Tuesday, June 5, 2007

THE PHYSICIANS RECOGNITION AWARD

On Dr. Marvin Heuer’s CV, there is a list of awards he has received. According to the GAKIC website:

“He has been honored with the American Medical Association's Physicians Recognition Award 13 times”

An impressive accomplishment! Thirteen times! How could he have been so recognized 13 times?? Did he discover plutonium? Save a busload of nuns?

Well, I checked the AMA’s website to see how one qualifies for this prestigious achievement. This is what they say:

The American Medical Association (AMA) Physician’s Recognition
Award (PRA) has recognized physician participation in continuing
medical education (CME) for more than 35 years. Established in 1968, the AMA PRA certificate and the related AMA PRA credit system recognize physicians who, by participating in CME activities, have demonstrated their commitment to staying current with advances in medicine.

So kudos to Dr. Heuer for keeping up with his CME THIRTEEN TIMES!!! Just imagine what would happen if you actually DID save a busload of nuns.

Seriously, they give an AWARD for keeping up with continuing medical education? Isn’t that like giving your kid a candy bar for cleaning his room? I've gone to a lot of the Grand Rounds given at my hospital this year. So I guess I'm entitled to one of those babies. Oh, or at least I would, IF I were a member of the AMA.

I guess even a pharmaceutical com0pany whore can pad his resume.

9 comments:

Happyman said...

you don't even have to be a member of the useless organization of retired non-practicing "doctors" known as the AMA.

I got one of these "awards" in the mail about a year after residency (didn't get one since, presumably because i never joined the AMA)

talk about total bs to pad one's resume. that's no different than some of the smaller residency programs, where every senior resident has the title "chief resident"!

Anonymous said...

You may have missed the clincher on PRA's. Though embarassing, I will admit to having been suckered into getting one of these babies. YOU ACTUALLY PAY FOR IT! The haughty AMA clerks in Chicago need to be paid to add up - or better, transcribe your addition of the hours in CME you obtained in the last 3 years. They print it in a colorful, lettered certificate, fit for framing in one of those "rich-looking" frames they also advertise and sell to you when they mail you the certificate. With all the paper and ink [and particle board wood]used for this undertaking...perhaps more could be done, and better for the money.

The PRA have spawned others too-

Books of Best/Outstanding Doctor Lists

Publications of the ABMS -Am Board of Medical Specialties [w/c I suspect is the source of DR. database used by the ever proliferative internet doctor rating sites]

The Board Member Components of the ABMS - that have their own rackets regarding exams, reviews, certifications, re-certifications, etc.

And like sheep for slaughter, on we go and get re-certified...

Anonymous said...

I just received a PRA on completion of my CME for the year. They asked for a $65 "application fee" payable to the AMA. Ridiculous!! Way to set a bad example, AMA. I'm mean really??? It's commonplace to keep up with CME. How about PRA's for exemplary care and/or contribution to the field?? I'm $65 richer today.

physicians in hill country village said...

Those awards is not easy to get and I do believe that if you have it, you are a good physician. I wish someday if I will going to be physician, I want to have that award.

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