A doctor association is a group of doctors who band together to fight for their patients’ rights. They are a powerful force when united and are often the voice of their profession in Washington DC.
The American Medical Association (AMA) is a national organization with over 75% of the nation’s physicians as members. The AMA advocates on behalf of doctors in the areas of professional issues and public health. It decides policy through a democratic process in the House of Delegates and enforces its own standards for corporate relationships.
It is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization. The AMA works for the welfare of patients through leadership in medicine, education, research and advocacy. It promotes the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and ethical behavior in the practice of medicine.
Today the AMA is one of the world’s most influential and respected organizations. But its origins go back to a bloody duel in 1818. The scuzzy skirmish, which featured rival physician Drake and his nemesis Dudley, was not unique in those times; the United States turned out five times as many doctors as some European countries, creating fierce competition.
Eventually the AMA’s members formed state and local medical societies, which accumulated political and financial clout and offered new perks, including defense from malpractice suits. By the turn of the century, the AMA’s membership was up nearly tenfold, as the benefits of being a member made physicians more financially secure and gave them greater influence in the practice of medicine.
The AMA is the world’s oldest and largest physician organization. Its Declarations, Resolutions and Statements guide physicians and other health care professionals in their daily work. In addition, the AMA is concerned with international issues such as human rights, care of the sick and wounded in times of war, medical ethics, pollution, family planning and the availability of drugs.
A number of the AMA’s policies have been controversial. For example, the AMA has lobbied against reforms that would reduce physicians’ earning potential. And it has been criticized for supporting discrimination against women and minorities in the practice of medicine.
Despite these concerns, the majority of physicians still belong to a local, county or state medical society and more than two thirds join their national specialty society. The AMA has also maintained a strong presence on social media, with an active Facebook page and Twitter feed. In addition, the AMA continues to provide continuing medical education for doctors and support research through its Foundation for Medical Education and Research and its publishing arm, which includes the peer-reviewed journal “Clinical Medicine” and the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coding system of standardized terms for medical procedures. The AMA’s archives contain more than 90 historical collections, including documents, photographs, films and books. AMA members have free access to the archives for research purposes and pay only a nominal use fee for photocopying small numbers of archival materials. For more information, visit the AMA website.