An organization devoted to educating future doctors about conflicts of interest will now accept industry funding due to financial stress, prompting outrage from former members who argue the decision will undermine its mission.
In a little-noticed move, the American Medical Student Association board recently approved an emergency resolution to accept money from drug and device makers, as well as health insurers, so long as funding does not exceed 25% of its operating budget. There are restrictions, though. Funding must align with AMSA goals or provide “unique educational value without direction or conditions.”
The board explained in April 15 blog post on the AMSA web site that, “through strategic partnerships with commercial entities, we seek to harness additional resources, expertise, and networks to substantially amplify our impact, ensuring these collaborations align with our core values and objectives and contribute meaningfully to our vision for health care equity.”
