AMA’s medical education infused with political ideology, Do No Harm says

By Tate Miller
The Center Square

In its ongoing fight against identity politics in medicine, Do No Harm exposed the American Medical Association this week for content related to identity politics and diversity, equity and inclusion in its Continuing Medical Education courses.

Do No Harm Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kurt Miceli told The Center Square: “The level of ideological bias documented in our report raises serious concerns about the integrity of these [Continuing Medical Education] offerings.”

In order to maintain their license to practice medicine, medical professionals must continually keep up with their education – in varying degrees state by state – as explained by Do No Harm’s report, with the American Medical Association (AMA) offering such Continuing Medical Education (CME).

Miceli told The Center Square that the political ideology found in AMA’s CME courses also raises concerns about “whether accreditation standards overseen by the [The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education] are being applied in a way that genuinely safeguards scientific rigor.”

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) is the only organization providing accreditation to institutions offering CME, according to Do No Harm.

Miceli stressed to The Center Square that “physicians rely on CME to stay informed about best practices and remain licensed.”

“However, when these courses are filled with unverified claims, divisive ideologies, and political activism, they ultimately cause more harm than good, eroding trust in the medical establishment and hindering evidence-based clinical decision-making,” Miceli said.

“To preserve the value of continuing medical education, the ACCME, AMA, and other CME providers must prioritize scientific accuracy and improving patient outcomes over identity politics and pseudoscience,” Miceli said.

The AMA has not yet responded to The Center Square’s request for comment asking whether its courses contain political ideology and whether medicine should be non-political.

According to Do No Harm’s report, there are well more than a thousand mentions of “politicized buzzwords,” in AMA’s CME.

For instance, there are 548 uses of the word “equity,” 296 uses of “health equity,” 291 uses of “health disparities,” and 261 uses of “racism” in the CME courses Do No Harm evaluated, compared to 174 mentions of “telemedicine”/“telehealth,” 148 of “artificial intelligence,” 21 of “gene therapy,” 20 of “mRNA,” and 18 of “CRISPR.”

The report said that “the idea that health disparities deserve greater focus than the great medical breakthroughs of the 21st century combined speaks to extreme ideological capture of both the AMA and ACCME, which have clearly been derelict in their responsibilities.”

According to Do No Harm’s report, “allegedly educational materials” from the AMA also advocate for transgender procedures on children, stating: “the question is not whether to provide gender-affirming health care, but how and when.”

A press release from Do No Harm said that AMA additionally offers “DEI-focused CME modules that rely on ‘academic’ papers written by individuals without medical degrees.”

Do No Harm’s report concluded that “a disturbing amount of ideological content exists all throughout many educational modules provided by the AMA.”

ACCME President and CEO Graham McMahon told The Center Square: “When concerns are raised about a CME activity, ACCME follows established policies and procedures to review the matter fairly and thoroughly.”

“In keeping with these policies, the ACCME does not comment publicly on the existence, status, or outcome of specific inquiries or allegations,” McMahon said.

“ACCME’s standards require that accredited CME activities be based on best available evidence, be scientifically accurate, and present information in a balanced manner appropriate to the educational purpose,” McMahon said.

“Whether specific activities meet these requirements is evaluated through ACCME’s established review processes,” McMahon told The Center Square.