What is a Pama?
Stephen A. Mitchell, MD, FACS
Nashville Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic
Around two decades ago, a group of clinicians and musicians at the Aspen Music Festival decided to meet and share thoughts and information that would help them, their students, and their patients. This was the start of the Medical Problems of Musicians and Dancers Symposium which just held its twentieth annual meeting June 2002.
After a few years the co-founders, Doctors Alice Brandfonbrener and Richard Lederman, saw the need for an organization of physicians dedicated and knowledgeable to preserve the health of musicians. From these beginnings arose the Performing Arts Medicine Association.
Initially, PAMA membership was exclusively physicians who treated instrumentalists. It has since evolved to include virtually all medical professionals, artists, educators, and administrators who desire to improve the health care of all performing artists. The membership does this through the annual meeting, the journal Medical Problems of Performing Artists, research, and interdisciplinary education.
Many of our members have faculty positions at music schools and conservatories or serve as “official doctors” for orchestras, opera and ballet companies. These provide valuable educational and therapeutic opportunities for many students and professionals but still leave an enormous pool of professionals underserved.
Our goal is to ensure that every student, teacher, and artist can learn and perform without injury and receive the most appropriate therapy if ill. To help in this task, we are establishing liaisons with various groups who represent performers, such as the American Federation of Musicians. We at PAMA are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with AFM to help our membership better help your membership.
The articles that follow this in future issues will touch on a host of topics of interest to the AFM’s 110,000 musician members. We also hope this will lead to other projects that will help direct PAMA’s research and education efforts. On behalf of the officers and membership of the Performing Artist Medicine Association, I thank you for this opportunity to serve you.
Stephen A. Mitchell, MD, FACS
President Elect
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