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The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is a
nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
based in Washington, D.C. that was established in 1876. It represents
medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...
s,
teaching hospital A teaching hospital is a hospital or medical centre that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals. Teaching hospitals are almost always affiliated with one or more universities and are often co-located ...
s, and
academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...
and
scientific societies A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership may ...
, while providing services to its member institutions that include data from
medical Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...
,
education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...
, and health studies, as well as
consulting A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization. Consulting servic ...
. The AAMC administers the
Medical College Admission Test The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT; ) is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students (both Allopathic M.D. and Ostepathic D.O.) in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Caribbean Islands. It is designed ...
and operates the
American Medical College Application Service The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) is a service run by the Association of American Medical Colleges through which prospective medical students can apply to various medical school in the United States, medical schools in the Uni ...
and the Electronic Residency Application Service. Along with the American Medical Association, the AAMC co-sponsors the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the accrediting body for all U.S. MD-granting medical education programs.


History

The AAMC was founded in 1876 at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia to establish standards for member medical schools. The first meeting was held on June 2, 1876 and included members from 22 medical colleges. Jefferson Medical College's Dean, John B. Biddle, was the first president of the Association. The first set of standards established in 1876 included “a curriculum of two terms not occurring in the same year.” By 1905, the Association expanded its standards to require member schools to offer a four-year medical curriculum of no less than 4,000 hours. In 1942, the AAMC partnered with the
American Medical Association The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. Founded in 1847, it is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was approximately 240,000 in 2016. The AMA's state ...
's (AMA) Council on Medical Education and Hospitals to form the
Liaison Committee on Medical Education The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) is an accrediting body for educational programs at schools of medicine in the United States and Canada.''Glossary.'' ACGME website. The LCME is sponsored by the Association of American Medical Co ...
(LCME). The LCME is an accrediting agency for educational programs at medical schools in the United States and Canada. In 2006, Darrell G. Kirch became president and CEO of AAMC, he served until 2019. On July 15, 2019, David J. Skorton replaced Kirch as President and CEO. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the AAMC created a database of treatment and management guidance for clinicians. The resources are divided into various topics, including infection control, emergency department, inpatient, ambulatory, serious illness communication, mental health, and special populations. The AAMC also recommended that medical schools temporarily suspend medical students’ direct patient contact due to safety concerns. In April 2020, the AAMC called on the federal government to help manage the supply chain for
SARS-CoV-2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the respiratory illness responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had a ...
testing components. A lack of supplies caused limited capacity for testing across the United States. Throughout 2020, the AAMC was criticized for continuing to hold the
MCAT The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT; ) is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students (both Allopathic M.D. and Ostepathic D.O.) in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Caribbean Islands. It is designed ...
exam in person during the COVID pandemic. In October of 2020, the Association responded to lawmaker’s concerns over in-person testing by saying it had resumed only when safety protocols had been developed and implemented. In 2020, the AAMC removed
Abraham Flexner Abraham Flexner (November 13, 1866 – September 21, 1959) was an American educator, best known for his role in the 20th century reform of medical education, medical and higher education in the United States and Canada. After founding and direct ...
's name from their annual award, claiming his 1910 report contained "racist and sexist" statements. This claim, however, has been challenged.


Structure

The Association is a nonprofit organization that represents medical schools, teaching hospitals, and academic and scientific societies. All accredited MD-granting medical schools in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
are members of the AAMC. Membership also includes teaching hospitals or health systems, including 51 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, and academic societies are also members. The AAMC provides services including data from medical, education, and health studies, as well as consulting. The organization hosts events each year that offer continuing medical education and professional development to the health workforce. The Association is governed by a 17-member board of directors. Ten of the board members are the chairs of the Association’s three member councils: the Council of Deans, the Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems, and the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies. The remaining 7 include a medical student, a resident physician, and a member of the public not affiliated with the AAMC, a medical school, or a teaching hospital. The Council of Faculty and Academic Societies has 94 member professional organizations. Members consist of faculty from U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals. The Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems is composed of around 400 teaching hospitals, including Veteran Affairs medical centers. The Council of Deans is composed of deans from all accredited medical schools in the U.S. and 17 Canadian schools.


Programs

The AAMC administers the
Medical College Admission Test The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT; ) is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students (both Allopathic M.D. and Ostepathic D.O.) in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Caribbean Islands. It is designed ...
and operates the
American Medical College Application Service The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) is a service run by the Association of American Medical Colleges through which prospective medical students can apply to various medical school in the United States, medical schools in the Uni ...
and the
Electronic Residency Application Service The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that was established in 1876. It represents medical schools, teaching hospitals, and academic and scientific societies, while providing ser ...
which facilitate students applying to medical schools and residency programs.


Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)

The MCAT was formed in 1928 and was known as the “Scholastic Aptitude Test for Medical Students”. In 1948, it was renamed the “Medical College Admission Test”. In 2015, after a review process, a new version of the test was introduced by the AAMC. The new exam added a Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section. The review for the new exam was led by a 21-member committee composed by the Association and called the MR5 Committee. The MR5 Committee consisted of medical school deans; admissions, educational affairs, student affairs, and diversity officers; basic science and clinical faculty; pre-health advisors and undergraduate faculty; and a medical student and a physician resident. The MR5 Committee also reached out to subcommittees of experts in fields such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology. The Association maintains a “What’s on the MCAT Exam?” webpage that includes a comprehensive list of all tested topics. They also offer a Fee Assistance Program for test takers who require financial aid in order to take the MCAT.


American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)

Led by the AAMC, the
American Medical College Application Service The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) is a service run by the Association of American Medical Colleges through which prospective medical students can apply to various medical school in the United States, medical schools in the Uni ...
(AMCAS) administers and processes medical school applications. Most U.S. medical schools participate in the AMCAS. AMCAS was first used by applicants to medical schools in 1969.


Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)

The AAMC developed the
Electronic Residency Application Service The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that was established in 1876. It represents medical schools, teaching hospitals, and academic and scientific societies, while providing ser ...
(ERAS) to allow final-year medical school students and graduates to apply electronically for residency positions. The service was established in 1996.


Resources and Data

The Association conducts studies, research, and publications on medical education, health care, and biomedical research and provides publications and forums to support medical education and educational health programs. The Association is also responsible for a number of publications, including: * The State Physician Workforce Data Report: published annually. The report looks at physician supply, medical students, and graduate medical education residents in each state. It also provides data on the breakdown of physicians by specialty and training location. * The Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR): this publication includes a description of each medical school, and the median overall and science GPAs and MCATs of the first year class * The Medical School Enrollment Survey: published annually * The Report on Medical School Faculty Salaries: provides summary tables with average compensation and percentile statistics by rank and department for basic and clinical science faculty. Additional tables summarize the data by type of school and region. * The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: projections from 2017 to 2032 The AAMC published a three-part report on conflicts of interest in research and medical education settings. The final report was titled “In the Interest of Patients: Recommendations for Physician Financial Relationships and Clinical Decision Making,” and was released in 2010. The AAMC publishes the peer-reviewed journal ''
Academic Medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practice ...
''. Past papers of the association are held at the National Library of Medicine.


See also

*
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is the body responsible for accrediting all graduate medical training programs (i.e., internships, residencies, and fellowships, a.k.a. subspecialty programs) for physicians in the ...
*
American Medical Association The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. Founded in 1847, it is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was approximately 240,000 in 2016. The AMA's state ...
*
Liaison Committee on Medical Education The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) is an accrediting body for educational programs at schools of medicine in the United States and Canada.''Glossary.'' ACGME website. The LCME is sponsored by the Association of American Medical Co ...


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Association Of American Medical Colleges Medical associations based in the United States Medical education in the United States Medical education in Canada Medical and health organizations based in Washington, D.C. Organizations established in 1876 1876 establishments in the United States Monopolies