Chapter 5 Read, Respond, Reply

Back in the Progressive Era, the AMA basically decided who could become a doctor by making stricter rules for schools and licenses. They shut down smaller schools and made it really hard for women, Black people, and immigrants to get in. With the Flexner Report, they picked which schools were “good enough,” which meant there were fewer doctors overall. Because of this, doctor services got more expensive and AMA doctors had more power, while saying they were just helping the public. This shows how special groups can use the government to limit competition. By controlling the number of doctors, the AMA made it harder for regular people, especially in small towns, to get medical care.