[orthopodvt]

Most of what is stated is simply not true. I am a physician, not a member of the AMA. They have absolutely no role in the selection of medical students, training of physicians, or their licensing. I have no particular love for the AMA. But lets keep the criticisms accurate.

[EvanAnderson]

The AMA lobbied in the 90s to limit federally funded residency slots. This served to restrict supply of doctors because medical schools base acceptance on available residency slots. The AMA has pushed for more funding of residency slots in more recent times, but their lobbying behavior in the 90s clearly shows they have an interest in controlling the supply of doctors.

[killjoywashere]

The AMA was founded to get control of the "snake oil salesman" problem in the 1800s, and their stated method was lobbying to get licensing laws passed in every state. Controlling who gets to be a doctor was unambiguously the central function of the organization. Along the way, they were no doubt approached with a lot of other suggestions about how they could help and once they outlived their original purpose, have carried on as a zombie improving their ability to profit from all the little suggestions they got along the way.

[haram_masala]

To (mis-)quote Eric Hoffer, “Every great cause starts off as a movement, turns into a business, and ends up as a racket.”

[wutbrodo]

Is that misquoting? I think that's almost verbatim the quote.

[devenson]

I believe the AMA is responsible for accreditation of medical schools. Without accreditation, they can't make doctors, thus the AMA controls the supply of doctors.

[lekanwang]

^ Yeah that's directionally accurate. The AMA is one of the two funders of LCME, the accrediting agency of medical schools for MDs (outside of the med school trade association itself). While they do not run medical schools, they have enormous power over training standards, who should be a physician, how medicine should be practiced, and who shouldn't practice. As an example, they lobby pretty regularly against the expansion of the role of RNs/NPs (https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/ama-statements/ama-sta...). Much of this derives originally from the Flexner Report which created the current system of US medical education, which is still based on old sensibilities that physicians should be professional gentlemen and "proper" (and perhaps fueled by cocaine -- no seriously, google "halstead cocaine").

I am not a physician, but I have been in the guts of healthcare for quite a while, and the AMA continues to pop up as the man behind the curtain surprisingly often.

[SkyPuncher]

They're all connected in some capacity, but AMA does not accredit medical schools.

* LCME accredits M.D. Schools

* D.O. Schools have their own accreditation (not sure what it is)

* AAMC runs the racket of "MATCH" to appoint graduating medical students to programs (and strip most of their rights as employees).

* ACGME accredits Residency Programs.