Membership in SSH is not a transaction. It's not a fee you pay to access a set of benefits and then move on.
The members who get the most from SSH — and who give the most back to it — are the ones who treat it as an active relationship with their professional community.
What does that look like in practice?
At IMSH 2026, the IMSH Connections program brought together waves of attendees through roundtable discussions, Section and Affinity Group open houses, mentorship matching, and guided meetups. For many, those were introductions to people they went on to collaborate with, publish with, or lean on throughout the year.
Active members also shape the field directly — serving on committees and volunteer bodies that influence education programming, credentialing standards, accreditation policies, and advocacy positions. The SSH Calls for Service process is one of the most direct ways your membership becomes influence.
And then there's the research dimension. The evidence base that the entire simulation field runs on — the studies that justify simulation as a clinical training methodology, the scholarship that moves our standards forward — is produced by SSH members. Active members access Simulation in Healthcare, SSH's peer-reviewed journal, as part of their membership. They contribute to the International Simulation Data Registry and participate in early career research programs that bring new investigators into the field. This community doesn't just consume knowledge. It builds it.
Really, all of this amounts to being available or showing up — attending a roundtable, responding to a Calls for Service invitation, submitting a paper, introducing yourself at a Section open house.
If you want to get more involved, the Calls for Service page is a good place to start (see below). You're also welcome to reach out to me directly at agrossman@ssih.org.
Ashley Grossman
SSH Director of Membership
Calls for Service Open
Shape the Field — Apply for SSH Volunteer Roles
SSH's Calls for Service process matches members to committee roles, governance positions, and volunteer opportunities that directly influence how the field develops. If you are ready to contribute beyond your own program, this is where to start. We don't have any open positions currently, but keep checking back!