A method is provided for the preparation of a poly(amic acid) in which ring opening polymerization is employed to react the monomers ethylenediaminetetraacetic dianhydride and paraphenylenediamine in an aprotic solvent. The resulting poly(amic acid) composition is suitable as a biocompatible material, such as a biomedical implant, implant coating material, tissue scaffold material, controlled release drug delivery vehicle, and cellular growth substrate.