STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
The Only Change is Constant
Organized societies often strive to the virtuous , the common good of their members , nay even society as a whole . On this principle , our own local and national professional societies regularly expound upon the importance of membership in organized medicine . Stated with urgency , in person and via a myriad of communiques , membership and involvement are presented as more important now than ever to protect our profession . In our undoubtedly polarized times , however , banding together with those of similar ilk has become de rigueur , a fashion to define on which side of the binary one stands . Fueled by the din of polarization so prevalent today , this distasteful side of organizing can easily muffle even the loudest of noble intents and , paradoxically , diminish the membership in traditional organized professional societies . While our current times are vexing , history has a way of lurking quietly in the shadows , particularly in dimly lit times , ready to reveal that the proverbial arc of history may simply form a circle .
Famed surgeon , John B . Murphy , MD , notable for the eponymous exam finding ( among a myriad of other accomplishments in surgery ), was elected the president of the American Medical Association ( AMA ) in 1911 . His “ President ’ s Address ” before the 62nd annual AMA session in Los Angeles lurked quietly in the shadows of Google Scholar during a recent search . A time capsule of organized medicine , Dr . Murphy ’ s address was sweeping in breadth , but truthfully more notable for its apparent timelessness .
10 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE by JOHN DAVID KOLTER , MD
The prescience of the address , delivered in June 1911 , to the issues at the forefront of organized medicine today , with few exceptions therein , is nothing short of stunning . One could argue the address , if delivered at the AMA House of Delegates meeting in June of 2024 , would have been relevant and on point .
Almost from the outset of his address , Dr . Murphy delivered what amounted to a master class in pitching organized medicine . He opined on a breadth of topics all relevant today : required financial sustenance of an organization , political engagement , physicians ’ status in society , medical education and research , and , notably , the realization of member benefits and involvement as an imperative . He speaks in multiple passages about the work of the AMA as an organization to benefit not only the physician but the general American population as a whole . In a bid to increase membership and make the AMA “ more serviceable to the American people ,” he opens the door to all ( supposedly as much as was socially realistic in 1911 America ), remarking “ The accomplishment of this work requires the influence of all the respectable and redeemable members of the medical profession in the remote districts , as well as in the great centers of our commonwealth .” Wisely acknowledging the altruism in medicine be conveyed to all , but not necessarily provided gratis by those who occupy medicine as a profession , he states , “ Honors and financial support are given to those who serve the community well : the indifferent receive meager or no support . This is true of organizations and of men .”
Traditional organized professional societies , or nearly any in-person brick-and-mortar organization , are bruised and battered from