The German Medical Association (GMA) , founded in 1947 and based in Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

, is the co-ordinating body of physician

Physician

A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...

's self-administration in Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. It co-ordinates the activities of the 17 State Chambers of Physicians which are responsible for regulation of the medical

Medicine

Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

 profession. , the GMA represents the professional interests of the more than 400,000 physicians. The German Medical Association is co-owner of the medical journal Deutsches Ärzteblatt and of the German Agency for Quality in Medicine

German Agency for Quality in Medicine

The German Agency for Quality in Medicine - in German "Ärztliches Zentrum für Qualität in der Medizin ", established in 1995 and located in Berlin co-ordinates healthcare quality programmes with special focus on evidence-based medicine, medical guidelines, patient empowerment, patient safety...

, a member of the Guidelines International Network

Guidelines International Network

The Guidelines International Network is an international scientific asssociation of organisations and individuals interested and involved in development and application of evidence based guidelines and health care information...

—together with the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians

National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians

The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians - in German "Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung ", based in Berlin, is the co-ordinating body of the about 150,000 office-based physicians' and psychotherapists' self-administration in Germany. It co-ordinates the activities of the...

.

Purpose

The purpose of the GMA is to protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the patient and the community by ensuring proper standards in the practice of medicine.
It regulates

• ethical and professional obligations of doctors,
• postgraduate training,
• continuous medical education and professional development,
• quality assurance and quality promotion in healthcare.

Memberships

The German Medical Association is a member of the World Medical Association

World Medical Association

The World Medical Association is an international and independent confederation of free professional Medical Associations, therefore representing physicians worldwide...

 and of the Standing Committee of European Doctors

Standing Committee of European Doctors

The Standing Committee of European Doctors is a medical organization representing all medical doctors in the European Union. The abbreviation comes from the original French name for the committee, Comité Permanent des Médecins Européens...