SOC 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 62: American Medical Association, Abraham Flexner, Flexner Report

• School: University of Alabama
• Department: SOC
• Course: SOC 101
• Professor: Chenoia Bryant

Document Summary

Over the last 150 years, professionalism and delivery of health care have changed dramatically. Prior to the beginning of the 20th century, the sick could seek treatment from any number of sources besides physicians, including barbers, midwives, druggists, herb specialists, or even ministers. No standardized medical education system or licensing process existed, and no one oversaw the practices of anyone claiming to be a doctor. In many cases, becoming a doctor followed the same process as any other profession: apprenticeship to someone already a. In 1847, the american medical association (ama) was formed as a self regulating body care and certified only physicians who completed ama approved programs. The ama to set standards of professionalism and fight for a more scientific definition of medicine. At first, the organization exerted limited influence; however, as researchers identified bacteria and viruses as causes of disease and developed effective vaccines, its influence grew.