings, collection of contributions, control of texts, forwarding of manuscripts to the Reading Committee, correction of proofs, check-up of contracts with printers, etc. The price per hour is 26.00 € + 21% TAV for secretarial work, including the correction of proofs. The price is 32.00 € + 21% TAV for the correction of scientific texts before printing, and for the translation of administrative texts from/to French, Dutch and English. These prices become respectively 29 and 38 € + 21% for the societies mentioned under Ic and II. Moreover, RBAMS offers substantial help for the organization of meetings and congresses: listing of addresses, planning of programs and pre-programs, posters, instructions for lecturers and moderators, travelling and accommodation, subscriptions before and during the meeting.
- accreditation: RBAMS registers the participants and delivers the certificates on the spot, with the number of credits, as required by the National Institute of Health. Concurrently new members can be attracted.
- RBAMS can ask medical companies to place commercial advertisements in the journals. The Association can also mail invoices, but cannot take over the treasury.
- societies publishing a journal: RBAMS negotiates advantageous conditions with printers and medical companies. For instance, the cost of publishing was reduced by 50% in 1998. Moreover, the Association takes care of the TAV related to the subscriptions from outside.
- the web site diffuses the activities and services of the RBAMS as well as those of its members. It provides links. It allows individuals to register for meetings.
- for rent: a meeting room, equipped with a beamer, suitable for 16 to 18 persons. Also for rent: office space and car park.
- The RBAMS can introduce your society to companies specialized in communication, vide-conferences, multimedia presentations and informatics.
- The RBAMS can also establish contacts with companies specialized in guided tours, partner programs, receptions and dinners.