Our Bureau
New Brunswick, NJ
“The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, AAPI – MSRF organized a highly successful annual MSRF & Premed Medical Scholars Summit at the Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ from January 25-26, 2025,” Dr. Satheesh Kathula, President of AAPI, announced here today.
Organized by a team of young Medical Students and Residents of Indian origin, the Medical Scholars Summit was planned and organized by an MSRF Executive Board, led by Priya Uppal, President of MSRF; Priyanka Kolli, President-Elect; Sohi Mistry, Vice President; Priyal Shah, Treasurer; and Drishti Patel, Secretary of MSRF.
The MSRF & PreMed Medical Scholars Summit was led by an Executive Board comprising of Manan Pancholy, President; Rohan Chopra, Vice President; Prerak Shah, Secretary; Arjun Gangasani, Treasurer.
The AAPI – MSRF is a national organization representing medical, dental, and podiatry students and resident physicians of Indian origin in North America, founded with the objective of providing a channel of networking, support, and open communication among its members.
According to Dr. Priya A. Uppal, AAPI MSRF President 2024-2025, “We had over 100 attendees at the two-day event, with highlights that included our residency and fellowship panel – where attendees had the opportunity to ask questions directly of these program directors from a variety of surgical and non-surgical specialties, our medical school admissions Q&A from the Dean of Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and an MCAT advice lecture from a 520+ scorer.”
This year, the event had High School attendees encouraging young scholars to start their pre-medical journeys early. The research symposium, consisting of oral and poster presentations and arts and humanities, was excellent. There was cutting-edge research and parent AAPI judges who provided informative and insightful feedback to propel our students’ research forward.
“The 2-day-long Summit was packed with academic sessions that were interactive, with participants having an opportunity to actively engage in discussions and enhance their knowledge on a wide range of topics relevant to Medical Students and Residents, who seek guidance on ways to pursue their careers most effectively,” said Dr. Sunil Kaza, Chair of APPI BOT.
Scientific Research Symposium Oral Presentations, Mentorship and Networking Lunch; Residency Program Directors’ Panel, Medical School Admissions Panel, Fellowship Program Directors’ Panel; MCAT Success: Tips and Tricks were some of the exciting topics that were appreciated by the participants at the Summit.
On January 25, the Summit began with a session on Leadership in Medicine by Mihir Gupta, MD, while the session on Public Health Practice in Medicine was presented by Jaya Satagopan, PhD. Novel Technologies in Orthopedic Surgery was presented by Selene Parekh, MD, MBA. Functional Medicine was jointly presented by Subbarao Bollepalli, MD, & Chanakya Bavishi, DO.
Niraj Kothari, MD presented his insightful session on Pioneering Advanced Practices in Medicine, while Deepen Modi offered insights on Financial Wellness. Samir Pancholy, MD led a session on Service Project Pursuing Graduate Medical Education. Global Medicine and India: Lessons, Opportunities, and Challenges for the Next Generation of Physicians was presented by Dr. Kumar Belani, MD.
As the President-Elect of AAPI, the largest ethnic medical organization in the United States, Dr. Amit Chakrabarty said, “I strongly believe that acquiring new knowledge is crucial for professionals, especially for the physicians in a changing healthcare environment. This Medical Scholars Summit provided insights on pursuing a career and how best to utilize the resources and, help out next generation of Physicians of Indian origin achieve their goals.”
The Honorable Judges Panel at the Medical Summit consisted of: Dr. Satheesh Kathula, Hematology-Oncology; Dr. Sunil Kaza, Interventional Cardiology; Dr. Raj Bhayani, Otolaryngology; Dr. Arunabh Talwar; Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine; Dr. Sumul Raval, Neuro-oncology; Dr. Zeeshan Mansuri, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; and, Dr. Kinjal Solanki, Infectious Disease.
Dr. Meher Medavaran, Vice President of AAPI said, “Since its inception in 1982, AAPI has been at the forefront, representing a conglomeration of practicing of Indian origin physicians in the United States, seeking to be the united voice for the physicians of Indian origin. We serve every 7th patient in the US. We are proud of our achievements and our contributions to the healthcare industry and the millions of people we serve.”
Dr. Raj Bhayani, Secretary of AAPI pointed out that, “In addition to several programs in the United States and in India, AAPI has been in the forefront, advocating for the interests of the medical fraternity and organizing regular CME programs, health & wellness events, and financial workshops for its members and outreach, public health education, and advocacy activities for the community both locally and internationally.”
According to Dr. Shirish Patel, Treasurer of AAPI, “AAPI is strong representing over 120,000 Indian American physicians, 130 local Chapters, who make up of 10% of total physicians in the US and nearly 50% of International Medical Graduates, rooted in every corner of the nation. AAPI’s mission has evolved in the past 45 years, adapting to the changing needs of our times.”
Dr. Uppal, while summarizing the annual event for young physicians, said, “Our summit is genuinely one of a kind, bringing together South Asian high schoolers, undergraduates, medical students, residents, fellows, and attendings. It offered a unique networking opportunity where our trainees get to connect with and learn from colleagues across different specialties and stages of their careers. We would like to extend a huge thank you to parent AAPI for their encouragement and support. We look forward to welcoming you at our next summit.”
Dr. Kathula, who has been an educator and mentor for medical students, said “My priority has been to engage the second-generation physicians and foster mentorship to ensure AAPI’s continued relevance and vitality.” Towards this end, AAPI is in the process of appointing a committee of accomplished academicians to help mentor young physicians from India and the United States, who are aspiring to get into residencies. Dr. Kathula said, “We will continue the noble mission and strengthen our efforts to make AAPI reach greater heights.” For more details about AAPI, please visit its website.
