Alan R. Nelson, MD was president of the American Medical Association

American Medical Association

The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...

 from 1989–90, and led the development of several initiatives including the Health Access America Program. He was president of the World Medical Association

World Medical Association

The World Medical Association is an international and independent confederation of free professional Medical Associations, therefore representing physicians worldwide...

 from 1991-92. Nelson earned his MD

Doctor of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...

 from Northwestern University Medical School

Feinberg School of Medicine

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, located in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois and situated near Lake Michigan and the Magnificent Mile, is one of Northwestern University's 11 schools and colleges...

 in 1958. When the American College of Physicians

American College of Physicians

The American College of Physicians is a national organization of doctors of internal medicine —physicians who specialize in the prevention, detection, and treatment of illnesses in adults. With 130,000 members, ACP is the largest medical-specialty organization and second-largest physician group in...

 and the American Society of Internal Medicine merged in 1998, Nelson headed its Washington office until January 2000. A member of the Institute of Medicine

Institute of Medicine

The Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...

, he serves on its Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences Research and Medicine.