--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...Only physicians are likely to be…" description: "\"...Only physicians are likely to be regarded as competent to judge the qualifications of potential physicians, so licensing boards in the various state..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/milton-friedman-616_age_only-physicians-are-likely-to-be-regarde_451642.png" --- # ...Only physicians are likely to be regarded as competent… ![“...Only physicians are likely to be regarded as competent to judge the qualifications of potential physicians, so licensing boards in the various states...are typically composed..of physicians,...members of the AMA. The boards, or the state legislatures...give the AMA the power to influence the…” quote by Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/milton-friedman-616_age_only-physicians-are-likely-to-be-regarde_451642.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/milton-friedman-616_age_only-physicians-are-likely-to-be-regarde_451642.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/milton-friedman-616_age_only-physicians-are-likely-to-be-regarde_451642.png) > “...Only physicians are likely to be regarded as competent to judge the qualifications of potential physicians, so licensing boards in the various states...are typically composed..of physicians,...members of the AMA. The boards, or the state legislatures...give the AMA the power to influence the number of persons admitted to practice (by) lengthy training,...(and) the list of 'approved' schools and hospitals (which) is generally identical with the list issued by the Council on Medical Education and Hospitals of the AMA.” [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Physician‑run licensing boards, heavily influenced by the AMA, control medical education and entry, potentially limiting competition. **In simple terms:** Medical licensing is dominated by doctors and the AMA, shaping who can practice. Key Takeaway Recognize and address concentration of power in medical regulation. Themes regulation power competition Mood critical analytical Type policy academic When to use this quote - healthcare policy debates - legislative hearings - medical school admissions - public advocacy Key Concepts Monopoly professional self‑interest policy influence Questions to Reflect On - Is the current licensing structure serving public interest? - How might alternative models improve fairness? A Different Perspective The system may protect standards but can also stifle innovation and access. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Dark ages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-ages/) [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Hospitals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hospitals/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Medical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical/) [Medical education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical-education/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Physicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physicians/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [State legislatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-legislatures/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) ## Related quotes > [Medical education is not just a program for building knowledge and skills in its recipients... it is also an experience which creates attitudes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-flexner/medical-education-is-not-just-a-program-for-building-knowledge-and/) [Abraham Flexner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-flexner/) > [Any person, institution or organization that conveys bodies or parts of bodies into or out of the state for medical education or research purposes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-crist/any-person-institution-or-organization-that-conveys-bodies-or-parts/) [Charlie Crist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-crist/) > [“Medical education does not exist to provide student with a way of making a living, but to ensure the health of the community.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-virchow/medical-education-does-not-exist-to-provide-student-with-a-way-of/) [Rudolf Virchow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-virchow/) > [I tried to change the conventional paradigm, for example, by insisting on the reality of mind-body interaction, by stressing the importance of natural therapies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-weil/i-tried-to-change-the-conventional-paradigm-for-example-by-insisting/) [Andrew Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-weil/) > [During my medical education at the University of Basle I found vivisection horrible, barbarous and above all unnecessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/during-my-medical-education-at-the-university-of-basle-i-found/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [“Cursed medical education.It's bad enough to suffer from one's overindulgences.It's worse when you have to worry about obscure pathologies that haunt you every time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cursed-medical-education-it-s-bad-enough-to-suffer-from-one-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The dilemma of modern medicine, and the underlying central flaw in medical education and, most of all, in the training of interns, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/the-dilemma-of-modern-medicine-and-the-underlying-central-flaw-in/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [A respect for authority is the basis for most medical education. 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