What does AMA stand for? That hinges on whether you are reading medical news, a forum or a hospital chart. The three most common meanings are the American Medical Association, a national group of physicians; Ask Me Anything, an online question and answer session; and against medical advice, a hospital term for a patient who leaves before the doctor says it is safe.
Other groups use the same letters too, including the American Marketing Association. A medical article, a social post and a hospital chart can all say AMA and mean three different things.
Quick facts
Stands for
American Medical Association (most searched)Other meanings
Ask Me Anything; against medical advice; American Marketing AssociationType
InitialismHow to say it
A M ASeen in
Medical news, online forums, hospital records, citationsNot to be confused with
AMA style vs APA and MLA styles
AMA stands for different things in different places
- American Medical Association. The largest professional group of physicians in the United States, founded in 1847. It publishes medical journals, gives views on health policy and keeps a well known writing style for medical papers.
- Ask Me Anything. An online format where a person with an interesting job or story answers questions from the public, usually in a live thread or stream.
- Against medical advice. A note on a chart when a patient leaves the hospital or refuses treatment against the care team's advice, often written as "left AMA."
- American Marketing Association. A professional group for marketers and teachers of marketing.
| Where you saw it | Stands for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Medical news or policy | American Medical Association | "The AMA issued new guidance." |
| A forum or chat post | Ask Me Anything | "I am a pilot, AMA." |
| A hospital chart or nurse's note | Against medical advice | "Patient left AMA at 2 p.m." |
| A college business course | American Marketing Association | "Our school has an AMA chapter." |
What does AMA stand for in medicine?
In health care, two meanings dominate, and they are very different. The American Medical Association is an organization. Against medical advice is a situation. In a news story about doctors, read AMA as the group. In a discharge note or a nurse's handoff, read it as the situation.
In a discharge summary: "Patient signed out AMA after being told the risks." This means the patient chose to leave early, and staff explained the possible dangers and recorded the choice.
The phrase "against medical advice" is about the decision, not about a penalty. Patients generally have the right to refuse care, and hospitals ask them to sign a form to show they were told the risks.
AMA as Ask Me Anything
Online, AMA is an invitation. Someone posts a short introduction, such as "I worked as a park ranger for 20 years, AMA," and readers ask whatever they like. The person answers as many as they can. The format began on discussion forums and spread to other platforms, and now you may see it in group chats and live streams too.
As a phrase, "AMA" can also end a single post: "Just finished my first marathon, AMA." It simply means "ask me anything about it."
AMA style in school and research
Students in nursing, medicine and health sciences often hear "use AMA style." This is the citation and writing style from the American Medical Association's manual. It uses numbered references in the text and a numbered list at the end. It sits beside two other common styles: APA in psychology and social sciences, and MLA in English and the humanities.
How to say and write AMA
You say the three letters, "A M A," never "ah-mah," and print them uppercase with no dots. Its first sound is "ay," which pairs with "an": "an AMA thread," "an AMA discharge." In medical charts it often follows a verb: "left AMA," "signed out AMA."
Lowercase "ama" is a different thing. In Spanish it is a form of the verb for love, and in some places it is a word for a nanny or housekeeper. Those are words, not abbreviations.
Look-alikes to keep apart
- MD, Doctor of Medicine, is a degree. The AMA is a group many MDs join.
- AAA is a different association, focused on drivers and travel.
- AARP serves people over 50, not doctors.
- AMA vs FAQ: an AMA is live and open ended, while an FAQ is a fixed list of answers.
For more everyday letters with several meanings, see our famous acronyms.
Questions people ask
What does AMA mean in text or online?
Online, AMA means Ask Me Anything. Someone invites others to ask them questions about their life, job or experience.
What does AMA mean in a hospital?
In a hospital, AMA usually means against medical advice. It describes a patient who leaves or refuses care even though the medical team advised against it.
Does leaving the hospital AMA affect insurance?
It is a common worry, and the answer depends on your plan and situation. Ask your insurer or the hospital's billing office for your own case.
What is the American Medical Association?
It is the largest professional group of physicians in the United States, founded in 1847. It publishes journals and takes positions on health policy.
What is the difference between AMA and APA style?
AMA style uses numbered citations and is common in medicine. APA style uses author and year in the text and is common in psychology and the social sciences.