The American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) is a professional advocacy and educational organization of women physician

Physician

A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...

s and medical students. Founded in 1915 by Bertha VanHoosen, the AMWA works to advance women in medicine and to serve as a voice for women's health. The association used to publish the Journal of the American Medical Women's Association; the Journal of Women's Health is now the official journal of the AMWA.

Honors

The AMWA honors women physicians each year with four awards.

• The Elizabeth Blackwell Medal, named for Elizabeth Blackwell
  Elizabeth Blackwell
  Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female doctor in the United States and the first on the UK Medical Register...
  
  , the first woman awarded an M.D.
  Doctor of Medicine
  Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
  
   from an American medical school
  Medical school
  A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
  
  , is granted to "a woman physician who has made the most outstanding contributions to the cause of women in the field of medicine."
• The Bertha VanHoosen Award, named in honor of the Founder and first President of AMWA, honors "a woman physician who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and service to AMWA."
• The Lila A. Wallis Award, named for one of AMWA’s Past Presidents, is given to an individual whose lifetime achievements and values reflect those of Dr. Wallis.
• The Woman in Science Award is given to a woman physician who "has made exceptional contributions to medical science, especially in women’s health."

The AMWA also established The International Women in Medicine Hall of Fame to recognize contributions made by women in the medical profession. The more than two dozen inductees include the first woman physician, Elizabeth Blackwell

Elizabeth Blackwell

Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female doctor in the United States and the first on the UK Medical Register...

; and two former Surgeon Generals of the United States Antonia Novello

Antonia Novello

Antonia Coello Novello, M.D., is a Puerto Rican physician and public health administrator. She was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as fourteenth Surgeon General of the United States from 1990 to 1993...

 and Joycelyn Elders. In 2010, the inductees were Linda A. Randolph, president and CEO of the Developing Families Center, an innovative model for healthcare delivery to poor families; and Diana Zuckerman

Diana Zuckerman

Diana M. Zuckerman is an expert on national health policy, particularly in women's health. She is the President of the National Research Center for Women & Families as well as the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Fund.-Life and work:...

, a health policy expert who is president of the National Research Center for Women & Families. The latter is the first non-physician inducted.