American Medical Association

American Medical Association
Name	American Medical Association
Founded	1847
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Membership	physicians, medical students, resident physicians

American Medical Association The American Medical Association is a professional association and lobbying group founded in 1847 that represents physicians, medical students, and residents in the United States. It participates in medical education, health policy advocacy, professional standards, and physician licensing matters, interacting with institutions such as the United States Congress, the Supreme Court of the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration. The organization has influenced statutes like the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act and engaged with entities including the World Health Organization, the American Hospital Association, the National Institutes of Health, the American Dental Association, and the Federation of State Medical Boards.

History

The association was founded at a meeting in Philadelphia attended by delegates from state medical societies including the Massachusetts Medical Society and the New York Academy of Medicine, amid antebellum debates that involved figures tied to the American Civil War era and the expansion of professional medicine. In the late 19th century the AMA adopted recommendations from the Flexner Report era and engaged with educational reforms that affected schools such as Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. During the 20th century the AMA lobbied on matters related to the Social Security Act, the Medicare Act, and the Taft-Hartley Act while interacting with presidents from Theodore Roosevelt to Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson. The AMA’s positions evolved through public health crises involving the 1918 influenza pandemic, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and the COVID-19 pandemic, coordinating with agencies like the National Academy of Medicine and professional societies such as the American College of Physicians.

Organization and Governance

The AMA is governed by a House of Delegates drawn from state and specialty societies including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Surgeons, and the American Psychiatric Association. Its board of trustees oversees administrative functions and has interacted with legal authorities including the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in disputes over governance and antitrust issues. Headquarters operations in Chicago, Illinois coordinate with regional state medical societies such as the California Medical Association and the Texas Medical Association, and with accreditation bodies like the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Membership and Membership Policies

Membership categories include physician members, resident and fellow members, and medical student members from institutions such as Stanford University School of Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. The AMA’s dues structure and membership benefits have been subjects of state society negotiations and legal actions involving organizations like the National Labor Relations Board and the Federal Trade Commission. Membership eligibility and disciplinary processes intersect with licensing authorities such as the Federation of State Medical Boards and state medical boards like the California Board of Medicine and the New York State Board for Medicine.

Policy Positions and Advocacy

The AMA has taken positions on public health policies including support or opposition on topics such as Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, and prescription drug regulation under the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act. It lobbies the United States Congress, the Executive Office of the President, and agencies like the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on payment reform, malpractice liability reform, physician reimbursement, and scope-of-practice laws involving organizations such as the American Nurses Association and the American Academy of Physician Assistants. The AMA has produced policy on tobacco control in alignment with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and on gun violence prevention in coordination with groups like the American Public Health Association.

Publications and Education

The association publishes the flagship journal JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), specialty journals and reports, and operates continuing medical education programs accredited by bodies like the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. JAMA and its network have published influential articles involving researchers from institutions such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, and UCLA Health. The AMA has influenced medical curricula referencing the Flexner Report and supports initiatives in graduate medical education tied to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and policy statements affecting institutions like Mount Sinai Health System and University of Chicago Medical Center.

Ethics, Licensing, and Standards

The AMA Code of Medical Ethics provides opinions used by state boards such as the Oregon Medical Board and ethical deliberations with organizations like the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The AMA participates in setting procedural and clinical standards that intersect with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, the Joint Commission accreditation standards, and professional certification bodies including the American Board of Medical Specialties. It has filed amicus briefs in cases before the Supreme Court of the United States addressing medical ethics and licensing questions.

Criticisms and Controversies

The AMA has faced criticism and legal challenges over issues including its historical stances on public health policy, allegations of anticompetitive behavior involving state medical societies and specialty boards, and disputes over representation of minority physicians with groups such as the National Medical Association and the Association of American Indian Physicians. Controversies have arisen over its positions on health reform during debates involving President Barack Obama and the Affordable Care Act, its historical positions during the eugenics movement era debated by scholars at institutions like Rutgers University and Harvard University, and its responses to crises like the opioid epidemic involving litigation against pharmaceutical manufacturers such as Purdue Pharma.

Category:Medical associations in the United States