AMA for med students

There are plenty of benefits of joining. Free Bates or Medical Journal, discounts on DSL and car insurance (I save 100$ a year on insurance b/c of them), JAMA, and access to funding for some community service projects and research. For my school they also pay for you to attend a canference up in Sacramento.

Hey Jalby,
could you elaborate on the DSL and car insurance discounts for AMA student members? Is this only in California? How do you take advantage of this? thanks. Doc

Sorry my fine nubian princess, but I think the deals for insurance is with CMA, which you get here when you join AMA. IMA prolly has some similar deals, but you won't be needing a car in the frozen tundra where you are going. The DSL, on the other hand, I'm not sure which of the three organizations that is for. If you want to know the benefits of joining AMA, you can go to http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/107.html (They don't list the free stuff you are given. That's annoying. I know it's on the site somewhere, but I don't have time to search for it now.), but you also get more benefits from the state and county medical associations.

Oh yeah, you also get discounts on medical supplies from Henry Stien supplies.

How about AMSA membership vs. an AMA student membership? Is one more beneficial than the other?

Oooh that's great advice Jalby, I was just about to fork over a ton of money for a steth, sphygmanometer, opthalmoscope etc. As for a car, my parents just bought me a new Liberty as a gift (I know, I'm spoiled) so I will be takin my new wheels with me to Chicago.

Peace ~Doc (your fine nubian princess )

Originally posted by Selenocysteine
How about AMSA membership vs. an AMA student membership? Is one more beneficial than the other?

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At my school, AMSA gave you a free Netter and then you never heard from them. So that made it worth it, but if you had to choose one of the other, you are def better off with AMA, esp since you will prolly be in it after you graduate.

Our county medical society paid for a 4-year student membership in the AMA for everyone in my class. How sweet is that?!?

Here is the letter I wrote to my first years talking about benefits of joining AMA. Thought you guys might be interested:

Dear Class of 2007,
As many of you know, medicine as we know it is far different than it was 10, 100, and 1000 years ago. In the past, physicians were just concerned with healing the patient, while today physicians must know about economics, billing, legislation, and more. Rather than letting other people decide how medicine operates nowadays, physicians need to become proactive to shape the way that we impact the world.
For over 150 years, the American Medical Association has been the largest and most preeminent medical organization in the world. With over 49,000 medical student members nationwide, the AMA is consistently searching for new programs and benefits to meet your special needs. While many of the benefits of joining AMA are for physician members, there are still a LOT of reasons for medical students to join. Membership in the AMA, along with CMA and LACMA, provides you with (I only listed the main ones that medical students could use):
? Subscription to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), a weekly journal that publishes the latest finding in many areas of science and social care.
? Subscription to Southern California Physician (A monthly magazine that deals solely with medical issues to Southern California. Extremely informative)
? Access to American Medical News (AMNews) and Medical Student JAMA (MSJAMA) online.
? Informational e-mail updates and newsletters on topics important to medical students.
? Discounts on car insurance with Mercury insurance, which gave me the best discount even before I knew about the discount from AMA. (I feel like that Larry H. Parker guy)
? Discounts on DSL from Pacific Bell.
? 5% discount with AT and T wireless. (This company doesn?t have the best service at school, so I wouldn?t really recommend them)
? Discounts on COSTCO membership.
? Free Stedman?s medical dictionary or Bates Pocket handbook (great for doing Personal Histories on Patients)
? Grants up to 500$ for community service projects (i.e. Good source of funding)
? Leadership opportunities in AMA/CMA/LACMA
? Insurance discounts for health, life, disability, and HIV coverage.
? Airline discounts for residency interviews
? Free flight and hotel room for CMA legislative day in Sacramento.

Your support helps provide ongoing leadership to improve medicine, the medical process, and the role of the physician in out current health care environment. I hope you guys will consider joining AMA/CMA/LACMA and I will see you guys soon.

Sincerely,



[email protected]
(323)441-1922

Okay, so back to the question: AMA v. AMSA? Does anyone join both? And the free Netter's- I assume that wouldn't include the interactive CD? It would definitely be cheaper to just buy the software. How fast do they deliver on the free Netter's and dictionary?

Ah, so many decisions, too dang much time...

I joined both.

AMSA makes you fill out an application for a credit card to get Netters

AMA you get the Stedman's (I actually haVE 100 DICS IN MY BASEMENT, i'M IN CHARGES OF DISTRibuting them next year

AMSA and AMA have very different political views if that is what your leaning towars.

But both are great organizations I would suggest joining both becuase it like $125 for 4 years in both organizations

AK

The AMSA national leadership is very left-wing liberal (basically marxist/socialist). And they push that agenda. So if you are left-wing liberal, you will like the political and social orientation of the AMSA. The local leadership, at least in my midwestern school, are more moderate.

The AMA is more balanced, rational, and mature in its political and social views.

So I like the AMA much more.