TUCSON, Ariz., Dec. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Medical Association (AMA) cannot claim to be the single voice of all physicians, since only 15 to 18 percent of doctors in the United States are paying members, writes Marilyn Singleton, M.D., J.D., in the winter issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons. “Despite its Code of Medical Ethics, the AMA’s principles change with the political winds,” she writes, and “the Oath of Hippocrates, not the AMA and its progeny, remains the guiding principle of medicine.”
Dr. Singleton is a past president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS).
A black physician herself, she is well aware of the past racist sins of the AMA. “As far back as 1847, the AMA supported the exclusion of black physicians from medical societies and disparaged the abilities of black and female physicians.” However, the solution is not “86 pages of self-flagellation” in its Equity Strategic Plan.
“Hippocrates would approve if ‘DEI’ [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion] represented dignity, equality, and integrity,” she writes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, “the AMA has done little to scientifically address the many questions that have arisen,” Dr. Singleton states, despite Principle #5 of the AMA’s Principles of Medical Ethics, which commands physicians to make relevant information available.
She discusses the PCR test, risk stratification, statistics on hospitalizations and deaths, natural immunity, the definition of “vaccine,” compelled vaccinations, “off-label” medications, and the COVID double standard.
Dr. Singleton concludes: “The American Medical Association is far from an organization of creative, critical thinkers who provide us with non-political, honest, and scientific discussion. The AMA comes across as a government mouthpiece.
“Physicians true to their Oath of Hippocrates will continue to advocate for a culture of respect for all human life. In our world of changing cultural norms, Hippocratic medical ethics, centered on the sanctity of the patient-physician relationship, is immutable and should suffice.”
The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons is published by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a national organization representing physicians in all specialties since 1943.
Contact: Jane M. Orient, M.D., (520) 323-3110, janeorientmd@gmail.com
