United States Deceased Physician File (AMA) - FamilySearch Historical Records (2024)

United States

What is in This Collection?[edit | edit source]

This collection contains a name index & images of the deceased physician card file from the American Medical Association (AMA), which are physician biographic records of decedent records from 1864 to 1968. This file contains names for deceased physicians in the USA with a few names from Canada.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Index and Image Visibility[edit | edit source]

Whenever possible FamilySearch makes images and indexes available for all users. However, rights to view these data are limited by contract and subject to change. Because of this there may be limitations on where and how images and indexes are available or who can see them. Please be aware some collections consist only of partial information indexed from the records and do not contain any images. For additional information about image restrictions see Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections.

To Browse This Collection[edit | edit source]

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for United States, Deceased Physician File (AMA), 1864-1968.

What Can These Records Tell Me?[edit | edit source]

The following information may be found in these records:

Collection Content[edit | edit source]

Sample Images[edit | edit source]

• 1910 Deceased Physicians Cards Example 1

• See Also

  What Does It Mean When You Leave “Against Medical Advice”? - GoodRx

  1905 Deceased Physicians Cards Example 2

• 1945 Deceased Physicians Cards Example 3

How Do I Search This Collection?[edit | edit source]

Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:

• The name of your ancestor
• The state and county where your ancestor lived
• The approximate age and birth place of your ancestor
• The approximate death date of your ancestor
• Where your ancestor practiced medicine

Search the Index[edit | edit source]

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.

1. Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
2. Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images[edit | edit source]

View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:

1. Select Surname Range to view the images

How Do I Analyze the Results?[edit | edit source]

Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?[edit | edit source]

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]

• Add any new information to your records
• Use the death date and where they practiced to find them in the U.S. federal census records
• Use the location to find real estate, land records or commercial records
• Use the death date to find probate or estate records

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]

• Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
• Look for another index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
• Search the indexes and records of nearby counties
• Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor

Research Helps[edit | edit source]

The following articles will help you research your family in the United States.

• United States Guided Research
• United StatesRecord Finder
• United StatesResearch Tips and Strategies

Other FamilySearch Collections[edit | edit source]

These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog[edit | edit source]

• Deceased American physicians, 1864-1970
• Thomas Jay Kemp, Physicians' obituaries: an obituary index to the journal of the American Medical Association Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, c1990 FS Library 973 V42k
• Lisabeth M. Holloway; with the assistance of Ernest N. Feind, George N. Holloway, Medical obituaries: American physicians' biographical notices in selected medical journals before 1907 New York, [New York: Garland Pub. Co., 1981 FS Library 973 V32h]

FamilySearch Historical Records[edit | edit source]

FamilySearch Digital Library[edit | edit source]

• Howard A. Kelly., A cyclopedia of American medical biography: comprising the lives of eminent deceased physicians and surgeons from 1610 to 1910 2 volumes. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: W.B. Saunders, 1912

Known Issues[edit | edit source]

Click here for a list of known issues with this collection.

Citing This Collection[edit | edit source]

Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Collection Citation:
The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection.

Record Citation:
When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information.

Image Citation:
When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen.