Medical News: AMA: Membership Bounces Back Slightly - in Meeting Coverage, AMA from MedPage Today

Medical News: AMA: Membership Bounces Back Slightly - in Meeting Coverage, AMA from MedPage Today:
"According to Dr. Maves, the AMA signed up 3,300 more physicians in 2005 than it did in 2004, which is a 2.5% increase. The increase, he said, came in regular members plus physicians in their first or second year of practice and military physicians—all membership categories that reflect 'real, practicing physicians.'

"There are more than 850,000 MDs in the United States and 56,000 osteopathic physicians. About a quarter of this total, including interns, residents, and retirees, who pay sharply reduced dues, are members.

"The increase in members added $500,000 to AMA coffers, but represented only a small fraction of the $28.1 million operating profit that Dr. Maves reported for 2005.

"Regular members pay $420 a year. Physicians in the second year of practice pay $315, military physicians pay $280, and first-year physicians pay $210.
"Overall, AMA membership in 2005 was 244,005, a number that includes medical students, who pay $20 a year to join the AMA and residents who pay $45 year.

"The AMA will not, however, release the number of practicing physicians who are members, but using the 3,300 figure to calculate the total membership the math works to where 132,000 members in the 'real, practicing physicians' were in this category in 2004 and 135,300 in 2005.

"'The first year I was here, we lost 17,000 members, so this is definitely a victory,' Dr. Maves said in an interview. But he added that the AMA has still not increased its market share which was 26% in 2004.

"That stands in stark contrast to the 80% membership market share claimed by national medical specialty societies."

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