Introducing Reduced Student/Trainee Membership Rates 

Angela Fidler Pfammatter, PhD, FSBM¹; Danielle (Dani) Arigo, PhD²; Membership Council

The financial crunch of the students and trainees has been tough, especially as of late. The Society of Behavioral Medicine’s Membership Council heard the call to ease the pain. The council was determined to find a workable and sustainable avenue for supporting our trainees while delivering the full value of membership to the next generation of behavioral medicine scientists and practitioners. After approval from the Board, a three-pronged approach was launched. Thanks to the SBM Board’s commitment and the availability of donor funds, the new approach aims to support students and trainees in trying out SBM’s membership benefits at a low initial cost while reducing overall student and trainee dues to facilitate a path toward lifetime membership. Students and trainees will now enjoy: 

• Reduced Dues: returning students/trainees will now pay just $89 a year, marking a 15% decrease from 2023. 
• An Introductory Offer: for just $35 for the first year, new students and trainee members try out all the benefits of SBM to experience the ways in which it can shape their future in behavioral medicine. 
• A New Toolkit: strategies, templates, and materials are offered to students and trainees to help facilitate acquiring ongoing financial support for membership dues as well as registration fees and travel funds for the annual meeting. Find them here: New_Prospective Member FAQ.docx 

In making these critical changes, SBM is living its values consistent with the official diversity statement: “The Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) is committed to diversity and inclusion in its leadership, membership, programs, activities, and decision-making. SBM defines diversity as the collective ways in which people and organizations are different and similar with respect to demographic characteristics, values, beliefs, experiences, backgrounds, and behaviors. The society seeks to actively engage individuals and organizations representing various backgrounds to support the mission and vision of our society.” By implementing these strategies, SBM is taking an active stance in removing entry barriers and supporting the sustainability of membership over time for a broader base of student and trainee members.

If you are a student or trainee, we invite you to retain your membership and to reach out to your peers to invite them to try out all the benefits of membership.  

If you are a current member, help us get the word out and consider a donation to help sustain this reduction in dues over the long term so that SBM can continue to attract the future of SBM early and carry them through to their transitional years.  

And if you are a mentor to students and trainees, let them know about this new opportunity and commit to finding ways to financially contribute to their participation in SBM so they can reap the same year-round benefits you enjoy. 

Let us all help our students and trainees become members and build our mission! 

Affiliation

1. Senior Methodologist, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences and Associate Professor of Public Health, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
2. Associate Professor of Psychology, Rowan University