Top 10 reasons to join the AMA

Top 10 reasons why medical students should join the American Medical Association

1. Advocacy
The AMA is the most influential lobbying organization on behalf of physicians and patients. AMA is at the forefront of shaping health policy that will affect the funding of residency programs, help alleviate medical education debt, and ensure universal access to health care for all Americans. Remember, an AMA medical student initiated the public health campaign to ban smoking on airplanes.

2. Community service grants
The AMA medical students are making a difference in their communities through quality public health and community service initiatives that are financially supported by the AMA. The MSS provides $150,000 annually to chapters to put their programs into action through the Chapter Involvement Grant (CIG) program.

3. Print and online subscriptions
Medical student members receive the Journal of the American Medical Association (a $165 value) and the option to receive American Medical News (a $160 value).

4. Free Netter’s Anatomy Flash Cards for iPod®
A $35 value for students who join the AMA for a four-year membership through their AMA school chapter recruiter.

5. Residency opportunities
The AMA-FREIDA (Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database) is available for students to search over 7,800 accredited residency programs in the country. Members can receive free mailing labels for 30 accredited U.S. residency-training programs of their choice. Also, students can receive housing during their residency interviews through the AMA Alliance's Community Welcoming Program .

6. Health Policy internships and fellowship
The AMA-MSS Government Relations Internship Program provides stipends for students to participate in policy internships tailored to their individual interests. Students can work with health policy experts in Washington DC for a summer to explore issues ranging from women in medicine, to uninsured children, to health care disparities among minorities, to Medicare reform. The AMA-MSS also offers a one-year Government Relations Advocacy Fellowship (GRAF) in the AMA Washington, DC office. The GRAF provides an exceptional opportunity for an interested student to take a first-hand look at the workings of the federal government.

7. Networking
An opportunity to interact with medical student and physician leaders throughout the country. The AMA and the AMA-MSS hold national meetings, a leadership development conference and national advocacy conference, as well as grassroots regional meetings throughout the year that attract some of our nation's most high profile leaders in health care and politics.

8. Virtual Mentor
Produced by the Ethics Resource Center at the AMA, Virtual Mentor is an interactive, Web-based forum for analysis and discussion of ethical and professional issues that medical students, residents and young physicians encounter during their educational training.

9. Resources, guides, and e-mail updates
Informative e-newsletters and listserv discussions on everything that is important to medical students. Plus guides like the MSS Idea Book highlighting chapter and community service projects.

10. Leadership opportunities
Through the AMA-MSS, students will have the chance to lead the 50,000 plus medical student members across the nation through participation on the Governing Council, AMA-MSS Committees, AMA Councils, and the AMA Board of Trustees.