Membership FAQ

Membership FAQs

If you have any questions about becoming a member of SDCMS–CMA, or if you would like to learn more about the benefits of membership, please click on the questions below or contact SDCMS at (858) 565–8888 or at Membership@SDCMS.org.

2025 Non–Discounted Dues = $1,112

  • SDCMS Portion = $470 (42%)
  • CMA Portion = $642 (58%)

  Dues Discounts Available to Qualifying Physicians

  • 65 Years Old or Older and Work 20 Hours a Week or Less: 50% Discount
  • Sign up for a Two–Year Membership (Regular Membership): 10% Discount
  • Sign up for a Three–Year Membership (Regular Membership): 15% Discount

Regular Member:

A physician who is a regular, active member with no unusual membership type.

Resident Physician Member:

A physician who is a resident member.

Medical Student Member:

An individual who is a medical student.

Retired Member:

A physician who is retired.

Affiliate Member:

A physician who is a member of more than one county medical society. An affiliate member would have his or her primary CMA membership with another county in California and would also be a member of SDCMS.

Associate Member:

A physician with an out–of–state medical license who therefore qualifies for a special discount membership. An associate member cannot have a valid California medical license.

Government Member:

A physician who receives at least 50% of his or her salary from government.

Leave of Absence Member:

A physician who requests and is granted a special leave–of–absence membership due to illness, maternity, etc.

Member on Probation:

A physician who was a member when the Medical Board of California placed him or her on probation.

2025 Non–Discounted Dues = $1,112

SDCMS Portion = $470

CMA Portion = $642

We accept check, e–check, and credit card payments.

You can pay annually or monthly.

For special circumstances, contact SDCMS at (858) 565–8888 or at Membership@SDCMS.org.

UC San Diego medical students join SDCMS–CMA free of charge.

Resident physicians (MDs or DOs) in a recognized residency program within San Diego County join SDCMS–CMA free of charge.

Physicians (MDs or DOs) with a valid California medical license number who live and / or work within San Diego County.

Association dues are not deductible as a charitable contribution for federal tax purposes but may be partially deductible as a business expense. A portion of your dues is not deductible because of lobbying activities on behalf of its members.

  • For 2025: 17% of the combined sum of SDCMS–CMA dues cannot be deducted as a business expense for federal tax purposes because of lobbying activities on behalf of SDCMS–CMA members.
  • For 2024: 14% of the combined sum of SDCMS–CMA dues cannot be deducted as a business expense for federal tax purposes because of lobbying activities on behalf of SDCMS–CMA members.
  • For 2023: 12% of CMA dues cannot be deducted as a business expense for federal tax purposes because of lobbying activities on behalf of CMA members.
  • For 2022: 15% of CMA dues cannot be deducted as a business expense for federal tax purposes because of lobbying activities on behalf of CMA members.
  • For 2021: 34% of CMA dues cannot be deducted as a business expense for federal tax purposes because of lobbying activities on behalf of CMA members.
  • For 2020: 34% of CMA dues cannot be deducted as a business expense for federal tax purposes because of lobbying activities on behalf of CMA members.
  • For 2019: 34% of CMA dues cannot be deducted as a business expense for federal tax purposes because of lobbying activities on behalf of CMA members.
  • For 2018: 34% of CMA dues cannot be deducted as a business expense for federal tax purposes because of lobbying activities on behalf of CMA members.
  • For 2017: 34% of CMA dues cannot be deducted as a business expense for federal tax purposes because of lobbying activities on behalf of CMA members.
  • For 2016: 33% of CMA dues cannot be deducted as a business expense for federal tax purposes because of lobbying activities on behalf of CMA members.
  • For 2015: 33% of CMA dues cannot be deducted as a business expense for federal tax purposes because of lobbying activities on behalf of CMA members.

We are an organization of San Diego County doctors helping each other solve problems, save money, stay informed, build community, influence legislation, and protect patients! If you would like to suggest a member benefit, please send us an email at Membership@SDCMS.org.

Click here to view member benefits.

All California county medical societies — including SDCMS — are chartered by the California Medical Association (CMA), and, as such, when physicians join CMA, they join their county medical society at the same time.

The San Diego County Medical Society recognizes the following ABMS, AOA, and MBC board certifications:

  • Addiction Psychiatry
  • Adolescent Medicine
  • Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
  • Aerospace Medicine
  • Allergy and Immunology
  • Anesthesiology
  • Blood Banking Transfusion Medicine
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Chemical Pathology
  • Child Abuse Pediatrics
  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Child Psychiatry (ABMS No Longer Uses — Historical Only)
  • Clinical and Laboratory Dermatological Immunology
  • Clinical Biochemical Genetics
  • Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
  • Clinical Genetics (MD)
  • Clinical Informatics
  • Clinical Molecular Genetics
  • Clinical Neurophysiology
  • Colon and Rectal Surgery
  • Congenital Cardiac Surgery
  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Cytopathology
  • Dermatology
  • Dermatopathology
  • Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics
  • Diagnostic Radiology
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism
  • Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  • Family Medicine
  • Family Practice (and OMT)
  • Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery
  • Forensic Pathology
  • Forensic Psychiatry
  • Gastroenterology
  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Geriatric Psychiatry
  • Gynecologic Oncology
  • Hematology
  • Hospice and Palliative Medicine
  • Immunopathology
  • Infectious Disease
  • Internal Medicine
  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Medical Biochemical Genetics
  • Medical Microbiology
  • Medical Oncology
  • Medical Toxicology
  • Molecular Genetic Pathology (Med Gen)
  • Molecular Genetic Pathology (Pathology)
  • Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
  • Nephrology
  • Neuro-developmental Disabilities
  • Neurological Surgery
  • Neurology
  • Neurology With Special Qualification in Child Neurology
  • Neuromuscular Medicine
  • Neuropathology
  • Neuroradiology
  • Neurotology
  • Nuclear Medicine
  • Nuclear Radiology
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Occupational Medicine
  • Ophthalmology
  • Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
  • Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Otolaryngology
  • Pain Medicine
  • Pathology — Anatomic
  • Pathology-Anatomic / Pathology-Clinical
  • Pathology — Clinical
  • Pathology — Hematology
  • Pathology Recertification
  • Pediatric Anesthesiology
  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
  • Pediatric Dermatology
  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Pediatric Nephrology
  • Pediatric Pathology
  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Pediatric Radiology
  • Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine
  • Pediatric Rheumatology
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Pediatric Urology
  • Pediatrics
  • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  • Plastic Surgery
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychosomatic Medicine
  • Public Health and General Preventive Medicine
  • Pulmonary Disease
  • Radiation Oncology
  • Radiation Oncology Recertification
  • Radiology
  • Radiosotopic Pathology (ABMS No Longer Uses — Historical Only)
  • Reproductive Endocrinology / Infertility
  • Rheumatology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Spinal Cord Injury Medicine
  • Sports Medicine
  • Surgery
  • Surgery of the Hand
  • Surgical Critical Care
  • Therapeutic Radiology (ABMS No Longer Uses — Historical Only)
  • Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery
  • Transplant Hepatology
  • Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine
  • Urological Surgery
  • Urology
  • Vascular and Interventional Radiology
  • Vascular Neurology
  • Vascular Surgery

The San Diego County Medical Society recognizes the following self–designated interest areas:

  • Acupuncture
  • Addiction Medicine
  • Administrative Medicine
  • Adrenal Gland Disorders
  • Advanced Gynecological Laparoscopic Procedure
  • Advanced Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery
  • Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery
  • Aesthetic Medicine
  • Anaphylaxis
  • Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Pathology
  • Angiography and Interventional Radiology
  • Antenatal Screening
  • Anti-aging Medicine
  • Arthroscopy
  • Asthma
  • Attention Deficit Disorder
  • Bariatric Surgery
  • Bladder Disorders
  • Body Imaging
  • Bone Marrow Transplant
  • Brain Injury Medicine
  • Brain Tumors
  • Breast Cancer
  • Breast Disease
  • Breastfeeding Medicine
  • Breast Surgery
  • Cancer Within the Head and Neck
  • Cardiac Anesthesia
  • Cardiac Electrophysiology
  • Cardiac Surgery
  • Cardio-thoracic Surgery
  • Cataract Surgery
  • Cerebrovascular Disease
  • Circumcision
  • Clinical and Laboratory Immunology
  • Clinical Lipidology
  • Clinical Research
  • Complex General Surgical Oncology
  • Congenital Heart Surgery
  • Continuous Renal Replacement Therapies
  • Cornea Disorders
  • Cosmetic Dermatology
  • Cosmetic Plastic Surgery
  • Cosmetic Surgery
  • Craniofacial Surgery
  • Dermatological Immunology / Diagnostic & Laboratory Immunology
  • Dermatologic Surgery
  • Diagnostic Radiology With Special Competence in Nuclear Radiology
  • Diagnostic Ultrasound
  • Digestive System Disease
  • Disability Examination
  • Disaster Medicine
  • Drug Allergies
  • Drug Management
  • Electrocardiographic Monitoring
  • Electrodiagnostic Testing
  • Emergency Medical Services
  • Endocrinology and Metabolism
  • Endoscopic Procedure With OB-GYN
  • Environmental Health Promotion
  • Epilepsy
  • Fetal Ultrasound
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Food Allergies
  • Foot and Ankle Orthopaedics
  • Functional Neurosurgery
  • General Preventive Medicine
  • Glaucoma
  • Gynecologic Endoscopy
  • Gynecology
  • Hand Surgery
  • Head and Neck Surgery
  • Hernia Repair
  • HIV Disease
  • Hospital Medicine
  • Hyperlipidemia
  • Hypertension
  • Immune Deficiency
  • In Vitro Fertilization
  • Incontinence
  • Infertility
  • Injury Prevention
  • Integrative Holistic Medicine
  • Interstitial Lung Diseases of Childhood
  • Interventional Pulmonology
  • Joint Reconstruction
  • Knee Surgery
  • Laparoscopic Robotic Assisted Procedure
  • Laser Surgery
  • Limb Repair
  • Liver Disease
  • Lung Disease
  • Maxillofacial Procedures
  • Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Medical Genetics
  • Menopausal and Postmenopausal Disorder
  • Mental Status Determination
  • Mohs Micrographic Surgery
  • Movement Disorders
  • Nasal Polyps
  • Nasal Sinus
  • Neonatal Circumcision
  • Nervous System Disease
  • Neuro-interventional Surgery
  • Neuro-musculoskeletal Medicine
  • Neuro-ophthalmology
  • Neurosurgery
  • Nuclear Cardiology
  • Nutrition, Metabolism, and Development
  • Obesity Medicine
  • Obstetrics
  • Obstetrics and Gynecologic Surgery
  • Oculofacial Plastic Surgery
  • Oncology
  • Oncology & Hematology
  • Operations on the Eye
  • Orthopaedic Trauma
  • Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
  • Osteopenia
  • Osteoporosis
  • Otolaryngic Allergy
  • Otology / Neurotology
  • Pediatric Allergy / Immunology
  • Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
  • Pediatric Neurosurgery
  • Pediatric Ophthalmology
  • Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Pediatric Orthopaedics
  • Pediatric Otolaryngology
  • Pediatric Sports Medicine
  • Peripheral Nerve Surgery
  • Phlebology
  • Physical Medicine
  • Pituitary Disorders
  • Plastic Surgery Within Head and Neck
  • Pneumonia (Recurrent)
  • Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
  • Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Prostate Disease
  • Prosthetic Joint Reconstruction
  • Psychoanalysis
  • Psychotherapy
  • Public Health
  • Pulmonary Radiology
  • Radiation Therapy
  • Reconstructive Spine Surgery
  • Refractive Eye Surgery
  • Refugee Medicine
  • Renal Tubular Disorders
  • Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
  • Retinal Disease
  • Scoliosis
  • Sexual Disorder
  • Sexual Medicine
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases
  • Shoulder Surgery
  • Sinus Disease
  • Sinus Surgery
  • Skin Disorders
  • Skull-based Surgery
  • Sleep Disorder
  • Spine Surgery
  • Stereotactic Radiosurgery
  • Surgery
  • Thoracic Oncology
  • Thyroid
  • Transplant Surgery
  • Trauma Surgery
  • Trigeminal Neuralgia
  • Ultrasound Guided Joint Injections
  • Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine
  • Underserved Care
  • Urgent Care
  • Urogynecology
  • Urological Oncology
  • Varicose Vein
  • Weight Management

From January 1 through December 31, i.e., calendar year.

There is no formalized relationship between the American Medical Association (AMA) and the San Diego County Medical Society / California Medical Association.