INSIDE WVSMA
Message from the President
Joe Prud’ homme, MD, FAAOS
The American Medical Association( AMA) deserves more of our attention. I have always paid my dues, but at times that was the extent of my involvement. I became a member and attended my first meeting as a first-year medical student. I have been a member ever since. Enthusiasm got me elected to the AMA Student Section National Governing Council.
Throughout residency I was still a member of the AMA, but I did not have time to go to the meetings. I gradually drifted away as I became more involved in my medical specialty society, orthopedic surgery. My mentors and all my peers reinforced that participation in your subspecialty society was much more important than participation in the AMA. Somewhere along the line, I stopped attending the AMA meetings but kept paying for my membership. Then, the tort law crisis taught me how important advocacy is.
I began to donate to the AMA’ s political action committee( PAC). As the years went by, the AMA became unpopular with surgeons. The AMA seemed to advocate for taking away money from surgeons and giving it to family practice and internal medicine specialties. Real or not, it was a widely held perception and surgeons pushed back through their specialty societies. I came to realize no matter how much money a subspecialty PAC had; they did not have as much overall influence. When Congress wanted to hear the opinion of the medical community, they still turned to the AMA as the collective voice of medicine. The orthopedic and anesthesia associations had bigger PACs and a very strong presence in Washington, DC, yet the AMA often got the upper hand. Even when Congress wants an opinion from the House of Medicine, they still turn to the AMA. Meanwhile, the AMA pendulum has swung back to the middle.
Over the past 10 years or so, several surgeons have been presidents of the AMA and members of its Board of Trustees. Even though some of the specialty societies have more members than the AMA; the AMA has remained relevant and has remained the collective voice of medicine in most people’ s minds.
Over the last 15 years, I circled back to the AMA. I started giving more to its PAC and interfaced with its Washington office lobby group. Occasionally, its opinion is at odds with the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery, but my view of the AMA changed again this year. After not having attended an AMA meeting for 20 or more years, I went as the alternate delegate representing the West Virginia State Medical Association( WVSMA). The size of the meeting was not as large as the orthopedic meetings I typically attend. The attendees stood out as many of them were national leaders in their various specialties. They were well integrated into the AMA establishment and were able to support their points of view and the AMA’ s objectives simultaneously. Family practice and internal medicine specialties were well represented, but they were not disproportionate. The AMA was the melting pot of the house of medicine. Discussions were at a high level, but everyone was kind, helpful, patient, and respectful of differing opinions. How wonderful it would be if our United States Congress could operate with that spirit of collegiality. Even significant differences were handled with courtesy and respect.
West Virginia does not require membership in the AMA to be a member of the West Virginia State Medical Association, and I agree with that policy. While some states have a conjoined membership, I don ' t really believe that ' s the best plan for the state of West Virginia but feel that we should better emphasize AMA membership more and encourage it. The AMA is worthy of your support as it is a thoughtful and inclusive organization and continues to be recognized as the collective voice of medicine in Washington, DC. I encourage you to become an AMA member and make your voice part of their voice. The more members we have in the state of West Virginia, the more delegates we send to the AMA meeting, and the more input we have on their policies. As our good friend and advisor, Evan Jenkins, always says,“ If you don ' t have a seat at the table, you are on the menu.”
Joe Prud’ homme, MD, FAAOS
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