Australian Medical Association

The Australian Medical Association (the AMA) is a professional association for Australian doctors and medical students.

The AMA uses a representative structure involving state branches and committees to work with members to promote and protect the interests of doctors.

The mechanisms that allow this include:

• working with governments to maintain and increase provision of world-class medical care to all Australians;
• tracking and reporting government performance on health;
• challenging government on policy that potentially harms the interests of patients;
• providing a resonant and authoritative expert medical commentary on health issues;
• responding to issues in the health debate through provision of a wide range of expert resources; and
• commissioning and conducting research on health issues.

The AMA supports patient care by serving the medical profession across a broad range of services including:

• protecting the academic, professional and economic independence and the well being of medical practitioners;
• promoting and advancing ethical behaviour by the medical profession and protecting the integrity and independence of the doctor/patient relationship; and
• preserving and protecting the political, legal and industrial interests of medical practitioners.