Join the AMA?

[haroldlewis]

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Members don't see this ad.

Any thoughts? I've heard of some doctors who disdain the AMA and I met someone who worked for them who said that they don't do a whole lot for doctors (lots of people sitting around doing nothing in their cubicles). Regardless, you get JAMA (although I could read it at the library if I wanted) and some other resources that might prove helpful for a student.

I'm leaning towards only joining my local and state medical organizations. How about you?

 

[Husky85]

Do a search of the forum, there are already several threads on this! 😴

 

[Law2Doc]

Any thoughts? I've heard of some doctors who disdain the AMA and I met someone who worked for them who said that they don't do a whole lot for doctors (lots of people sitting around doing nothing in their cubicles). Regardless, you get JAMA (although I could read it at the library if I wanted) and some other resources that might prove helpful for a student.

I'm leaning towards only joining my local and state medical organizations. How about you?

I say join things if the free stuff they give you is worth it, or if you think it's an organization you actually want to be active in. You won't have a ton of time to peruse JAMA while in med school -- if you have free time to read, you likely will want to waste it on fiction. These organizations will always be happy to take your money years later if you decide you want to be a member at a later date.

 

[lord_jeebus]

If you have time to read JAMA, you should be reading the NEJM.

 

[Law2Doc]

If you have time to read JAMA, you should be reading the NEJM.

Agreed, but I don't think any organization gives that one for free though.

 

[lord_jeebus]

Agreed, but I don't think any organization gives that one for free though.

Yeah...he said his library has JAMA access so I assumed he'd have NEJM access that way as well. If he doesn't have home access to libary resources, I suppose that's a problem.

I do think the AMA would be worth joining for someone interested in getting involved in policy in the future, but free JAMA (why I joined) is not a good reason.

 

[Law2Doc]

but free JAMA (why I joined) is not a good reason.

I think they throw in a dictionary too?

 

[lord_jeebus]

Yeah, but even that is available free online (Stedman's)

 

[NCF145]

Agreed, but I don't think any organization gives that one for free though.

I still have access to NEJM online through my undergrad, and I graduated in 2006.

 

[RockShox]

Any thoughts? I've heard of some doctors who disdain the AMA and I met someone who worked for them who said that they don't do a whole lot for doctors (lots of people sitting around doing nothing in their cubicles). Regardless, you get JAMA (although I could read it at the library if I wanted) and some other resources that might prove helpful for a student.

I'm leaning towards only joining my local and state medical organizations. How about you?

I think if you are interested in it by all means join your state and local society. I am a member of both the AMA and my state society. The state society gets you involved in smaller things that are much more tangable. You will also learn much more about the AMA as most medical societies are very active in the AMA too and you can then decide if it works for you. I think that the AMA does a lot for doctors but right now its a hard time. They have spent the last several decades playing the game...if we give society something they will give us something...as it turns out society is a selfish girlfriend. They are starting to want to play rough but it will take a little more of a push to get that attitude around.

 

[Bito42]

In my opinion, joining the AMA is a political statement. There are things the AMA has stood for (example: physician wages) and things its criticized for (selling physician prescribing info to pharmaceutical companies to make money!!). Go the the wikipedia site for some info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Medical_Association

As for myself, I chose not to chose the AMA for it's lack of support of universal health care, it's focus on the physician (salary, etc) rather than the patient (health care disparities, etc). It is also for some of these reasons that AMSA broke off of the AMA as a separate student group, not affiliated with the AMA.

Those at my school who joined the AMA and those who joined AMSA were two separate types of people. There's no conflict, just common knowledge that we have some different priorities and goals.

This, of course, is not a broad generalization of the AMA, and they do some great work as well. The beauty of it is that you have the right to choose what to join. Just don't do it on the basis of a free subscription.

 

[abeytt03]

I will be joining the AMA. I think it is important for physicians to have a political voice. Additionally, I feel that fighting for physicians wages is a worthy cause, and should not be disparaged.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

Any group I can join to get a free Littmann Cardiology III Stethoscope?

 

[Law2Doc]

Any group I can join to get a free Littmann Cardiology III Stethoscope?

I'm happy to start a group that gives those out. Costs $1000 a year to join.

 

[enlightenedhick]

AMA Membership = AMSA Membership = TONS of junkmail.

No other benefit has come about.

 

[Biscuit799]

In my opinion, joining the AMA is a political statement. There are things the AMA has stood for (example: physician wages) and things its criticized for (selling physician prescribing info to pharmaceutical companies to make money!!). Go the the wikipedia site for some info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Medical_Association

As for myself, I chose not to chose the AMA for it's lack of support of universal health care, it's focus on the physician (salary, etc) rather than the patient (health care disparities, etc). It is also for some of these reasons that AMSA broke off of the AMA as a separate student group, not affiliated with the AMA.

Those at my school who joined the AMA and those who joined AMSA were two separate types of people. There's no conflict, just common knowledge that we have some different priorities and goals.

This, of course, is not a broad generalization of the AMA, and they do some great work as well. The beauty of it is that you have the right to choose what to join. Just don't do it on the basis of a free subscription.

I was under the impression that the AMA was a vocal supporter of a single payer healthcare system... that's 75% of my reason for NOT joining the group.