AMA Title Capitalization™

AMA Title Capitalization Rules & Guidelines

AMA title capitalization follows the American Medical Association Manual of Style, the standard for medical writing and biomedical research. Understanding AMA title capitalization is essential for medical journals, research papers, and healthcare publications.

AMA Title Capitalization Rules

• Capitalize words of 4 letters or more
  Similar to AP style, this is the primary rule that distinguishes AMA style.
• Always capitalize first and last words
  Regardless of their length or part of speech
• Capitalize proper nouns and medical terms
  Drug names, medical conditions, anatomical terms, and proper adjectives
• Lowercase short words
  Articles (a, an, the), conjunctions under 4 letters, prepositions under 4 letters
• Medical terminology standards
  Follow established medical nomenclature (e.g., "COVID-19," "HIV," "MRI")
• Gene and protein naming
  Follow scientific nomenclature conventions

AMA Title Capitalization Examples

• ✓ "The Impact of Telemedicine on Patient Outcomes During COVID-19"
• ✓ "Advances in Cancer Treatment: From Chemotherapy to Immunotherapy"
• ✓ "How to Diagnose Diabetes in Pediatric Patients"
• ✓ "BRCA1 Gene Mutations and Breast Cancer Risk Assessment"
• ✓ "Effects of Social Distancing on Mental Health During the Pandemic"

AMA Medical Terminology Capitalization

Special considerations for medical writing:

• Drug names: Follow FDA conventions and pharmaceutical standards
• Disease names: Use proper medical terminology (e.g., "Alzheimer disease," "Parkinson disease")
• Anatomical terms: Use standard anatomical nomenclature
• Medical abbreviations: Maintain standard capitalization (CT, MRI, ECG, etc.)

Common AMA Title Capitalization Mistakes

• ❌ Not capitalizing 4+ letter medical terms: "the impact of telemedicine on patient outcomes"
• ✓ Correct: "The Impact of Telemedicine on Patient Outcomes"
• ❌ Incorrect medical terminology: "covid-19" or "Covid-19"
• ✓ Correct: "COVID-19"
• ❌ Capitalizing short prepositions: "Advances In Cancer Treatment"
• ✓ Correct: "Advances in Cancer Treatment"

When to Use AMA Title Capitalization

AMA title capitalization is the standard for:

• Medical journals and research papers
• Clinical studies and case reports
• Biomedical research publications
• Medical education materials
• Healthcare policy documents
• Pharmaceutical research papers

AMA Style Medical Writing Guidelines

• Evidence-based language: Use precise medical terminology
• Patient-first language: "patients with diabetes" not "diabetic patients"
• Standardized abbreviations: Follow medical abbreviation conventions
• International standards: Use WHO and FDA approved terminology

AMA vs Other Medical Style Guides

• AMA vs APA: AMA uses title case with 4-letter rule; APA uses sentence case
• AMA vs Vancouver: AMA has specific capitalization rules; Vancouver varies by journal
• AMA vs ICMJE: Similar medical focus but different title formatting preferences

Special AMA Medical Formatting

• Statistical terms: Proper capitalization of statistical measures
• Units of measurement: Follow international scientific notation
• Genetic terminology: Use established genetic nomenclature
• Clinical trial names: Follow pharmaceutical naming conventions

Quick AMA Title Capitalization Tips

• Remember the 4-letter rule for medical and general terms
• Always verify medical terminology spelling and capitalization
• Use standard medical abbreviations and acronyms
• Be consistent with patient-first language
• Use our free AMA title capitalization tool above for instant medical formatting

Need perfect AMA title capitalization?
Use our free AMA title capitalization tool to instantly format your medical titles according to American Medical Association guidelines.

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