Membership Woes Weigh Heavily on AMA Delegates.

Overhaul of organized medicine planned.

ORLANDO, FLA. -- The American Medical Association is in the throes of some serious soul searching.

Few issues occupied the leaders more at this year's interim meeting of the House of Delegates than the organization's shrinking membership.

Today, only about one in three physicians and medical students is a member of the AMA, down from about half 30 years ago. And at press time, the membership tally for 2000 was running 4% lower than expected, leaving the association with $1 million less in dues and compounding the $6.6 million operating deficit for the year.

In a special hearing on membership, delegates debated whether their membership should continue to consist of individual physicians only, or if the AMA should attempt to become a superstructure of medical societies and specialty associations or a hybrid of both.

During the 2-hour session that reached no conclusions, some delegates reprimanded the AMA for not doing enough to improve the day-to-day practice of physicians.

"Is there really anything in this book that will change the face of medicine?" asked Dr. Leon Reinstein, a delegate from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, referring to the handbook containing resolutions.