• In 1981, during my first month practicing medicine in South Dakota, new partner Dr Bruce Lushbough asked me why I hadn't joined the American Medical Association (AMA.) My response was straight from recent newspaper

criticism of the organization, "The AMA owns shares in tobacco farming property, and therefore is hypocritical, inconsistent with its professed mission to do good for the public health." Dr Lushbough's response described an organization of physicians could have great power to benefit the public, and he suggested that if I thought the AMA could improve, I should join it and change it.  (I should add, the

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