Association of American Medical Colleges

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 services to its member institutions that include data from medical, education, and health studies, as well as consulting. The AAMC administers the Medical College Admission Test[1] and operates the American Medical College Application Service[2] and the Electronic Residency Application Service[3] which facilitate students applying to medical schools and residency programs. 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.[4]

Association of American Medical Colleges
IndustryMedicine
Founded1876
HeadquartersWashington, D.C.
Key people
  • David J. Skorton (President and CEO)
  • Larry Jameson (Chair of the Board of Directors)
Websitewww.aamc.org

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.[5] The first set of standards established in 1876 included “a curriculum of two terms not occurring in the same year.” [6]

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.[6]

In 1942, the AAMC partnered with the American Medical Association's (AMA) Council on Medical Education and Hospitals to form the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The LCME is an accrediting agency for educational programs at medical schools in the United States and Canada.[7]

Structure

The Association is a nonprofit organization that represents medical schools, teaching hospitals, and academic and scientific societies.[8] All 155 accredited MD-granting medical schools in the United States and 17 in Canada are members of the AAMC.[9] About 400 teaching hospitals or health systems, including 51 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers,[10] and more than 80 academic societies are also members.[9]

The AAMC provides services including data from medical, education, and health studies, as well as consulting.[11] In addition, the organization hosts over 85 events each year. These events offer continuing medical education and professional development to the health workforce.[12]

Governing Body

The Association is governed by a 17-member board of directors.[13] 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.[14] 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.[14]

The Council of Faculty and Academic Societies has 94 member professional organizations.[15] Members consist of faculty from U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals.[16]

The Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems is composed of around 400 teaching hospitals, including Veteran Affairs medical centers.[17][18]

The Council of Deans is composed of deans from all accredited medical schools in the U.S. and 17 Canadian schools.[19]

Programs

The AAMC administers the Medical College Admission Test[1] and operates the American Medical College Application Service[2] and the Electronic Residency Application Service[3] 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”.[20] In 1948, it was renamed the “Medical College Admission Test”.[20] In 2015, after a review process, a new version of the test was introduced by the AAMC.[21] The new exam added a Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section.[21][22]

The review for the new exam was led by a 21-member committee composed by the Association and called the MR5 Committee.[23] 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.[23] The MR5 Committee also reached out to subcommittees of experts in fields such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology.[23]

The Association maintains a “What’s on the MCAT Exam?” webpage that includes a comprehensive list of all tested topics.[24] They also offer a Fee Assistance Program for test takers who require financial aid in order to take the MCAT.[22]

American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)

Led by the AAMC, the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) administers and processes medical school applications.[15][25] Most U.S. medical schools participate in the AMCAS.[25]

AMCAS was first used by applicants to medical schools in 1969.

Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)

The AAMC developed ERAS to allow final-year medical school students and graduates to apply electronically for residency positions.[15][26] The service was established in 1996.[26]

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.[27] The Association is also responsible for a number of publications,[28] including:

  • The State Physician Workforce Data Report: published annually.[29] The report looks at physician supply, medical students, and graduate medical education residents in each state.[30] It also provides data on the breakdown of physicians by specialty and training location.[29][30]
  • The Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR):[28] this publication includes a description of each medical school, and the median overall and science GPAs and MCATs of the first year class[31]
  • The Medical School Enrollment Survey: published annually[32]
  • 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.[33] Additional tables summarize the data by type of school and region.[33]
  • The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: projections from 2017 to 2032[34]

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.[35]

The AAMC publishes the peer-reviewed journal Academic Medicine. Past papers of the association are held at the National Library of Medicine.[36]

Leadership

David J. Skorton became the AAMC's president and CEO on July 15, 2019.[37] His predecessor, Darrell G. Kirch, had served since 2006.[38] Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine, is the chair of the board of directors.[39] Other members of the leadership include:

  • Alison Whelan: Chief Medical Education Officer[40]
  • Atul Grover: Executive Director of AAMC’s Research and Action Institute[41]
  • David Acosta: Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer[42]
  • Janis Orlowski: Chief Healthcare Officer[43]
  • Ross McKinney: Chief Scientific Officer [42]

COVID-19 Response

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 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.[44] The AAMC also recommended that medical schools temporarily suspend medical students’ direct patient contact due to safety concerns.[45]

In April 2020, the AAMC called on the federal government to help manage the supply chain for SARS-CoV-2 testing components. A lack of supplies caused limited capacity for testing across the United States.[46]

See also

References
  1. Kowarski, Ilana (July 3, 2019). "What the MCAT Test Is Like and How to Prepare". U.S. News & World Report.
  2. Kowarski, Ilana (November 15, 2018). "How to Use AMCAS to Apply to Medical School". U.S. News & World Report.
  3. "Reviewing Residency Applications and Interviewing". The Match, National Resident Matching Program. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  4. "ERAS Support Services". ECFMG. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  5. Wagner, Frederick B.; Savacool, J. Woodrow (1992). "Part I: Jefferson Medical College 1866 to 1876 (pages 125-156)". Thomas Jefferson University: A chronological history and alumni directory, 1824 - 1990: 154.
  6. Barzansky, Barbara (2010-09-01). "Abraham Flexner and the Era of Medical Education Reform". Academic Medicine. 85 (9): S19. doi:10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181f12bd1. ISSN 1040-2446.
  7. Kassebaum, D. G. (1992-02-01). "Origin of the LCME, the AAMC-AMA partnership for accreditation". Academic Medicine. 67 (2): 85–7. ISSN 1040-2446.
  8. "STUDIOS Architecture Association of American Medical Colleges". studios.com. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  9. "About the AAMC". www.aamc.org. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  10. "Joseph E. Kerschner, MD, Named Chair-elect". Medical College of Wisconsin. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
  11. "Association of American Medical Colleges". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  12. "The Association of American Medical Colleges". CrowdCompass. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
  13. "Keck student named to AAMC governing board". HSC News. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  14. "David Skorton joins AAMC Board of Directors". Cornell Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  15. "American Association of Medical Colleges". C-Span. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  16. "Role of IAMSE in the Council of Academic Societies: Report from the Spring 2005 CAS Meeting". IAMSE. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
  17. "Teaching Status". AHD. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  18. "Dr. Janis Orlowski to present lecture". Michigan Medicine Headlines. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  19. "Dean Hedges is re-elected to national leadership role on the AAMC Council of (medical school) Deans". John A. Burns School of Medicine. 2017-04-03. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  20. "Evolution of the MCAT". Academic Medicine. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  21. "The New MCAT Exam". Academic Medicine. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  22. "About the MCAT Exam". The Princeton Review. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  23. Mitchell, Karen (2016). "The New Medical College Admission Test: Implications for Teaching Psychology". Am. Psychol. 71 (2): 125–135. doi:10.1037/a0039975. PMC 5561549. PMID 26866988.
  24. "Why the MCAT Is Harder Than a Typical College Exam". U.S. News. 9 April 2018.
  25. "Guide to Your Med School Application". Princeton Review. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  26. "ERAS Support Services at ECFMG". ECFMG. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  27. "Audit of Federal Awards Performed". 2018-06-30.
  28. "Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)". Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  29. "Arizona Primary Care Physician Workforce Report". crh.arizona.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  30. "Texas Among Best in Keeping Medical Students, Residents Practicing In-State, Report Shows".
  31. "Frequently Asked Questions - Applying to Med School". www.swarthmore.edu. 2014-07-08. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  32. "More medical students than ever". FierceHealthcare. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  33. "Association of American Medical Colleges". Association of Women Surgeons. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  34. "Physician shortage". FierceHealthcare. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  35. "AAMC Report: Recommendations for Physician Financial Relationships and Clinical Decision Making". Policy & Medicine. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  36. "Association of American Medical Colleges Archives 1938-1966". U.S. National Library of Medicine.
  37. Lefrak, Mikaela (December 20, 2018). "Smithsonian Secretary David J. Skorton To Leave His Leadership Position". WAMU.
  38. Finnegan, Joanne (January 15, 2018). "AAMC to search for new leader as Darrell Kirch steps down after almost a dozen years". FierceHealthcare.
  39. "Association of American Medical Colleges - Company Profile and News". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  40. "How Covid-19 Is Upending Medical School Admissions Tests". Forbes.
  41. "Masks need to be the 'new normal,' according to AAMC guidelines". BostonGlobe.com.
  42. "AAMC Wants Better COVID-19 Data Collection Because of Health Disparities". Inside HigherEd.
  43. Goldberg, Emma (2020-08-02). "Women Doctors Ask: Who Gets to Decide What's 'Professional'?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  44. "AAMC creates database". Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  45. "Online learning during COVID-19". Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  46. "Abbott Launches Third Covid-19 Test as First Gets a Pay Bump". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2020-04-27.



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