A doctor association, or professional organization, is a group of physicians who come together to further the science of medicine and protect the interests of their physician members. Some of these groups are primarily concerned with continuing medical education, while others take on social and political issues that affect their doctors, patients, and the health care system as a whole.
One of the most recognizable doctor associations is the American Medical Association (AMA), founded in 1847 at the University of Pennsylvania. The AMA is perhaps best known for its widely circulated JAMA journal, which is the world’s most read medical publication. However, the AMA is also responsible for a number of other important medical advances, including a system of standardizing codes for hospital procedures (CPT) and establishing an ethical code of conduct for its members.
The AMA also works to promote the best interest of its physician members, and fights on their behalf for a wide range of issues. This can include everything from Medicare reimbursement updates and fighting against prior authorization policies to reducing burnout and advocating for better healthcare technology. The AMA is also active in supporting medical research and providing grants for medical school students and residents.
In addition to its advocacy and political activity, the AMA provides its members with a variety of professional and personal benefits. These include clinical skills programs, medical practice management resources, insurance discounts and networking opportunities. The AMA also publishes a variety of medical journals and provides access to its PIER online database, which contains information on more than 2 million patient cases.
Another renowned physician association is the American College of Physicians (ACP), which was formed in 1922 and currently has more than 130,000 members. The ACP provides its members with many of the same benefits as the AMA, including clinical skills programs, medical practice management resources and a “career connection” jobs center. The ACP also provides its members with a wide variety of medical journals and has a number of ongoing educational programs.
Other professional associations exist for many different specialties, including gastroenterologists, obstetricians, neurologists and pediatricians. Many of these physician organizations offer professional and personal benefits for their members, such as continuing medical education programs, news releases on current health topics, a library of peer-reviewed medical journals and access to the ACP’s PIER database. Some of these organizations also provide support for their members’ practices, with services ranging from office staffing assistance to help finding malpractice insurance. They can also act as a voice for their physicians in the media.