I just finished reading "House of God" and this was one of the last pieces of advice the Fat Man gave to Dr. Basch. I think its good advice for all of us to-be doctors to heed. Fewer than 30% of practicing physicians belong to the AMA now but it's up to us medical students to turn around that trend. With all the change going on in healthcare, especially this dangerous notion that the online-trained "Doctor-Nurses" can replace an MD, I think the AMA and our state medical associations are our greatest hope in ensuring physician leadership of healthcare and, consequently, real patient safety. I intend to actively encourage my classmates to join the AMA and my state's medical association and I encourage all of you to do the same. Your future and, more importantly, the health and well-being of your patients depends on it.
Support Your AMA
- Thread starter HouseCall
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The AMA is not there for the patients. Its there for physicians . Thats why a lot of physicians dont join it.
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weak.
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You've got it absolutely backwards.
The AMA does not support its physicians. Its missions are more about social causes than benefitting US physicians...THAT is why less than 30% of US physicians join and most that do are FMGs. Once you realize what they do with your membership dues, you'll end up quitting (like almost everyone I know).
The farce is that when something happens that benefits physicians (like halting Medicare cuts), the AMA pats itself on the back with expensive fliers and ads like they were the reason it happened.
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You've got it absolutely backwards.
The AMA does not support its physicians. Its missions are more about social causes than benefitting US physicians...THAT is why less than 30% of US physicians join and most that do are FMGs. Once you realize what they do with your membership dues, you'll end up quitting (like almost everyone I know).
The farce is that when something happens that benefits physicians (like halting Medicare cuts), the AMA pats itself on the back with expensive fliers and ads like they were the reason it happened.
Yup. I know several physicians who refuse to join the AMA specifically because they've dropped the ball so many times when it comes to defending physicians in a multitude of ways.
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You've got it absolutely backwards.
The AMA does not support its physicians. Its missions are more about social causes than benefitting US physicians...THAT is why less than 30% of US physicians join and most that do are FMGs. Once you realize what they do with your membership dues, you'll end up quitting (like almost everyone I know).
The farce is that when something happens that benefits physicians (like halting Medicare cuts), the AMA pats itself on the back with expensive fliers and ads like they were the reason it happened.
I completely agree with this. During the last presidential campaign, the AMA ran ads supporting universal health care. Pretty much the only way to get there involves enlargement of a single-payer system and payments to physicians dropping. Historically, universal coverage is followed by a drop in physician salary. I was shocked that the AMA would be advocating this.
While I appreciate that there are many people looking out for patients, the AMA should ideally be looking out for physicians.
By the way, perhaps Samuel Shem is not the best person upon which to base your personal opinions- IMHO
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Well, it's there for both. What is wrong with having a lobbying group for doctors? Trial lawyers, hospitals, insurance companies have their own, and I blame the last several generation of doctors for being self-righteous snobs and not lobbying for our profession for this current mess we are in.
I guess if you enjoy the government telling you every step of the way how to practice medicine then don't join the AMA
I used to think like you do but I have come around a bit on the AMA. When Medicare was first proposed the AMA fought it tooth and nail on the economic interest of doctors. They lost horribly.
The reason the AMA is always out there on social issues (aside from their typical liberal worldview) is to give them some cover. When they fight proposals that hurt doctors, they want to be able to argue that it's not just naked monetary interest motivating them. At least I'd like to imagine this is why, because the idea that they're pushing all these stupid hippie social causes because only the hardcore believers care enough to go be delegates is painful.
This might be the best we can do short of a union like most other countries have. Without real negotiating leverage like the doctors organizations in those countries have, the AMA's approach might be the best of bad options to fighting bad legislation.
