I am a member of the National Association of Social Workers. They’ve got my back. If any one of us complained that we were being prohibited from providing quality care to our patients; the NASW would be all over it. 

      So, I figured the American Medical Association did the same thing for its physicians.  Please excuse my naiveté.

      Let me say this; I do not envy Dr. Rohack’s (President of the AMA) position.  When one takes over the helm of any organization, one also inherits the sins of its past. The AMA should have put its finger in the bureaucratic dike over 25 years ago. Consequently, the flood is out and it’s powerful enough to drown medicine.

      Over the past few years I have made numerous attempts to have a dialogue with the AMA. Silence. I was recently in Chicago on May 24^th and 25^th for a screening of the film that I want for the AMA to see. I want for them to see the faces of courage that have stood up for their brothers and sisters in medicine.

      I thought a dialogue was about to begin when a reporter from the American Medical News (an AMA publication) asked for an interview.  We gave him the 5 W’s and looked forward to meeting him along with the other invited members of the AMA. Upshot:  the story of the film was kyboshed by the AMN’s editor and nobody from the AMA showed up.

 Silence.

      When you are focused on an important mission; egos must not get in the way. I welcome a dialogue with the AMA any day, any time. In the words of Kevin MD, The Vanishing Oath is a “must-see for patients”. He’s right. Patients deserve to know that their doctors want the exact same thing: the necessary time it takes to provide good quality care. Our lives depend upon it.