Medical Trade Associations

Trade associations help businesses and industries interact to develop policies and guidelines for the mutual benefit of all involved. They also promote ideas and lobby for laws they feel are in the best interests of their members. The field of medicine is no different. As medicine has fractured into more specialize fields, more trade groups have emerged, but it is probably the older, more established groups with which the public is most familiar.

American Medical Association (AMA)

• The American Medical Association was formed in 1847 during a medical convention in Philadelphia. As of 2011 and is the largest medical association in the United States. The AMA established the "Code of Medical Ethics," the first national code of professional ethics in medicine. It is still the guiding force in the medical profession. It establishes the values that physicians must uphold individually and collectively, and aids the profession's ability to self-regulate. For example, the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs has jurisdiction over AMA members' appeals of ethics-related decisions made by state and specialty medical societies. Besides its ethics mission, the AMA also provides members with solutions for managing practices with tools and tips, and strives to improve clinical quality and patient safety.

American College of Physicians (ACP)

• The American College of Physicians is the largest medical-specialty trade organization in the country and the second largest physician group behind the AMA. As of 2011, ACP had 130,000 members, including internists, internal medicine sub-specialists, medical students, residents and fellows. It was incorporated in May 1915 in New York by Heinrich Stern and held its first meeting a month later. The group assists its members by providing educational and informational resources as well as lobbying for responsible positions on public health policies. It also promotes and conducts research to aid in the continuing education of internists. The group is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

American Nurses Association (ANA)

• The American Nurses Association began in 1896 as the Nurses Associated Alumnae of the United States and Canada and changed its name to its current moniker in 1911. Only 20 nurses attended that inaugural meeting in 1896 but as of 2011, the group boasts 3.1 million members. The goal of the organization is to promote high standards and the rights of nurses in the workplace. ANA lobbies Congress on myriad health-care issues. It has established a professional nurses' code and developed accreditation standards for the areas of nursing specialization. The ANA is based in Silver Spring, Maryland.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

• The American Academy of Pediatrics was formed in 1930 when 35 pediatricians met in Detroit, Michigan to create an independent forum to discuss the medical needs of children. The burgeoning organization set the stage for preventative health practices for children, such as immunizations and regular health exams. As of 2011, the AAP has grown to 60,000, with members in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Its members include pediatricians, pediatric medical sub-specialists and pediatric surgical specialists. The group's mission is to ensure optimal physical and mental well-being for infants, children and adolescents. The AAP is headquartered in East Grove Village, Illinois.