Talk:National Medical Association
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The National Medical Association (NMA) has strong ties to the pharmaceutical industry with approximately 85% of all funding coming from this industry. The NMA has approximately 1,100-1,700 paid physician members with a large portion of them being resident physicians and medical students although in its promotional materials it cites over 25,000 members. The membership of the NMA has never exceeded 3,000 physicians in any given year further a large portion of their members are retired physicians. Many critics believe that the NMA is simply a front for the pharmaceutical industry and given its stance on several issues that the pharmaceutical industry lobbyists promote, this is a valid criticism. There is a direct link with the NMA's position statements and policy and the major funders of the organization (drug companies). Further, the NMA hosts a "health policy colloquim" each year that is soley and fully funded by Pfizer Inc. The organization uses this time to invite politicians, healthcare leaders and physicians to talk about the health policy in the United States, again this is fully funded, supported and attended by Pfizer Inc. which leads many to question the credibility of the organization.
The NMA hosts a national conference each year that is attended by a few thousand (approximately 1,000 physicians and the remainder are spouses and families). This conference is usually held in a major US City with Honolulu, Hawaii being the most frequented venue. In 2007 the NMA went back to Hawaii with every major pharmaceutical company in the United States in tow-- supporting the event financially. Indeed, physicians are unashamedly wined and dined by drug companies, attend lectures on medications and treatment regimens that are funded by the pharmaceutical industry and are able to receive many perks from the industry. This conference, a tax deductible family vacation, is the major fundraiser for the organization. Additionally, the NMA has a "journal" which is fully supported by the pharmaceutical industry and is another profit center with "medical articles" that appear which are heavily weighted pro-industry.
The NMA offers little to no outreach to patients or support for physicians that take care of patients. Any outreach that it does extend is fully funded by the pharmaceutical industry or the US government with a hefty portion retained by the organization to stay afloat. The organization often exploits its history of being the oldest organization of Black physicians to blackmail pharmaceutical companies and in some cases the government for funding. However, the NMA is not the largest organization of minority physicians-- the American Medical Association's Minority Affairs Consortium (MAC) actually dwarfs the NMA membership and incidentially has little to no funding from the pharmaceutical industry. The NMA further exploits its history and misrepresentation of actual membership in efforts to promote the recycled leaders. The "elected" leadership often consists of the same persons in various positions and the organization is fraught with political corruption, questionable elections and poor policies. Additionally, financial audits have been troubling for the organization and it refuses to release fully audited statements from the last 20 years with only selective years being released. The NMA has been sued by several employees-- all settled out of court to the benefit of the former employee and has years of questionable employee policies. This while remaining a tax exempt organization and when challenged playing the "race" card and comparing itself to the American Medical Association.
This is the NMA--- dig deeper and it just gets worse. Unfortunately as Jazzyonetwo 07:29, 14 August 2007 (UTC)a former employee-- I know this organization too well. The NMA is a sham, a front for the pharmaceutical industry and a diservice to the nation.
