why join amsa?

[kesse]

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are there any benefits to joining amsa or any other similar organizations?

 

[yellowcat322]

Yes. It alleviates you of the burden of carrying around all that hefty cash in your wallet by kindly claiming it for the annual dues. And to boot, you get pretty spam in the mail to peruse during those long toilet sessions. Lotsa benefits.👍

 

[fantasty]

I'm pretty sure AMSA has one time dues. I paid in 2000 and haven't given them any money since (except conference fees one time).

 

[anon-y-mouse]

are there any benefits to joining amsa or any other similar organizations?

free netter for signing up for the creidt card
of course they say you have to pay your amsa dues at the same time
but i never did 😉
so really... i got a free netter without even joining amsa. i think it's kind of a ridiculous organization. their goals are so lofty and their i am personally really against their "high and mighty" position.

join the AMA instead!

 

[DoctorFunk]

join the AMA instead!

Or not. I joined the AMA for the free JAMA, which goes unread week after week after week. Now I have to put up with their political mailings which only goes to show how politically impotent they are as an organization. They were unable to get malpractice reform legislation through an all republican government and sit by while "allied" health professionals continue to diminish the exclusive scope of practice of physicians in many states. Compared to the lobbying organizations of nurses and insurance companies, the AMA is a joke.

Join interest groups and national organizations that you are truly interested in. The rest is a waste of time.

 

[Ashers]

In my massive club joining sweep at the beginning of M1 year, I joined AMSA for the free Netter and Flash drive (and I canceled the credit card after spending the minimum), and AMA for Stedman's dictionary -- Netter's been more useful. All the journals go immediately to the trash. My school actually hands you the Netter after you pay AMSA dues.

 

[sirus_virus]

Or not. I joined the AMA for the free JAMA, which goes unread week after week after week. Now I have to put up with their political mailings which only goes to show how politically impotent they are as an organization. They were unable to get malpractice reform legislation through an all republican government and sit by while "allied" health professionals continue to diminish the exclusive scope of practice of physicians in many states. Compared to the lobbying organizations of nurses and insurance companies, the AMA is a joke.

Join interest groups and national organizations that you are truly interested in. The rest is a waste of time.

That reminds me I wonder what these democrats are going to do to healthcare? I smell that "universal" non-sense in the air.👎

 

[t33sg1rl]

The AMSA people at your school will tell you that you can cancel the credit card anytime-what they don't tell you is what will happen to your credit report.
1. opening a new account of any kind temporarily lowers your credit score.
2. having too many credit cards (more than 3) hurts your credit score.
3. having a credit card that you never use hurts your credit score.
4. having a card with a low credit limit hurts your credit score.
5. and finally, canceling a credit card hurts your credit even more than items 1-4. The shorter the amount of time the account was open, the worse it will be.
So it just depends on you-are you willing to have a lower credit score for the next seven years to get that netter's? This is pretty much why I will not join AMSA-if they actually worked in the best interest of students, the Netter's would be free and they'd be handing out pamphlets on why signing up for credit cards as a broke med student is a terrible idea.

 

[akpete]

The AMSA people at your school will tell you that you can cancel the credit card anytime-what they don't tell you is what will happen to your credit report.
1. opening a new account of any kind temporarily lowers your credit score.
2. having too many credit cards (more than 3) hurts your credit score.
3. having a credit card that you never use hurts your credit score.
4. having a card with a low credit limit hurts your credit score.
5. and finally, canceling a credit card hurts your credit even more than items 1-4. The shorter the amount of time the account was open, the worse it will be.
So it just depends on you-are you willing to have a lower credit score for the next seven years to get that netter's? This is pretty much why I will not join AMSA-if they actually worked in the best interest of students, the Netter's would be free and they'd be handing out pamphlets on why signing up for credit cards as a broke med student is a terrible idea.

OTOH, it is by far and away the best credit card I have. Low interest and points program. And my limit is not that low.

I don't understand all the hate for AMSA on SDN. I agree with DoctorFunk in that AMA doesn't necessarily do crap either. For each and every organization, you typically get out what you put in, as well as how active your school's chapter may or may not be. Go to the org's website and research their issues and decide for yourself.

I'm a member of both AMSA and AMA.

 

[Scrub MD]

DO NOT JOIN AMSA!!!! I will send you one of their bogus magazines and you will see. They do stand for anything my classmates and I do. The worst part is they don't care. They have a few radicals at the top and will run the money you gave them for their own goals.

Examples: New DO president wants to spread the word about DO's. AMSA is gung-ho about all hospitals/schools being pharm-free(no free samples for patients, no pens, no meals). The have groups and conferences promoting universal health care.

I paid dues for the free Netter and now I am kicking myself. $125 for dues and I should have bought the book for $40-60.

 

[Scrub MD]

Join AMA. At least they use their money to lobby congress about lowering medical malpractice costs. They also combat the increasing scope of midlevels(PA, NP, CRNA).

 

[akpete]

DO NOT JOIN AMSA!!!! I will send you one of their bogus magazines and you will see. They do stand for anything my classmates and I do. The worst part is they don't care. They have a few radicals at the top and will run the money you gave them for their own goals.

Examples: New DO president wants to spread the word about DO's. AMSA is gung-ho about all hospitals/schools being pharm-free(no free samples for patients, no pens, no meals). The have groups and conferences promoting universal health care.

I paid dues for the free Netter and now I am kicking myself. $125 for dues and I should have bought the book for $40-60.

Just because you don't agree with AMSA's stance doesn't mean that no one else does. Like I said before, check out the website and you can find out the topics and opinions. Sorry that you didn't think to do this before paying up. No one's fault but your own. BTW, dues are $65, not $125.

And what's your beef with DO's?

 

[Doctor Bagel]

OTOH, it is by far and away the best credit card I have. Low interest and points program. And my limit is not that low.

I don't understand all the hate for AMSA on SDN. I agree with DoctorFunk in that AMA doesn't necessarily do crap either. For each and every organization, you typically get out what you put in, as well as how active your school's chapter may or may not be. Go to the org's website and research their issues and decide for yourself.

I'm a member of both AMSA and AMA.

Also, the impact on your credit should be pretty marginal and would probably disappear within a few months. It's the type of thing you have to be careful about if you're purchasing a house soon or taking out private student loans, but other than that, it's really not a big deal. Speaking as someone who has more than 3 credit cards, credit cards I never use and a few old cards with low limits who still has a credit score above 750.

I agree with AMSA on most of their stances, so I'm glad I joined. I actually didn't sign up for the credit card or get the free B&N gift certificate (I think that's new this year instead of the Netters) and still think my fees are money well spent. I did save some money on my car insurance, though. 🙂 They're upfront about what they believe in, so it's not like they're conning poor med students who lack the ability to read. 🙄

 

[logos]

Just because you don't agree with AMSA's stance doesn't mean that no one else does. Like I said before, check out the website and you can find out the topics and opinions. Sorry that you didn't think to do this before paying up. No one's fault but your own. BTW, dues are $65, not $125.

And what's your beef with DO's?

Thats about the only thing i've complained about with regard to AMSA on SDN. I dont like how a ton of my classmates joined the organization in blind fashion, not realizing that it is in fact a political organization. AMSA helps to sucker people in with the Netters. I have very little problem with what our local chapter does, and often would like to be a member, but I refuse to support them because their national organization has positions on issues that are antithetical to my views. I dont want to support an organization that is actively trying to damage my chosen profession and future patients.

Others support their views, however, on the basis of what I have seen here, most people who signed up were unaware of AMSAs positions, and would object to them, most particularly AMSA's abject support of socialism.

Oh...and I really like getting JAMA. I dont have time to read the articles, but there is a page near the beginning that contains a short summary of all the articles. I try to read that when I get a moment. It being just a single page, dosent take me more than a couple of min.

 

[dilated]

Or not. I joined the AMA for the free JAMA, which goes unread week after week after week. Now I have to put up with their political mailings which only goes to show how politically impotent they are as an organization. They were unable to get malpractice reform legislation through an all republican government and sit by while "allied" health professionals continue to diminish the exclusive scope of practice of physicians in many states. Compared to the lobbying organizations of nurses and insurance companies, the AMA is a joke.

But would you approve if the AMA did what they should, which is stop pretending to be "defending the patients" and start solely advocating for physician's interests (aka the precise opposite of AMSA)? You don't see the Trial Lawyers Association advocating for poor people to get better legal representation, you see them advocating for TRIAL LAWYERS INTERESTS. AMA needs to be split into separate medical ethics and physician advocacy organizations. The focus on stuff like smoking bans and banning fatty snacks doesn't just distract from lobbying for physicians interests, it actively pushes away physicians who don't share their (largely pro-government intervention, in a conservative profession) social stances, which is a good reason why less than half of doctors are members now after it used to be more like 70%.

But while the AMA may be ineffectual it's at least got its heart in the right place. I can't even talk about AMSA without feeling a diversity workshop coming on.

 

[logos]

But would you approve if the AMA did what they should, which is stop pretending to be "defending the patients" and start solely advocating for physician's interests (aka the precise opposite of AMSA)? You don't see the Trial Lawyers Association advocating for poor people to get better legal representation, you see them advocating for TRIAL LAWYERS INTERESTS. AMA needs to be split into separate medical ethics and physician advocacy organizations. The focus on stuff like smoking bans and banning fatty snacks doesn't just distract from lobbying for physicians interests, it actively pushes away physicians who don't share their (largely pro-government intervention, in a conservative profession) social stances, which is a good reason why less than half of doctors are members now after it used to be more like 70%.

But while the AMA may be ineffectual it's at least got its heart in the right place. I can't even talk about AMSA without feeling a diversity workshop coming on.

Thats actually a very good thought. I like it.

 

[MadameLULU]

isn't amsa going to hawaii sometime soon?

 

[Rockhouse]

I think the big deal is being suckered. I didn't do my homework at all, and all the recruiters told me was "you can get a free netter's, you are going to buy it anyways." I had signed the check before I know what the hell they stood for. Just know what you are getting into. But I'll say this, I know I am not going to get a damn thing out of AMSA for my $125, and I could have gotten that Netter's for $75. I could buy a lot of beer that I wouldn't have time to drink with that $50.

 

[doctor detroit]

are there any benefits to joining amsa or any other similar organizations?

I was an ASMA member until I discovered they were communists.

 

[soeagerun2or]

I ask myself that question often. Truthfully, I got a free Robbins and get to list it on my CV that somehow has a decent reputation. Otherwise it's an entirely political, anti-mainstream group that I would rather not be associated with

 

[indo]

"it helps students network"

Every student organization says this. What does it mean?

 

[dilated]

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2006/11/the_future_of_american_medicine_woo_1.php
Here's a good blog post on AMSA's valuable activities in the area of promoting "alternative medicine". According to AMSA, there is "a major component of the body, qi, that Western medicine does not even acknowledge. Qi is what is called the life force, and it is all inclusive of the many types of energy within the body as well as being essential for life itself", which is "well suited to anyone looking for safe healing". Can you believe how ridiculous Western medicine is, that it doesn't even acknowledge the ENERGY LIFE FORCE? Thank god we've got AMSA to reform us. When people make fun of AMSA for being dirty hippies this is exactly the sort of thing they are talking about

 

[45408]

3. having a credit card that you never use hurts your credit score.
4. having a card with a low credit limit hurts your credit score.

#3. Who told you that?

#4. Not if you don't use it. You just don't want to use a high percentage of your available credit. If you have another card with a $10K limit, it doesn't matter if you max out your $500 card every month.

 

[traveler005]

As a current national AMSA leader, I want to point out that this is not a new discussion on SDN. Someone invariably asks "why join AMSA?" and the response is always "THERE SOCIALISTS! OH NO! DIVERSITY, HEALTH REFORM, MED STUDENT WELL-BEING! WHAT THE HECK ARE THEY THINKING?" It all just seems so alarmist and angry, which I just don't understand. I think this is mostly due to miscommunication between chapter leaders and incoming students.

A few points of clarification:
1. You are not required to sign up for the credit card to join AMSA. Offering a credit card is a standard way that associations and businesses support themselves.
2. Annual dues are $65. The current cost of a Netter's is $75.
3. You are not automatically signed up for list-serves when you sign up. Any emails you receive are sent because you are a Chapter Officer or you specifically went to the web site and signed up.
4. We do care about what members think. We constantly try to figure out what students want us to do, and if they don't tell us directly or run for national leadership positions then we have no way of changing things.

To end my reply, here are some comments I have already made on this topic.

“I just don't understand why this topic incites so much anger in people. No one forces you to join AMSA. You are free to look up their priorities (which BTW do not necessarily include advocating "socialized" medicine, rather working for ANY PLAN that would improve upon the crap system we have right now) in the PPP and throughout the website. You can join without getting the Netters or the gift card. And if you are a member and you have issues with what the organization does, you are always free to contact the national leadership and express your opinion. LITERALLY.

I have been involved in AMSA for the past 3 years, and I have to admit that what I have gotten out of it goes way beyond politics. Do you feel comfortable speaking in public or even in front of your attending? Would you be ready to walk into your senator's office and have an hour-long discussion about medical student debt and how they can help alleviate this huge problem affecting almost every medical student? Are you in a huge load of debt and trying to figure out how to prevent the government from cutting your STAFFORD loans? Do you like to party? Honestly, being actively involved in AMSA has taught me to be a leader, and, no kidding, we have a great time when we go out on the town Oh, and by the way, there are amazing people in leadership who are from the right, left, and center. There may indeed be many people who express progressive values, but gaining their respect only requires that you express your opinion in an articulate and well-thought out manner.

***That's right, I said it, ANY PLAN to improve the current system. That could include HSAs, HDHPs, tax credits, etc, as long as those methods are shown to WORK. BTW, in case you didn't already know, we currently spend on average about $6,000 per person each year on health care, which is more than most other industrialized countries. Any sort of reform, which currently seems politically unfeasible, could be paid for for that amount or less per person. "Universal" just means that everyone can access the system, which they currently cannot, through some sort of health insurance or tax credit to make it more affordable.”

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=311178&highlight=AMSA