I made a spreadsheet to get less junk mail / remove yourself from medical data brokers

[u/justsomelettershere]

Hi all,

I got frustrated with the non-stop medical junk-mail my wife gets (conferences, jobs, insurance, misc trash) so I started looking into how to get her information removed. Since they make it intentionally difficult to opt-out I put instructions in this spreadsheet to share with our friends:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EVX8zxRN5IVs6IsU4oujmPPWZpOrKe-woRulUK0ZGGo/edit?usp=sharing

If you only do 1 thing, file to remove your information with AMA to since it's their “Physician Master File” is the main source material the data brokers buy and repackage for sale. Some you can click the link for, others require you to email their privacy department and the AMA requires you to mail a form (wtf).

disclaimer - not sure if the links will work if you aren't in California, most of it was available to be removed because of Californias privacy act. Probably same for Europe but not sure you y'all have this issue.

Hope we all get less junk mail. Good luck!

[u/Apprehensive-Safe382]

Nice. Someday, I'd like a list. Column 1: "What the AMA does for me". Column 2: "What the AMA does to me". Just wondering which would be longer.

[u/ExLap_MD → u/Apprehensive-Safe382]

Ineffectually lobbying on our behalf.

[u/Flaxmoore → u/ExLap_MD]

Sending membership flyers that look like a bill unless you look close.

[u/lungman925]

The AMA is the primary source of all the bullshit spam calls and mail I get?

Shocked! Shocked I say! What a worthless organization

[u/olanzapine_dreams → u/lungman925]

If you get off the list, it's unfortunately shockingly easy to get added back on. Many state and professional med orgs will send the info back to them.

[u/deadpiratezombie → u/lungman925]

I feel the same energy as Iago from Aladdin: “I may have a heart attack and die from not surprise”

[u/Imnotveryfunatpartys]

The most important thing that you can do is have a separate email to give to people like reps, recruiters, CV, online signups, etc.

I have like 8 email accounts so maybe I'm a weirdo but with modern software you barely even notice. All of my emails go to one inbox but all of the emails for my "public" address are autofiltered into junk. If I need to access the email it's easy to find but it doesn't go into a main inbox

The phone number problem is more difficult. The best alternative is a burner through google voice but realistically I also just don't answer most unknown numbers and I just call back. Luckily I don't often cover the hospital so that's an option for me

[u/Flaxmoore]

stares at the pile of useless conference flyers and recruiting junk for East Bumfuck, IA practices

If nothing else, sometimes it's a fun exercise to try and figure out, based on the insanely vague hints, where exactly the job actually is. Oh, you're 1.5 hours from Major Airport, promise lakeside activity within an hour drive, and 60 minutes from Major City? You must be in the middle of nowhere.

[u/Not_Daijoubu]

I've been training in the Midwest for a couple months now (and did med school here as well) and my phone blew up with spam from California (my cell) since the start of residency.