International College of Surgeons

Name

International College of Surgeons

Legal name

International College of Surgeons - United States Section

Website

https://ficsonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International College of Surgeons (US Section) is a nonprofit professional medical society founded in 1935, headquartered in Chicago, that provides fellowship membership, CME, annual scientific meetings, scholarships, and humanitarian surgical missions to US-licensed surgeons, surgical residents, medical students, and allied health professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Society & Surgical Education

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy) (EDAAALAC)

Keywords

• Surgical professional society
• Medical fellowship membership
• Continuing medical education
• Humanitarian surgical missions
• Global surgery

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues and Application Fees: Annual membership dues and one-time application fees from surgeons, residents, medical students, and allied health professionals. Fellowship application fee is $350. Allied membership application fee is $50 with $100 annual dues.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Voluntary donations from members and supporters at various tiers (Fellow $100, Leader $250, Director $500, Benefactor $1,000). Also accepts general donations and donations in honor or memory of individuals.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The International College of Surgeons - US Section is a nonprofit professional medical society that sells Fellowship, Junior Fellowship, and Allied Membership to individual surgeons, residents, medical students, and allied health professionals. It delivers continuing medical education through annual scientific meetings and online archives, runs a research scholarship competition, and coordinates humanitarian surgical missions to underserved countries via partner organizations. Revenue is generated primarily through membership dues, one-time application fees, and tiered donations.

Product overview

The International College of Surgeons is a professional membership organization for surgeons that offers a unified platform centered on fellowship membership, continuing medical education, and humanitarian surgical missions. The core offerings include fellowship and junior fellowship programs, CME opportunities through annual scientific meetings, research scholarships for medical trainees, and an online portal for applications and donations. The organization also operates humanitarian surgical missions globally through partnerships with organizations like the World Surgical Foundation and CardiacEye International Foundation, supported by a grants program for members conducting humanitarian projects. The SOTA Registry provides an online volunteer matching platform for medical professionals seeking to participate in international medical missions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fellowship Membership Annual professional membership credential for fully licensed practicing surgeons (MD/DO) in the United States, granting fellowship status, member directory listing, CME access, scholarships eligibility, and humanitarian mission participation. One-time application fee $350 plus recurring annual dues.
• Junior Fellowship Membership tier for surgical residents in training across all specialties and medical students enrolled in US medical schools or US citizens attending international medical schools. Supports scholarship eligibility, research presentation, and early-career networking.
• Allied Membership Membership tier for Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners practicing in surgical or related fields in the United States, supporting professional development and interdisciplinary collaboration with surgeons. One-time application fee $50 (reduced from $100) applied to first year of $100 annual dues.
• Continuing Medical Education (CME) CME-accredited educational opportunities delivered through the Educational Opportunities portal and Scientific Program Archive, including the Dr. Arno Roscher Endowed Lecture and Dr. Andre Crotti Award.
• Annual Scientific Meetings Annual multi-day Surgical Update conferences held in rotating US cities (e.g., 2026 Omaha, 2025 Charleston, 2024 Philadelphia, 2023 San Antonio), featuring educational sessions, research presentations, networking, and CME credits.
• Research Scholarships Annual research scholarship competition for medical students and surgical residents, awarding monetary prizes for outstanding surgical research. Prizes include Grand Prize ($1,000), Second Place ($500-$300), and Honorable Mentions, with documented winners from 2016 through 2025.
• Humanitarian Surgical Missions International medical missions providing free surgical care in underserved countries through partnerships with World Surgical Foundation (WSF) and CardiacEye International Foundation (CEIF). Past projects span over 20 countries including Philippines, Honduras, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Pakistan, Vietnam, Haiti, Ethiopia, Iraq, Bolivia, Kenya, Sri Lanka.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World Surgical Foundation (WSF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Collaborative agreement established in 2006 for joint humanitarian surgical missions. WSF was founded by Dr. Domingo Alvear and has conducted missions to Ethiopia, Philippines, Honduras, and other countries. The two organizations have formalized their relationship starting in 2023 with joint fundraising and surgical brigades.
• CardiacEye International Foundation (CEIF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Partnership for cardiac surgery missions to developing countries. CEIF was founded by Dr. Maqsood Elahi, an ICS Fellow. Missions have been conducted to Pakistan (Lahore, Swat), Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, and other locations. CEIF has performed 23 heart surgeries in Lahore alone.
• Operation HopeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsored medical missions to Northern Iraq, including surgical teams in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013.
• Black Lion Hospital (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary hospital partner for 2009 Ethiopia mission. Received donated medical equipment including OR tables, anesthesia machines, exam tables, cautery units, and pharmaceuticals. Local medical staff received training from US surgical teams.
• University of Hanoi Medical Center (Vietnam)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for October 2010 surgical mission to Vietnam. Extensive training of local surgical staff was provided along with donated medical and surgical supplies.
• International Museum of Surgical ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for the 2023 ICSUS/WSF fundraiser event in Chicago on September 7, 2023.
• Association of Haitian Physicians AbroadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Haitian orthopedic residents from the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince for the 2010 Haiti earthquake response mission.
• Relief InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit disaster relief organization that sponsored Haiti earthquake response efforts. ICS served as liaison to this group.
• University of Health Sciences (Lahore, Pakistan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with CEIF for ECMO conference and Evidence Based Medicine workshop in Pakistan.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN): A US membership association for allied perioperative professionals offering CME and conferences; partially overlaps with ICSUS Allied Membership category (PAs, NPs, OR nurses).
• Operation Smile: A global nonprofit providing free surgical care in low- and middle-income countries; overlaps with ICSUS humanitarian mission model and surgeon volunteer pipeline.
• World Surgical Foundation: The ICSUS humanitarian partner, conducting surgical brigades in underserved countries with overlapping donor base, mission geography, and surgeon volunteer pool; comparable in mission scope though not a membership society.
• Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders: A leading international medical humanitarian organization that mobilizes surgeons for global missions; competes for surgeon volunteer mind-share and donor dollars targeting global surgical access.
• American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST): A US-based specialty surgical society offering membership, trauma surgery education, and annual meetings; smaller than ICSUS but overlapping in surgeon-targeted CME and networking.

Others

• American Board of Surgery: The US certifying body for surgeons; adjacent rather than competing, but influences how surgeons allocate time across credentialing, CME, and society memberships like ICSUS.

Direct peers

• Royal College of Surgeons of England: A long-established international surgical membership and credentialing body with comparable global footprint, fellowship tiers, and continuing education programs aimed at surgeons across specialties.
• American College of Surgeons: The largest US-based professional society for surgeons, offering Fellowship, CME, annual clinical congress, and global surgery programs. Direct competitor for surgeon membership, CME delivery, and humanitarian engagement.
• Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh: Another historic international surgical college offering fellowship, examinations, and education to a global membership of surgeons; directly comparable in mission and member-value proposition.
• Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES): A US specialty surgical society offering membership, CME, and annual meetings; competes with ICSUS for surgeon mind-share and CME dollars in a specific surgical specialty.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ICSUSSeducation
• Xx.com/icsuss
• Facebookfacebook.com/ICS-US-Section-260963242068
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-college-of-surgeons-united-states-section

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International College of Surgeons