The American Medical Association claims to represent most physicians in the United States. Nothing could be further than the truth. Of 900,000 practicing physicians in the country, the AMA claims membership of only 157,000 (17%). They pad their numbers by offering students and residents greatly reduced or free memberships. Even that number is going down. About 50% of students were members in 2008, compared to 59% in 2004. The founder of Sermo suggests that the biggest risk to US physicians is the AMA. A recent survey of 4000 physicians indicated that 75% were not AMA members, and 89% said that the organization does not speak for them. According to its annual report 85% of its annual revenues come from non-dues sources, such as advertisements from drug companies and sales of coding books,which does not include appropriate codes of alternative medicine, by the way.
See Sermo.com (membership required) and AAPS News click here-(members only), August 2009
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