Was going to say exactly what you said. The whole approach the AMA takes seems very much in-line with cartel behavior. Through lobbying and other similar actions, their behavior is quite similar to OPEC and Latin American drug traffickers.

They have their own interests to protect, and those interests aren't 100% aligned with the medical needs of the American population at large, nor with doctors struggling to make ends meet after taking on a ton of debt to go to med school.

Is it any wonder that those who enter med school (or residency) with a deep sense of altruism get burned out rather quickly? I think not.

The fault is not with the AMA, which can be expected to act in it's own interest. The fault is with the capitulation of government institutions which enable regulatory capture at the expense of the general public.