Einstein earns an 'A' for conflict-of-interest policies from AMSA

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has earned an "A," the top mark, for its conflict-of-interest policies from the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States.

AMSA, which issued its 2011-2012 AMSA PharmFree Scorecard (http://www.amsascorecard.org/) last Friday, uses letter grades to report on U.S. medical schools' performance in 11 potential areas of conflict. Of the 152 U.S. medical schools, only 28 (18 percent) received A's.

The medical schools were rated in 11 potential areas of conflict including policies on gifts and meals, industry-funded speaking relationships, visits by industry sales representatives and pharmaceutical samples, among others.

AMSA ranked Einstein as having a "model policy," the highest ranking, in 8 of the 11 categories and determined that the College is making "good progress toward a model policy" in the remaining 3 categories.

Source: Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University