Final answer:
Professional societies like the AMA gained importance by setting and enforcing high professional standards in medicine, which included training, education, and ethics. However, they often excluded Black professionals, leading to the creation of separate organizations like the NMA to serve the needs of Black physicians and advocate for professional equality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Professional societies of doctors and lawyers first gained importance as a way to maintain high professional standards and oversee medical practices in a rapidly changing world. These organizations, such as the American Medical Association (AMA), founded in 1847, were crucial in setting benchmarks for education, training, and ethics within the professions. However, they also played a role in segregation and discrimination, as many local chapters refused to admit Black physicians, prompting the establishment of the National Medical Association in 1895 and the National Association of Colored Nurses in 1908. This exclusion limited professional opportunities and access to post-graduate education and employment in most White hospitals for Black physicians.
Particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the formation and evolution of these societies reflected the broader socio-economic contexts. The AMA, for example, did not initially have significant power to regulate medical practices, which led to an era of health reform going in various directions and the presence of 'quack doctors'. As societies like the NMA improved training and standards, physician guilds and societies began to exert greater influence on the profession, including publishing articles on medical advances and offering recommendations on hospital administration.