Doctors need a voice that is separate from the political, economic and business forces that shape the decisions they have to make on behalf of their patients. A national physician association is one way they can achieve this goal, and the American Medical Association (AMA) is the oldest such organization in the world.
It was established to promote the science and art of medicine and the betterment of public health. The AMA is also the steward of a long tradition of physician self-regulation, which ensures quality patient care by maintaining high standards for education, ethics and competence.
The AMA is a non-profit, voluntary membership organization composed of individual members who have a professional interest in the practice of medicine. It represents physicians of all specialties, as well as medical students and residents. The AMA’s membership includes over 240,000 physicians and allied health professionals in the United States, its territories and several other countries around the world.
The founders of the AMA recognized that a physician’s effectiveness depends on his or her ongoing learning and professional growth. Consequently, they included in their bylaws the requirement that active members complete 150 hours of continuing education every three years in order to maintain membership. This requirement is met by attending educational meetings, writing or presenting original scientific papers, participating in medical school or postgraduate teaching and research, medical society activities or a variety of other means. Accurate records of these activities are maintained and validated. If a member does not meet these requirements, he or she is dropped from the rolls.
As the AMA grew, it began to take on issues beyond education and research. It lobbied to support laws that protected the right of patients to access care, as well as to support civil rights legislation. It even took up the cause of African Americans, founding the National Medical Association in 1895 at a time when racial segregation dictated all aspects of social behavior, employment, housing, transportation and education, including the practice of medicine.
The AMA has a long history of supporting Democratic candidates, although it has become increasingly partisan in recent years. It supports both the Medicare and Medicaid programs, which serve millions of patients. In addition, it endorses state-based health reform initiatives and supports the expansion of the Affordable Care Act.
The AMA has a number of internal and external committees that advise it on specific policy matters. It also sponsors a number of journals that are read by the general public and other healthcare providers. The AMA is a member of the World Medical Association, which provides a forum for its member associations to communicate freely and co-operate actively, aiming at the highest international standards in medical education, medical science, medical art and medical ethics. It also promotes the professional freedom of physicians worldwide.