The Association of Medicine and Psychiatry was founded in 1991 by physicians concerned about the care of patients at the interface of medicine and psychiatry. It is an interdisciplinary clinical and scientific group composed of both primary care physicians and psychiatrists who work together to promote high-quality patient care for those with concurrent physical and psychiatric difficulties, develop guidelines for services and training experiences specifically designed to address the problems of patients with combined illness, and foster basic and applied research in this area.
The Principal Objective of the Association is to enhance the care of patients with concurrent physical and neuropsychiatric disorders through teaching, the development of clinical services, and research. This objective shall be achieved:
By creating educational programs consisting of scientific and applied information about problems commonly encountered in patients with concurrent medical and psychiatric difficulties;
By developing curricula and teaching materials for students, residents, and fellows in the primary specialties;
By generating guidelines for residencies in “Medical/Psychiatry,” fellowships in “Psychiatry in the Medically Ill” for primary physicians, Medical/Psychiatry Units, and Medical/Psychiatry Clinics;
By setting priorities and fostering basic and applied research in the care of patients with both physical and psychiatric problems; and
By participating in national forums related to the assessment, treatment, and research funding of projects pertinent to the care of patients with combined illness.
An Annual Meeting will be held in conjunction with an existing national meeting focusing on subject matter applicable to the Association. The meeting will provide an opportunity for interaction among members and trainees, participation in state-of-the-art scientific presentations, and discussion of professional matters. At the meeting, the general membership shall discuss policy, goals, and the means of accomplishing the objective described above. The membership's recommendations will be carried out by the elected officers and counselors and by the Committees of the Association. The unique aspect of this Association is that it is designed to allow balanced participation by both primary physicians and psychiatrists in forwarding the care of patients with both physical and psychiatric disorders. It is intended to be an action organization with a specific agenda. Because the coordinated efforts of professionals in the primary disciplines and psychiatry will coalesce in this Association, it will be possible to initiate changes in the dissemination of information, creation of services and training experiences, and the performance of research on patients with physical and psychiatric difficulties with greater success than has been possible in the past.
