AMA involvement on Residency app: could it be bad/harmful?

[MoneyDoctor]

I don't want to start a big debate about the AMA, but I do have a question relating to AMA involvement and residency applications. I've talked to a fair amount of doctors who don't like the AMA for whatever given reason. If given an opportunity to have a leadership position in the AMA, could it ever be detrimental or look bad on a residency app (if whomever is reviewing your app doesn't like the AMA)? Or does the fact that it's a leadership role pad the resume a bit and outweigh any politics that may be involved?

What are everyone's thoughts on this? Thanks.

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[deleted87716]

Leadership is good.

Nobody really cares if you belong to the AMA or not.

 

[michaelrack]

Go ahead and list it. Docs in academics are more likely to have a favorable opinion of the AMA than private practice docs.

 

[Eta Carinae]

I don't want to start a big debate about the AMA, but I do have a question relating to AMA involvement and residency applications. I've talked to a fair amount of doctors who don't like the AMA for whatever given reason. If given an opportunity to have a leadership position in the AMA, could it ever be detrimental or look bad on a residency app (if whomever is reviewing your app doesn't like the AMA)? Or does the fact that it's a leadership role pad the resume a bit and outweigh any politics that may be involved?

What are everyone's thoughts on this? Thanks.

I took down all my leadership experience as an AMA-MSS officer not because I felt it would hurt me but because on principle, I did not want to be associated with the AMA.

My CV lost all ickiness after that.

But as BD said, all leadership helps.

 

[dragonfly99]

I think there are occasional docs who don't like the AMA, but only a real jerk would hold it against you that you had some medical student leadership position in AMA. I had some leadership roles in my local chapter of AMA and honestly since I was a leader of many service projects for them, this was a big part of my extracurricular activities that I didn't want to leave out. I would recommend you leave it on your CV, but avoid making any controversial statements in your interview...it's usually pretty easy to figure out your interviewer's political views once they start talking to you. I think my PD of my residency program didn't like AMA and actually mentioned it during my interview, but I think it was more of a failing on that person's part that it would be brought up in a negative way during my interview, and obviously I got the position so doubt that it hurt me.

I would spin it as a leadership thing and if you can point to specific accomplishments of yours (like chairing meetings, running service projects, etc.) then so much the better.

If someone is holding AMA against you, the same could be said for AMSA leadership, or even one of the minority groups like SNMA, APAMSA, or American Medical Women's Association. Personally, I was never afraid to say who I was, but I guess if you happen to be applying to some really conservative field like ortho, then leadership in some group that is very liberal, like AMSA, could potentially hurt you...AMA some dislike b/c they feel it's too liberal, while others think it's too conservative...but I would say it's pretty mainstream. If you want to know a REALLY right wing doc's group, I think there is something called National Association of Doctors which is really right wing...

 

[michaelrack]

If someone is holding AMA against you, the same could be said for AMSA leadership, or even one of the minority groups like SNMA, APAMSA, or American Medical Women's Association. Personally, I was never afraid to say who I was, but I guess if you happen to be applying to some really conservative field like ortho, then leadership in some group that is very liberal, like AMSA, could potentially hurt you...AMA some dislike b/c they feel it's too liberal, while others think it's too conservative...but I would say it's pretty mainstream. If you want to know a REALLY right wing doc's group, I think there is something called National Association of Doctors which is really right wing...

AMSA is way out on the left wing. Thanks for the tip about the National Association of Doctors- it seems to be more of a financing organization for docs rather than an advocacy organization, but I am signing up for their free newsletter:
http://www.nadonline.com/

 

[Faebinder]

I am more likely to have a bad opinion of you if you list membership to the AMA on your CV. No i'm not kidding. Academic places seem to favor the AMA... again that's the general rule.

 

[MoneyDoctor]

Thanks for the input. Much appreciated!