Why does AMSA fail to look after the interests if the people it was created for?

Are there any alternatives to AMSA that aren't socialist, liberal propaganda machines that I can start at my medical school? So many students here join AMSA because of the lack of a better alternative.

Plus, they offer a free Netters with every membership. What a f_cking scam. Most of the students I have spoken to (and some officers!) don't even know AMSA positions on socialized medicine, gay marriage, etc etc.

join the AMA-MSS. screw amsa.

You should definitely look into the AMA - there are a lot of issues that are debated at the national conventions. Plus, the conventions are a great way to meet others.

Most of the students I have spoken to (and some officers!) don't even know AMSA positions on socialized medicine, gay marriage, etc etc.

could you elaborate on this? what is AMSA's position on gay marriage, etc??
i'm curious

could you elaborate on this? what is AMSA's position on gay marriage, etc??
i'm curious

AMSA supports an overtly liberal agenda. They have firmly stated that they oppose the gay marriage amendment, which would ban gay marriages.

I personally also oppose the gay marriage amendment. But there is no reason why a medical students organization should be taking a position on such an issue.

They also use their resources (which they get from med students like me and you) to lobby for such issues like resident hour restrictions and the regulation of drug companies. I'm all for better hours and proper regulation of pharmaceuticals, but there are much more pressing issues, like med malpractice, turf wars from non-MD/DO fields who want to expand their scope of practice while bypassing the strict standards of a proper medical education.

AMSA does nothing. In fact, they OPPOSED tort reform because they are so obsessed with socializing medicine. They need to look after the future of doctors, but they don't. In short, they suck. If you want to know more, search for a thread called AMSA - do you know what you're supporting.

-Tristero

I believe that OSUdoc08...a member here on the boards is a chapter president...ask him.

Is there is a better organization that looks after the interests of med students specifically? If not, lets start one. If AMSA is heading the wrong direction, the best thing to do is to be vocal and inform everyone. Thank you Tristero for bringing this up.

Well, I think AMA-MSS is more conservative and less idealistic, but at least they support physician issues. Their political arm is AMPAC. In contrast, AMSA is a more left-wing group that is more for wealthy, idealistic students.

AMSA people argue that the AMA-MSS is purely self-interested, whereas the AMA people argue that AMSA is shooting itself in the foot.

In contrast, AMSA is a more left-wing group that is more for wealthy, idealistic students.


I see the iddealistic, but not the wealthy. To me, it seems rather counterintuitive. In my personal experience, almost allof the wealthy med students I know don't like AMSA. And just to have some sort of a standard, by wealthy, I mean kids who won't be paying any loans after med school. Then again, my experience ishighly subjective.

Is there is a better organization that looks after the interests of med students specifically? If not, lets start one. If AMSA is heading the wrong direction, the best thing to do is to be vocal and inform everyone. Thank you Tristero for bringing this up.

The AMA is fairly active but I think the time is ripe to start an organization that is heavily motivated to lobby for med student and doctors interests. The AMA is doing some of the work, but compared to other lobbying groups (such as the trial lawyer's association), they're pretty ineffective.

We should start something. Med students would join in huge numbers, especially once we exposed AMSA for the scam it really is. AMSA thinks making a good living and preserving the prestige of medicine are incompatible with providing affordable, ethical, quality healthcare. This masochistic idea needs to change--No other profession would stand for a similar degradation that medicine has endured.

And socialized medicine isn't the answer. It isn't good for the patients or the doctors--but I'll stop there. This thread is about instituting change, not debating the effectiveness of the US healthcare system vs. socialist models.

I was one of those people who didn't really know what AMSA was supporting recently until I made it my business to find out. It was cool in undergrad but since has gotten too liberal. I was a chapter officer last year (mainly because our group at school was on our own agenda and we were doing good things). The emails that chapter officers get encouraging your school to do this liberal stuff was ridiculous. Half way through the year, I took my name off the listserve so I wasn't bothered with their hocus-pocus BS anymore. I have since written an email to the membership technically resigning my membership.

Ever thought to think that the majority of people our age actually are liberal??? Maybe AMSA actually is representing their constituants.

AMSA also "condemned" the ban on partial birth abortion. Liberal or not, I have a hard time believing that the majority of medical students are so ignorant of embryology that they agree with AMSA that there's a right to electively kill an eight-month-and-change fetus.

It's pure and simple patronage--med students get a Netter's and something to put on the residency app, while a small cabal of activists get the chance to claim to speak in the name of thousands of med students while pursuing goals largely irrelevant or antagonistic to good medicine.

Unfortunately, by the time people figure this out they've already paid their Netter-money. It's good that threads like this are spreading the word at the beginning of the school year--one chapter president on the osteopathic board is on record as claiming, contrary to all reason and documentation, that AMSA "has no policies." What hope for impressionable first-years when chapter presidents themselves are unaware of AMSA's basic aims?

Ever thought to think that the majority of people our age actually are liberal??? Maybe AMSA actually is representing their constituants.

If this were true, the members would be consulted prior to the organization taking a stance. For example, a vote or survey would be used to guage the feelings of the contituants. I've never heard of such a thing happening, and the agenda they are putting forth is not flexible. They choose leaders based upon their ability to forward the agenda rather than allowing the agenda to be changed by a new, freely elected leader.

The AMSA claims to be an organization for all medical students, supporting that role, when in fact it is a political machine trying to recruit members into their already-formed (liberal) ideology.

From their web page, www.amsa.org/about/

"AMSA is a student-governed, non-profit organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training."

This sounds like it should be an unbiased group representing their members. Yet on the same page they indicate their already formulated "strategic priorities", such as socializing medicine and promoting affirmative action. Thus, the AMSA is not an unbiased group - they are a political organization.

It should be treated as such. I don't care if they advance their agenda or not, so long as they don't lie about the organization to those they are trying to recruit. Which is what they are, in fact, doing - by stating that they are trying to represent the students, of which a large percentage are conservative. They do not represent the conservative minority in any form at all.

In effect, it is a "one party democracy" - by nature a contradiction in terms.

If this were true, the members would be consulted prior to the organization taking a stance. For example, a vote or survey would be used to guage the feelings of the contituants. I've never heard of such a thing happening, and the agenda they are putting forth is not flexible. They choose leaders based upon their ability to forward the agenda rather than allowing the agenda to be changed by a new, freely elected leader.

The AMSA claims to be an organization for all medical students, supporting that role, when in fact it is a political machine trying to recruit members into their already-formed (liberal) ideology.

From their web page, www.amsa.org/about/

"AMSA is a student-governed, non-profit organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training."

This sounds like it should be an unbiased group representing their members. Yet on the same page they indicate their already formulated "strategic priorities", such as socializing medicine and promoting affirmative action. Thus, the AMSA is not an unbiased group - they are a political organization.

It should be treated as such. I don't care if they advance their agenda or not, so long as they don't lie about the organization to those they are trying to recruit. Which is what they are, in fact, doing - by stating that they are trying to represent the students, of which a large percentage are conservative. They do not represent the conservative minority in any form at all.

In effect, it is a "one party democracy" - by nature a contradiction in terms.

Exactly, it's a scam, plain and simple. I'm going to change that.

... But there is no reason why a medical students organization should be taking a position on such an issue...


Well they are committed to bringing healthcare to as many americans as possible. If you have to be recognized as a legal spouse to get quality medical insurance, then they would be likely to oppose a constitutional amendment to a gay marriage ban, which effectively would squelch many initiatives for domestic partner registries and benefits.

Tristero,
If you are interested in starting an organization PM me. Have a great day.

our chapter president told us that if we joined, we would have a voice, and therefore could work to change AMSA from within.

I joined for the Netters, and the discounts. I know that's a lousy reason, but...well...med students are an easily manipulated population. We're poor, and we're faced with buying a lot of books and equipment. It's sort of like doing research on a prison population...if an ethics IRB had to "approve" AMSA's practices...they would be shut down.