Article archive / October 1, 2011
Originally published: . Volume 3, No. 2. Source pages: 12.
In an August 18, 2011 press release, Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists (LAMP) President Dr. John Bolter reported that the LAMP members voted to discontinue membership in the Association of Medical Psychology (AMP).
Dr. Bolter wrote, “Members of the Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists (LAMP), the largest organization of psychologists with prescriptive authority in the world, recently resigned, en masse, from membership in the Academy of Medical Psychologists (AMP) and have decided to forgo the ‘board certification’ offered by AMP.”
According to the news release, Dr. Bolter said that the move was due to “AMP’s endorsement of the
recent NAPPP [National Alliance of Professional Psychology Providers] ad campaign “Truth in Drugs.”
He wrote “That misguided and ill-advised campaign was considered by LAMP members to be a slap in the face to primary care physicians and the work they do as first line responders to those with mental health issues in our country.”
“There have been other positions endorsed by AMP that have been rather distasteful to LAMP (and other psychologists) over the years,” he noted. Bolter noted concerns about the overlap between the NAPPP and AMP organizational boards.
“While LAMP does acknowledge the positive influence that is often gained by a national college or board certification, in this instance, LAMP can no longer lend credence to AMP in its present form,” Bolter wrote.
In 2010 AMP leaders issued a requirement that a license under the state psychology board was required for the national diplomat status in medical psychology.
In Louisiana medical psychologists are not required to retain their license under psychology in order to practice psychology, but are licensed under the state medical board.
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