Focus on the Younger Generation - American Association of ...

SPRING 2011
AAPI
Journal
THE JOURNAL OF INDIAN AMERICAN PHYSICIANS
<strong>Focus</strong> on the Younger Generation
“Investing in ..... the Future”
1 st 2 nd
MSR/F/YPS PHOTO
CONTEST WINNERS
3 rd
3 rd
MSR/F/YPS Competition • MSR/F/YPS Journal • AAPI Charitable Activities • Feature Articles

2011 Capitol Hill Legislative Conference
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
B-369 Rayburn
House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515
8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Evening receptionn
B-354 Rayburn
House Office Building
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Also to be attended by community leaders from AAHOA, GOPIO, NFIA, etc.
AAPI will initiate a discussion on issues affecting the Indiann American community during the reception
Dinner at the Embassy of India Hosted by Indian Ambassador Meera Shankar - 8:00 p.m. onwards
2107 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20008
Speakers
U.S. Congressmann Andy Harris, MD (R‐MD)
U.S. Congressmann Phil Gingrey, MD (R‐GA)
U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D‐CA)
U.S. . Congressman Bill Cassidy, MD (R‐LA)
U.S. Congressman Phil Roe, MD (R‐TN)
U.S. Congressman Joe Heck, , MD (R‐NV)
U.S. Congressman Paul C. Broun, Jr., MD (R‐GA)
U.S. Congressmann John Fleming, MD (R‐LA)
U.S. Congressman Frank Pallone (D‐NJ)
Neil Chatterjee, Esquire –
Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Dr. Robert Moffitt, Ph.D. –
Senior Fellow, Center for Policy Innovation, The Heritage Foundationn
Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA –
President and Co-Founder, Doctors for America
Nicholas Rathod, Esquire –
Deputy Director, White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
Thomas C. Roberge, Jr. –
Senior Assistantt Director, Division of Congressional Affairs, American Medical Association
Mike Stinson, Esquire –
Director of Government Relations, Physicians Insurers Association of America (PIAA)
Neera Tanden, Esquire –
Chief Operating Officer, Center for American Progress
Ajeet AAPI R. Singhvi, Director MD, of Leg President gislative Affa • Krishan airs Dino Aggarwal, Teppara, Esqui MD ire • Dino will serve Teppara, e as the Esq., conference Legislative moder Director rator.
Conference registration is limited to the first 50 people to RSVP
Reception registration is limited to the first 150 people to RSVP
To RSVP, please provide name, email address, cell phone numberr and city/state
to:
info@aapiusa.o
org or call 630-990-2277
Please visit the Legislative Affairs Page on the AAPI Website for more information.
* While all speakers are currently confirmed, speakers and topics are subject to change *

aapi content
President
Ajeet R. Singhvi, MD, FACG
600 Enterprise Drive, Suite #108
Oakbrook, IL 60523
Phone: (630) 990-2277
Fax: (630) 990-2281
president@aapiusa.org
www.aapiusa.org
AAPI Journal Editor
M. P. Ravindra Nathan,
MD, FACC, FACP, FRCP (Lond & Can)
Hernando Heart Clinic
Brooksville, FL 34613
Phone: (352) 597-3353
Fax: (352) 597-3368
ravinath@tampabay.rr.com
Office Manager
Vijaya Kodali
vkodali@aapiusa.org
Marketing Communications
& Ad Sales
Sam Fulambarker
sam@aapiusa.org
Designed & Printed by
GR Marketing & Graphic Design
Phone: (813) 886-4500
Fax: (813) 886-4501
Copyright©2011 by
American Association
of Physicians
of Indian Origin.
All rights reserved.
4 Message from the President – Ajeet R. Singhvi, MD
7 YPS President’s Report – Priya Kundra, MD
8 MSRF President’s Report – Mamta Singhvi, MD
10 From the Editor’s Desk – M. P. Ravindra Nathan, MD
11 Reader’s Respond
Featured Articles
12 Heart Disease in South Asians: “Facts we should know as Indian Americans to help
reduce our risk.” – Pravien K. Khanna MD, M.P.H.
14 Heart Disease Epidemic among Asian Indians and Low Threshold of
Intervention – Enas A. Enas, MD
MSR/F/YPS competition
16 Cover Story - The First Ever AAPI MSR/F/YPS Contest in:
Creative Writing, Poetry & Amateur Photography – M. P. Ravindra Nathan, MD
18 - 24 Creative Writing Winners
26 - 27 Poetry Winners
28 - 31 Photo Competition Participants
MSR/F/YPS JOURNAL
32 Networking Beats Not Working – Pooja Voria, MD, MBA
33 Medical Rotation to India: Swarup S. Swaminathan, MD,
Neil Krishan Aggarwal, MD, MBA, MA, Priti Dangayach & Kinjal Shah
aapi charitable activities
36 Report from the Committee on Medical Missions &
Community Service – Ram Upadhyay, MD
38 Project Pacemaker International Inc. – Salil Midha, MD, FACC, Susan DeTurk
and V.K. Saini, MD
40 In Giving is Receiving – Gopal Badlami, MD
25 Members in the News - Dr. Reddy Receives Award
42 - 43 AAPI in the News
44 “My Battlefield” – Vijay Kulkarni, MD
46 MSR/F/YPS New Members
about the cover
AAPI President Dr. Ajeet R. Singhvi addressing at AAPI Convention in Washington, D.C.
YPS/MSRF Board Members-left to right: Maneesh Kumar, Dr. Vinita Bhagia, Dr. Priya Kundra, Dr. Pooja Voria,
Dr. Mamta Singhvi and Dr. Julie Patel
1st Prize - Imran Shaik ‘Solitude’ • 2nd Prize - Kinjal Shah ‘There is Hope... is there a Future?’
3rd Prize - Rahul Wadke ‘Reflection’ • 3rd Prize - Sriram Eleswarapu ‘Nothing to Fear’
DISCLAIMER: The AAPI Journal is published quarterly by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI). This publication may not be reproduced in whole or
in part without the express written permission of AAPI. All articles published including editorials, letters and book reviews represent the opinions of the authors and do not
reflect the official policy of AAPI. Please note that the acceptance of advertising in this journal does not constitute or imply endorsement by AAPI of any product or service nor
does AAPI accept any responsibility for any claims made in any advertisement, unless otherwise stated by AAPI. In addition individual advertisers are solely responsible for the
content of their advertising material which they submit to us, including ensuring that it complies with relevant legislation.

President’s
REPORT
Ajeet R. Singhvi, MD, FACG
As the President of the American
Association of Physicians of
Indian Origin (AAPI), it is my
privilege to present the President’s
report.
<strong>Focus</strong> on Younger Generation
We have always mentioned that MSRF and YPS are our
future. All that we have achieved towards this goal, so far this
year and hopefully during coming years is a culmination of the
efforts of present and past leaders. We have made a sincere effort
and tried very hard to put that focus into action. Our leadership
development program has been a great success. We have had five
such programs, beginning with Newport Beach, CA onto Long
Island, NY, Dallas, TX, Chicago, IL and Detroit, MI. I thank
the YPS President Dr. Priya Kundra and MSRF President Dr.
Mamta Singhvi along with Dr. Smita Tandon, Dr. Mukul Arya,
Dr. Arti Gupta, Dr. Pratap Kumar and Dr. VJ Desai for making
these programs successful. Our legal counsel Mr. Andy Schlafly,
Mr. Bob Miglani and Dr. Jayesh Shah also need credit for this
success.
Medical Rotations to India
Several Medical Students and Residents have completed
their 4-weeks rotation and have shared their experiences with
their colleagues and in AAPI Journal and website as well. I
expect this program to be very popular in coming years. I urge
you to please sponsor one Medical Student or Resident for only
$1,500. Please make your check payable to “AAPI Charitable
Foundation” and send it to AAPI office.
Medical Missions and Community
Service
Several projects are ongoing in India and elsewhere. Dr.
Sudeep Kukreja’s mission to China was very successful. Please
contact Dr. Ram Upadhyay, Chair of the Committee, Dr. Nitin
Shah, Co-Chair as well as AAPI office for current as well as and
future missions and community service projects.
4 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal
Other Programs
Our Observership program under the leadership of
Dr. Bhoja Reddy has helped secure residency for quite a few
International Medical Graduates. I thank all the Physicians who
have participated in the program and invite other physicians to
join to be a mentor. MSRF President Dr. Mamta Singhvi along
with Ms. Sangita Sancheti are working together for a mentorship
program for High school and early college students.
The Capitol Hill Internship Scholarships for Young
Medical Students and Physicians is a great opportunity to serve
and learn healthcare policy making with senior Legislators.
Please contact our Legislative Director Mr. Dino Teppera (dino.
teppara@gmail.com) or AAPI office (info@aapiusa.org) for the
same.
This year we have had a record number of Residents/
Fellows/Young Physicians joined our Organization as Patron
members. Once reluctant to be part of AAPI, these young
physicians are very happy to join the organization and I see
definite interest and pride in them to have become part of the
organization. I see a very strong future for the Organization
in their leadership. Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Narendra
Kumar, Chair, Membership Committee that we will recruit over
1500 physicians this year alone, as Patron (life) members.
AAPI GOVERNING BODY
Spring Governing Body in Chicago, IL was extremely
successful. This was perhaps the most attended meeting
where all the 10 current AAPI Board of Trustees, all 7 AAPI
Officers, 6 current Regional Directors, all three past Presidents
from Chicago and several past AAPI and local leaders were in
attendance. Before the hard work on Saturday, the delegates had
wonderful cruise on Lake Michigan along with good food and
entertainment. The Governing Body awarded 2013 and 2014
AAPI Conventions to Chicago and San Antonio respectively.
It also unanimously approved the formation of first ever Health
India Think Tank. It appointed Dr. Pawan Rattan to Chair this
Think Tank. It will be an autonomous body with partners from
India, USA and other countries to deliberate on healthcare issues

president’s report
and healthcare policy and create a forum for public debate and
Government policy. At the gala banquet dinner, Congressman
Jessie L. Jackson Jr. gave a very motivational speech. He
interacted with the crowd till late and danced as well to the
Indian music and live numbers by Babul Supriyo.
AAPI Women’s Health Forum
Dr. Manju Sachdev, Chairperson of the Women Physicians
Committee along with TIIPS local president Dr. Arati Gupta
held a very successful Women’s Health Forum in Dallas, TX on
March 5th. It was attended by record number of delegates. The
forum clearly demonstrated the unwavering mission of AAPI to
improve Women’s healthcare in this Country and to help them
live longer and healthier lives.
Left: Youngest AAPI
fan Anokha Jana Nathan
dancing during
the evening activities
of Spring Governing
Body in Chicago.
Below: Congressman
Jessie L. Jackson
Jr. dancing with Dr.
Manju Sachdev.
AAPI Charitable Foundation
This has been our flagship arm. Dr. Shashi S. Shah is
helping us not only in Medical Missions, Medical Rotations etc.,
he has been busy raising funds. He attended AAPI-Alabama
Chapter meeting on May 7th, 2011, where he presented a check
of $5000 on behalf of the AAPI-CF to the Governor Robert
Bentley for the people affected by the nature’s wrath. AAPI-
CF is holding a fundraiser on May 21st to continue to fund
the worthy causes. Our ambitious program to install Automatic
External Defibrillators in each and every Indo-American
community center in the Country to improve the survivability
of sudden cardiac arrest victims was recently launched. The first
Automatic External Defibrillator was presented to install at the
Indian Consulate in New York. Honorable Counsel General
Mr. Prabhu Dayal was very appreciative of AAPI-CF efforts.
We hope to expand the program to several community
centers around the country in next several months. Please
support the AAPI-CF activities generously.
later in the day, the leaders of various organizations including
AAHOA, GOPIO, NFIA and others to join and interact with
the legislators and address the concerns of the community. They
will also join us at the reception in the evening at the Capitol
Hill as well as join in the interaction with Madam Ambassador,
officials and staff at the Indian Embassy during the dinner.
CME
I am happy to report that for the first time after years
of hard work by past leaders, AAPI (continued on page 6)
Legislative Agenda
Dr. Krishan Aggarwal as Legislative Chair and Dino
Teppara, JD, Esq as the Legislative Director have been very
busy working to put together a Legislative Day planned for
June 1, 2011 in Washington D.C. We have a very busy morning
session, beginning with healthcare issues. We plan to continue
to work with the Congress towards increasing the Residency
slots, which are desperately needed. J1 visa waiver, permanent fix
of SGR, loan forgiveness and adjustment for Medical Students
and Young Physicians and increased salary for them are some
of the issues we are going to address. We have also invited
Drs. Ajeet, Mamta and Gaurav Singhvi with IL
Congressman Jessie L. Jackson Jr.
www.aapiusa.org 5

(continued from page 5)
has become a CME provider with ACCME. I thank Dr. Sri
Iyengar and his team for the hard work. We should be able to
provide CME not only for AAPI programs but for the umbrella
organizations as well. The Regional CME programs and CME
in India were extremely successful under the leadership of Dr.
Sunder Mudaliar. Dr. Sunder Mudaliar, Dr. Jagat Narula and
Dr. Rakesh Gupta along with Convention CME Chair Dr.
Praveen Singhal are working diligently to provide outstanding
CME of over 12 hours at the New York Convention.
Membership Benefits
The Membership Benefits Committee under the leadership
of Dr. Lakhu Rohra and Dr. Hemant Dhingra have done a great
job this year. A comprehensive benefit package is available to
all the members and we are adding benefits frequently. We are
working on providing a membership Identification card to our
Patron Members. We want to provide a welcome kit for the
Medical Students joining AAPI as new members.
AAPI Annual Convention
We are getting wide-ranging support from all the past
leaders, AAPI members and community-at-large for our New
York Convention. The Convention Committee under the
leadership of Dr. Ajay Lodha is working round the clock to
give us a memorable convention. Please register now to take
advantage of the early bird pricing and book your hotel to avoid
disappointment.
I have been regularly attending the Board of Trustees
meetings. Dr. Ashok Fulambarker and his entire team have been
addressing several important issues including financial stability.
Dr. Satish Anand, our current Board of Trustee was elected at
the Chicago Governing Body meeting to be the next Chair,
Board of Trustees
I am very thankful to my entire Executive Committee,
various chairs and AAPI leadership for their steadfast support.
I am particularly grateful to Dr. Ravi Nathan, editor of AAPI-J
and Dr. Pooja Voria-Borde, Chair, MSRF publications for
bringing out special issue dedicated exclusively to MSRF &
YPS. I congratulate all the participants including the winners of
various competitions and we are proud of their talents.
I have been travelling and have attended several Alumni,
regional and various organizational meetings during the year. I
would like to thank Ms. Vijaya Kodali, Mr. Sam Fulambarker
and Ms. Harshita Mukunda at AAPI office who have been a
great asset to the organization. We welcome the new addition
Ms. Anam Arshad. The Executive Director Search team will
hopefully find the right candidate soon.
I will be happy to receive and respond to your comments
and suggestions.
Respectfully Submitted.
Ajeet R. Singhvi, M.D., F.A.C.G
president@aapiusa.org
editorial committee
Sagar Galwankar
MBBS, DNB, MD, MPH, Diplomat ABEM
Chief of Academics
INDO-US Emergency & Trauma Collaborative
M P Ravindra Nathan MD,
Cardiology
Chair – ravinath@tampabay.rr.com
Shivprasad Madduri MD,
Urology
Vice Chair – madduri@semo.net
Sagar Galwankar MD,
Emergency Medicine
Vice Chair – scsagar@yahoo.com
Naresh Parikh MD,
Cardiology
nparikh1950@gmail.com
Radha Menon MD,
Internal Medicine
menon@aol.com
Priya Kundra MD,
Endocrinology Diabetes Mellitus
kundrapk@yahoo.com
Chakrapani Prakash, MD,
Gastroenterologist
chak811@yahoo.com
Nirupama Madduri MD,
Developmental Pediatrics
nirumad108@hotmail.com
Mamta Singhvi, MD, MSR
President, MSR
mamtasinghvi@gmail.com
Snehal Desai, MD,
Radiation Oncology Chair,
IT Section AAPI snebcm@gmail.com
Pooja Voria Borde, MD, M.B.A.
Chair, MSR Publications
pvoria@gmail.com
Anil K Gupta, MD, FACC,
Cardiology
anil.gupta@oceanheartcenter.com
Ujwala Dixit MD, Psychiatry
udixitmd@gmail.com
Sam Fulambarker, Ex officio
sam@aapiusa.org
6 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

YPS President’s Report
Your First Job as an Attending: What You Need to Know?
Priya Kundra, MD *
As a resident or fellow who
has finished numerous years of
training, there is always immense
anticipation of your first job as an
attending. After a rigorous job search that likely balanced
geography, the academic vs. private debate, and benefits, a
decision was finalized in the form of a legal contract. There
are a number of key challenges one faces in the first year as
an attending:
1) Assuming ALL responsibility/ownership of
patients
2) Work-life balance
3) Maintaining flexibility
As a trainee, there is plenty of responsibility (i.e.,
management decisions, timeliness of patient care, feedback
from attending(s)), but there was always a “higher up” to
rely on for questions in decision making and there was a
sense of feeling “protected.” As an attending, you have to
make quick and urgent patient care decisions on your own
and utilize outside resources or opinions in a timely manner
and, ultimately, any legal consequences are your burden.
You hopefully develop a knack of being vigilant as a trainee
and that vigilance is further heightened as an attending,
particularly early on.
When climbing up the ladder of the medical world,
the assumption is that things will always improve in the
lifestyle arena. While the total number of hours worked is
less, there is still that work-life balance equation. When a
4:30pm patient shows up at 5pm and your policy is to see
patients up to 30 minutes after their scheduled time, you
may not be done well until 6pm or later by the time that
patient gets registered and into the exam room and is ready
for you to see him/her. There may also be calls to be made
and scripts to be signed at the end of the work day and this
does not include inpatient rounding or call responsibilities.
There are usually multiple aspects to be juggled in any
particular job, from clinical to administrative to educational
and research. Each of these aspects will be fighting for your
TIME.
A key to a successful first year is flexibility. Being
flexible with your patients and colleagues can really make
for a more pleasant atmosphere and help with coping with
imperfection at the workplace when there is a mismatch in
expectations versus delivery from administrators, patients,
or even colleagues. In an atmosphere where service is highly
valued, patients will appreciate you trying to fit them into
your busy schedule and colleagues will warm up to you
when you are able to cover them when an unexpected event
arises (and hopefully they will reciprocate the favor when
necessary). As a junior attending, the expectation is still
that you will yield more than your senior colleagues.
Overall, being an attending comes with a learning
curve, as did being a trainee. However, the learning curve is
less factual and more practical. Your first job as an attending
will cultivate habits that will carry you over many decades
into your career. Just keep in mind that no job is perfect
and that your first job is usually not your last. Assuming
responsibility, flexibility, and equilibrating to a new worklife
balance will be common themes in any job.
YPS Section President
* Endocrinologist: Washington Hospital Center
Assistant professor of Medicine: Georgetown University
Hospital
email: kundrapk@yahoo.com
www.aapiusa.org 7

MSRF President’s Report
Mamta Singhvi, MD *
Hello, and welcome to the
3rd edition of our AAPI
Journal! I would like to
start by thanking Dr. Ravi
Nathan and Dr. Ajeet R. Singhvi for dedicating
this issue to MSRF/YPS. I am truly excited by
the impressive submissions and grateful for the
opportunity to showcase our talent
In terms of our achievements until this point
in the year, we continue to work hard to provide
our members with new and exciting opportunities.
Our board has been hosting charitable socials
throughout the country benefiting various nonprofit
organizations. Recent events in Chicago,
Washington DC and New York City were successful
and more are in the works. Leadership seminars
in Chicago and Detroit were heavily attended, as
we strive to improve presentation caliber and tailor
material to our audience. We continue to send
MSRF members on one month rotations to India,
and every experience has been truly unforgettable.
We hope that this tradition will continue for years
to come, as the potential to learn and give back to
our native country is unparallel.
Our one month Washington DC legislative
internship is a unique chance for our members to learn
of political intricacies as they relate to healthcare
professionals. If interested in applying, please visit
our website at www.aapimsr.org. Additionally,
I invite each and every one of you to our annual
AAPI Legislative Day on June 1, 2011. We will
be meeting with several bipartisan Congressmen to
express our collective stance on issues such as the
need to increase national residency slots, waive J1
visas, loan forgiveness, and increasing resident/
fellow salary. We must realize that the only way to
impact change is to become involved in the process.
As June looms in sight, I look forward with
great enthusiasm to our Annual Convention, to be
hosted at the NYC Manhattan Hilton from June
22nd-26th. Early Bird registration will be ending
on May 23rd, and I urge all of you to take advantage
of the heavily discounted MSRF rate of $285, A-Z
package. This includes evening events held at such
exclusive venues as 230 5th Rooftop Lounge and
Cipriani’s Wall Street; stimulating CME series,
research competitions, speaker panels; mindful yoga
sessions; a world class fashion show, and more. Not
to mention that we will be in the heart of the Big
Apple, and walking distance to Radio City Music
Hall, Central Park, MOMA, Times Square, etc!
Register at www.aapiconvention.com
I look forward to seeing you all in June, and
as always, please do not hesitate to contact me with
any questions, concerns, or suggestions. Thank you
for giving me the opportunity to serve you.
AAPI-MSRF President
*president@aapimsr.org
8 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

aapi executive officers
Ajeet R. Singhvi,
MD, FACG
President
Sunita Kanumury, MD
President-Elect
Narendra Kumar, MD
Vice President
Jayesh B. Shah, MD
Secretary
Ravindra R. Jahagirdar, MD
Treasurer
Vinod K. Shah, MD
Immediate Past President
Ashok M. Fulambarker,
MD, FCCP
Chair, BOT
Priya Kundra, MD
YPS President
Mamta Singhvi, MD
MSRF President
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
Radha Menon, MD
Pacific Regional Director
Prem Rupani, MD
NE Central-I Regional Director
Sharwan Bagla, MD
Mid Atlantic-I Regional Director
Vishweshwar R. Ranga, MD
Mountain Regional Director
Gautam Samadder, MD
NE Central-II Regional Director
Anil K. Gupta, MD
Mid Atlantic-II Regional Director
Vimal Goyle, MD
NW Central Regional Director
M.S. Arun, MD
SE Central Regional Director
Suresh K. Gupta, MD
South Atlantic Regional Director
Tarakumar B. Reddy, MD
SW Central Regional Director
Onaly A. Kapasi, MD
New England Regional Director
Vibhuti N. Singh, MD
South Regional Director
board of trustees
Ashok M. Fulambarker, MD, FCCP
Trustee
Satish K. Anand, MBBS
Trustee
Naresh Parikh, MD
Trustee
Muttathil P. Ravindra Nathan
Trustee
Seema Jain, MD
Trustee
Anil Khosla, MD
Trustee
Shobha Gupta, MD
Trustee
Suresh C. Gupta, MD
Trustee
Sanku Surender Rao, MD
Trustee (Past President)
Durgesh P. Mankikar, MD
Trustee
www.aapiusa.org 9

editor’s report
To the Poets, Writers & Photographers of
Young AAPI: WELCOME!
M. P. Ravindra Nathan, MD
This issue of AAPI Journal
is dedicated to the youth of
AAPI - Medical Students,
Residents, Fellows and Young
Physicians (MSR/ F/ YPS). Every year, we earmark one
issue to showcase the talents and activities of our younger
colleagues. And for the first time in the history of AAPI,
we organized a contest in Creative Writing, Poetry and
Amateur Photography for the MSR/F/YPS. Please
read the cover story and the special section regarding
the details of the competitions with the prize-winning
articles and poems and look at the center spread of their
photographs. All the judges certainly enjoyed going
through their creative offerings and you will, too.
I must thank Dr. Ajeet Singhvi, our President, and
the Executive Committee for making all these possible
– finding the resources and entrusting this awesome
responsibility with the Editorial Committee. It was
indeed a challenge to pore over the many submissions in
each category, catalogue them properly, transmit them
to the judges, tabulate the results and decide the final
winners. The last part was the most difficult since all the
submissions were of high caliber and difficult to separate
from each other. Although we had only a short time to
work with, we did our best to complete the project on
time. Dr. Pooja Voria Borde was quite instrumental in
getting the word out through her periodic e-mail blasts
and personal communications. It was, indeed, a very
time consuming and effort intense project but it was all
worthwhile.
Some of the other articles in this issue highlight the
many charitable projects our members are doing globally.
others, a very commendable act. These are the people who
veritably embody the spirit underlying, “Manava seva is
Madhava seva.” AAPI appreciates everything you do to
make another person‘s life better.
The recent Governing Body meeting in Chicago
was well attended and we achieved a lot without getting
mired in too much controversy. The Friday night cruise
in Lake Michigan was very enjoyable with good food,
great dancing and plenty of camaraderie. My five year
old granddaughter Anokha said later: “Grandpa, it was
exciting to dance with the uncles and aunties. May be I’ll
join AAPI too!”
On April 30, 2011, I travelled to Melbourne,
FL to participate in the 9th Annual Medical Expo &
CME Conference of Brevard Indo American Medial &
Dental Association (BIMDA), a very successful chapter
association of AAPI, as an invited guest. The entire
program including the gala ceremonies in the evening was
outstanding. Our chapters are our strength and it is always
nice to see their growth as they uphold and propagate the
mission and goals of AAPI.
Congratulations to all the newly elected officers
of AAPI for their well deserved wins! They will carry
the mission of AAPI and take our association to
greater heights. And thanks to all the contributors and
those readers who took the time to send their valuable
opinions about the journal, some of which appear in
“The Readers Respond” column. It is very gratifying
that other magazines are willing to quote or reprint the
articles published in AAPI Journal - the true testament
of approval by our peers.
A few are from the MSR/ F/ YPS ranks. It is nice
to know more and more AAPI Members are into helping
10 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

eaders’s respond
Readers’s Respond
Congratulations Dr. Nathan, on a job well done. I
apologize for the delayed response, but I did not get my copy
of last AAPI Journal on time. I see that many doctors have
expressed interest in having a ‘peer review medical journal’
from AAPI, modeled on JAMA. Great idea! Needs a lot of
work and commitment from everyone involved.
What do you think about the idea of having a section
‘Original Theory’ similar to the one in Lancet. As far as I
am aware, Lancet is the only journal which is open to new
ideas, without the need to substantiate. A section on ‘Being
an Indian Doctor’, similar to the one in Annals of Internal
Medicine, will encourage people to write; I want to share
with you my own ‘original idea’ if you are interested , to see
what your thoughts are. My last GI chief thought it will
need lab support and funding.
Chak Prakash, MD
substance and more participation from members.
Hello Ujwala (Editorial Member)
Satish Aanand, MD
I enjoyed your article “It’s our problem too” in this
month’s AAPI Journal and would like permission from you
and the journal to reproduce it in our newsletter.
If you could send me either a pdf or a word file, I would
appreciate it. Of course, we will give appropriate credit to
you and AAPI We have quite a few physician members/
non-members on our mailing list and I believe it will help
them assist DV victims I am Secretary of the board of
ASHA RAY OF HOPE a DV organization in Columbus.
See www.asharayofhope.org
Thanks Chak. May be we can introduce the idea of
“Original Theory.” I patterned “A Glimpse of My Life” after
JAMA. But we can have another column “On being an Indian
Doctor.” I would like to hear from the members — Editor
Dear Dr. Nathan,
Bhagwan Satiani, MD
Dear Dr. Nathan,
I must congratulate you for coming out with such a
good journal, in spite of time restraints and technical
situations. I like your idea in the Editorial to publish on
the website some articles for members who would like
to see the other side of medicine and not necessarily day
today medicine as we know. Also personal experiences in
different aspects of the art of clinical medicine and this
way, you get more participation. One suggestion: for each
article printed the authors and participants can bring some
sponsorship to mitigate the cost of production. Your team of
Editorial committee should pick one article as the best one
and highlighted in the convention. Among the ones I liked,
were ‘Healthcare Reform,’ by Dr. Pramod Wasudev, ‘Why
join AAPI’ by Dr. Anil Gupta and ‘American Guru by Dr.
Satish Verma. If you can cut back on numerous pictures,
perhaps more space can be given to the good articles with
This is Neelaxi Arora, I write for IANS (Indo Asian
News Service), India’s largest Independent News Service
and am based in the US. I am doing a story on Medical
Tourism and seek your permission to quote from the AAPI
Journal dated Winter 2010-2011, from features written by
Pramod B. Wasudev, MD in particular and the Indo-US
Health Summit in general. Thank you
Neelaxi Arora
www.ians.in
I am glad many are reading our journal and want to
either reprint an article or quote from the journal. We are
indeed happy to be of service to others — Editor
Kudos to AAPI for providing a channel to display latent
creativity.
Akshay Jain
www.aapiusa.org 11

feature
Heart Disease in South Asians:
“Facts we should know as Indian Americans to
help reduce our risk.”
Pravien K. Khanna, MD, MPH *
Coronary artery disease (CAD)
is the number one killer in
developed nations. While death
rates of CAD have been declining
over the past three decades for
developed nations, a disturbing
trend has been noted among the persons of South Asian
origin, whether living on the sub-continent or abroad. In this
article I would like to take a moment and explain why heart
disease in the South Asian population is unique and deserves
greater awareness and preventive efforts from every South
Asian either living in the United States or abroad.
Studies indicate that people of South Asian descent,
particularly Indians, experience a disproportionately large
burden of CAD. Reports vary from having two to five fold
higher risk of heart attack and death compared with other
ethnic groups. (1) (See Table #1). Strikingly, one study
among Indian males showed that just over half of heart
attacks occurred at less than 55 years of age, and up to 25%
of heart attacks occurred at less than 40 years of age. (2)
Another study showed that compared with whites, South
Asians presented to the hospital later in the course of their
heart attack, and were more likely to have their heart attack
in the anterior region of their heart muscle. (3) This location
can be potentially more harmful as it does not have adequate
collateral blood supply. Those South Asians diagnosed with
CAD before having a heart attack, are found to have more
severe narrowing or plaque build up in their coronary arteries
than seen in whites. (4) In 2001, California, hospitalization
for CAD among Asian Indians was 4-fold higher than in
Whites, Japanese, and Filipinos and 6-fold higher than
Chinese. In many countries, hospitalization for MI in Asian
Indians compared to other ethnic groups is 2 to 4-fold higher
overall and 5 to 10-fold higher in those under 40 years of
age. (See Figure #1). In short my fellow South Asians,
while we are a kind and gentle hearted people, our hearts
need closer and more preventative healthcare than Caucasian
Americans.
So what explains this higher risk of early heart disease?
The search for various pathogenic factors and mechanisms
has attracted great interest among scientists. Researchers at
Yale and other academic medical centers have been looking
for such answers. Evidence currently suggests there is a
genetic predisposition for early plaque buildup in coronary
blood vessels, which may be accelerated when superimposed
with certain risk factors such as obesity, early diabetes,
high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels
(higher triglycerides, higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL),
increased lipoprotein (a), and lower high-density lipoprotein
(HDL) in particular).
Since the Asian Indian population is not significantly
represented in major clinical trials, evidence based
management strategies for treatment and prevention of CAD
in South Asians are simply insufficient at the present time.
Fortunately, in India a number of randomized trials of anticholesterol
therapy and risk reduction have been launched.
While we cannot change our own genes or DNA, we can
minimize our risk by taking action to prevent or treat the
factors mentioned above whether through lifestyle changes
or prescription medication. Preliminary data suggests
a need for lower goals for our cholesterol levels through
institution of much more aggressive therapy than is currently
recommended. (5) Another risk factor that as individuals we
have control over is our weight. Abdominal obesity has been
established as an important cause of both early diabetes and
CAD.
English BMI Formula
BMI = ( Weight in Pounds / ( Height in inches ) x
( Height in inches ) ) x 703
Metric BMI Formula
BMI = ( Weight in Kilograms / ( Height in Meters ) x
( Height in Meters ) )
The World Health Organization has recognized the
need for definitions of obesity that are specific to individual
populations. (6) Compared with European populations, South
Asians tend to have more abdominal or “visceral fat”, which
is type of fat beneath the abdominal wall. Consequently, the
NHLBI Obesity Task Force in 2000 stated that the obesity
range in Asians should be lower than for non-Asians, and
effectively moved the obesity cutoff from a BMI >30 kg/m2
to a BMI >25 kg/m2. (7)
So what can Indian Americans do to prevent heart
disease? The best treatment is education and prevention.
Once turning 30 years of age, we should strongly encourage
every south Asian to establish care with a primary care
physician to evaluate their risk factor profile and develop
12 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

a strategy that is best for each individual. Periodic routine
blood tests will monitor various blood markers on a routine
basis that will guide how best to reduce your individual
risk of heart disease, perhaps though medication if needed.
Dietary and lifestyle modifications are extremely important
to staying healthy, not only do South Asians take on the
cholesterol-rich diet of the Western world upon migration,
but the traditional diet of South Asians also contains foods
rich with saturated and clarified fat (ghee). We as South
Asians must be aware of our increased risk of heart disease,
so we can play an active role in its prevention to live longer
and healthier lives.
Table 1: Interesting Facts of CAD in South Asians versus other populations.
Higher rates
-2 to 4- fold higher prevalence, incidence, hospitalization, and mortality
Greater prematurity
-5 to 10 years earlier onset of first MI
-5 to 10- fold higher rate of MI and death in those 2-fold higher rates after adjusting for conventional risk factors
-Underscores the need for lower threshold for intervention
Higher prevalence of emerging risk factors
-High levels of lipoprotein(a), homocysteine, apo B, triglycerides, fibrinogen, P.A.I.-1
-Low levels of HDL and HDL 2b
-Small dense LDL, small HDL, large VLDL
Higher rates of clinical CAD events for a given degree of atherosclerosis
-2-fold higher than Whites
-4-fold higher than Chinese
Higher proportions of unstable or vulnerable plaques
Source:
Enas EA. Arresting
and reversing the
epidemic of CAD
among Indians.
In: Kumar A, ed.
Current Perspectives in
Cardiology. Chennai:
Cardiological Society of
India, 2000:109-128.
Figure 1: 2001 California hospitalization for CAD among Asian
Indians was 4-fold higher than in Whites, Japanese, and Filipinos
and 6-fold higher than Chinese .
Source: E. A. Enas & A. Senthilkumar : Coronary Artery Disease In
Asian Indians: An Update And Review . The Internet Journal of Cardiology.
2001 Volume 1 Number
*Fellow, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine
Department of Internal Medicine Yale University School of Medicine
pravien.khanna@yale.edu
Sources:
1. Gupta M et al. “South Asians and Cardiovascular
Risk: What Clinicians Should Know.” Circulation.
2006;113;e924-e929.
2. Singh RB, Niaz MA. Coronary risk factors in
Indians. Lancet 1995; 346: 778–779
3. Deedwania P, Singh V, Coronary artery disease
in South Asians: evolving strategies for treatment
and prevention. Indian Heart J. 2005 Nov-
Dec;57(6):617-31.
4. Deedwania P, Singh V, Coronary artery disease
in South Asians: evolving strategies for treatment
and prevention. Indian Heart J. 2005 Nov-
Dec;57(6):617-31.
5. Gupta M, Singh N. South Asians and
cardiovascular risk: what clinicians should know.
Circulation. 2006 Jun 27;113(25):e924-9.
6. Lee J, Heng D, Chia KS, Chew SK, Tan BY,
Hughes K. Risk factors and incident coronary heart
disease in Chinese, Malay and Asian Indian males:
the Singapore Cardiovascular Cohort Study. Int J
Epidemiol 2001; 30: 983–988
7. NHLBI Obesity Task Force, 199859 & diabetes.
com.au/research/report_obesity.htm Feb 2000
www.aapiusa.org 13

feature
Heart Disease Epidemic Among Asian
Indians and Low Threshold of Intervention
Enas A. Enas, MD, FACC *
Numerous studies over the
past 50 years, involving several
generations in countries as
diverse as the US, Canada, the
UK, South Africa, Singapore,
Malaysia, Trinidad, Fiji, and Mauritius have shown a
50% to 400% higher risk of dying from heart disease
(coronary artery disease) among Asian Indians
compared to, blacks, whites, Chinese, Malays and other
populations. This indicates that Asian Indians have a
genetic predisposition to heart disease that also applies
to all South Asians. 1
Over the past 4 decades, the prevalence of
heart disease has doubled to 3-6% in rural India and
quadrupled to 10-12% in urban India. This marked
difference in heart disease rates between urban and rural
areas and the dramatic increases over such a short period
strongly indicate the powerful role of lifestyle related
risk factors associated with economic development and
urbanization.
Many Asian Indians are in double jeopardy
from nature and nurture — nature being geneticallydetermined
lipoprotin (a) excess, and nurture being
an unhealthy lifestyle associated with affluence,
urbanization, and mechanization. The adverse effects
of the modifiable risk factors related to lifestyle are
markedly magnified in those with lipoprotein (a)
excess — a genetic risk factor found in 4 in 10 Indians.
Lipoprotein(a) can magnify the risk from traditional
risk factors by a factor of 2-10. 2 This synergy between
the nature and nurture best explains the excess burden
of heart disease among Indians worldwide.
Millions of Indians die even before the prime of
their lives. By 2015, the projected annual death from
heart disease is 2.95 million; of these 1.5 million (50%)
will be younger than 50 years of age, 920,000 (31%) will
be younger than 40 years of age and 420,000 (14%) will
be younger than 30 years of age (1,150/day). In sharp
contrast, most of the deaths from heart disease occur in
the elderly (more than 65 years of age) and very elderly
(more than 85 years of age) in Western populations.
For example, elderly account for 83% and very elderly
accounts for 35-50% of the 400,000 Americans dying
annually from heart disease in the US.
Fortunately, heart disease has now become the
most predictable, preventable, and treatable of all
chronic diseases. Over the last 30 years, heart disease
death rates have decreased by 50-70 % in the US and
several other countries and is decreasing by 2-3% per
year. In sharp contrast, during the same period, CAD
rates (prevalence) has increased 300% and is now
increasing by 5-6% per year in India.
We now have the knowledge to combat this
epidemic and we need to act now. But the Indian medical
community in the US has stubbornly refused to address
this greatest public health challenge affecting Indians
apart from paying lip service to prevention, proposing
grandiose unworkable alliances with Indian bureaucracy
and publishing photos with Indian leaders in Indian
newspapers. It has been next to impossible to include
this topic in the CME programs at AAPI convention
as well as local chapters, except for a few instances that
were initiated and funded by pharmaceutical companies.
Furthermore, many “pseudo experts” have challenged
the excess burden of heart disease in Asian Indians and
the need for any modifications to intervention specific
to Indians.
So it is indeed a welcome change to see Pravien
Khanna young cardiology fellow from Yale, pursue the
science and set the record straight, 21 years after I first
sounded the alarm on this topic in the pages of this
Journal. 3 He has addressed both the prematurity and
severity of heart disease among Indians adequately but
the lower threshold of intervention and modifications to
treatment guidelines deserve greater emphasis.
Although major modifiable cardiovascular
risk factors (obesity, diabetes smoking, high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, low physical activity, and
unhealthy diet) do not fully explain the excess burden
of heart disease in Indians, these risk factors are doubly
important and remain the foundation of preventive and
therapeutic strategies in the Indian population. A diet
is considered unhealthy when it is low
(continued on next page)
14 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

in fruits, vegetables and fiber, and high in salt, calories,
glycemic load (too much starchy food), saturated fat
(full-fat dairy products), and trans fat (fried or crispy
food).
The focus on Indian heart disease has shifted
from high rates of heart disease to high risk of heart
disease. For example, at any given level of cholesterol,
blood pressure and other major risk factors, the risk
of developing and dying from heart disease is at least
double among Indians compared to whites (even in
countries with free comprehensive advanced medical
care). 4 This appears to be due to a high prevalence of
emerging risk factors such as lipoprotein (a) which are
not included in the heart disease risk prediction models.
The European and Australian Guidelines have
specific modifications that qualify Asian Indians for
pharmacologic treatment of high cholesterol and high
blood pressure, substantially ahead of whites at an
earlier age and at a lower risk threshold. This is the
ultimate proof of the recognition of underestimation
of heart disease risk among Indians in Europe and
Australia, where people receive free medications when
they reach a certain risk threshold. Unfortunately, this
recognition remains dismally poor among physicians in
North American and India.
The Indo-US Health Summit Held in New Delhi
India in 2009 has published (Indian Heart Journal
2009; 61:265-274) specific lower cut offs and stricter
goals of treatment for major risk factors for Indians,
than is recommended for Western populations. 4 The 5
key recommendations for Indians include: 1) desirable
waist size of less than 80 cm for women and less than
90 cm for men; 2) a desirable body mass index (BMI)
of less than 23 (BMI more than 25 is obese among
Indians as opposed to more than 30 among Europids);
3) desirable LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) of less
than 100 mg/dl (2.5mmol/l) for all Indians; 4) LDL
cholesterol of less than 70 mg/dl (1.8 mmol/l) for
those with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, metabolic
syndrome, and chronic kidney disease (very high
risk-category); 5) Because most Indians have high
triglycerides that spuriously lowers LDL cholesterol
levels, the summit also recommends a secondary target
of non-HDL cholesterol, which is set as 30 mg/dl (0.8
mmol/l) higher than the LDL cholesterol target in each
risk category.
those with family history of early heart attacks. This is
consistent with the Australian guidelines, which call for
screening evaluation of Asian Indians 10 years ahead of
Europids.
In short, we now have the knowledge and
medications to prevent, reduce and even reverse heart
disease that applies equally well to Indians. Lifestyle
modification should begin at 2 years of age, to prevent
heart attacks in young adulthood and beyond. For those
who fail to achieve the cholesterol goals with aggressive
lifestyle modification, statin therapy offers the best hope
of preventing a heart attack and other complications
of heart disease. Many statins are approved for use in
children older than 8 years of age. Recently, the price
of statins has come down drastically daily cost of 11
cent for pravastatin 40 mg/d in the US and less than Rs
5/- for atorvastatin (Lipitor) 20 mg/d and rosuvastain
(Crestor) 10 mg/d in India. At these prices, most
Indians would be able to afford a statin and control the
bad cholesterol to its Indian specific targets.
* Enas A Enas, MD, FACC
President and CEO, CADI Research Foundation.
www.cadiresearch.com
Sources
1. Enas EA. How to Beat the Heart Disease Epidemic among South
Asians: A Prevention and Management Guide for Asian Indians and
their Doctors. Downers Grove: Advanced Heart Lipid Clinic USA;
2010.
2. Enas EA, Chacko V, Senthilkumar A, Puthumana N, Mohan V.
Elevated lipoprotein(a)--a genetic risk factor for premature vascular
disease in people with and without standard risk factors: a review.
Dis Mon. Jan 2006;52(1):5-50.
3. Enas EA, Thomas I. Immigrant Indian Males - Sitting Ducks for
Heart Attacks; A Cause for Alarm - And Call for Action. J Am Assoc
Phys India 1990;2:5-8.
4. Enas EA, Singh V, Gupta R, Patel R, et al. Recommendations of
the Second Indo-US Health Summit for the prevention and control of
cardiovascular disease among Asian Indians. Indian heart journal.
2009;61:265-74.
The Indo-US health summit guidelines calls
for universal screening including blood sugar and
lipid profile of all Indians at age 18 (paid for by the
individual). Screening should also be done in children
who are obese (waist girth more than half of height) and
www.aapiusa.org 15

cover story
The First Ever AAPI MSR/F/YPS Contest in:
Creative Writing, Poetry & Amateur Photography
M. P. Ravindra Nathan, MD
A few weeks ago Dr. Ajeet R.
Singhvi, our president, called
me and said, “It will be great
if we can organize a contest in
Creative Writing/ Poetry and
Photography for our young
AAPI Members – MSR/ F/ YPS and give them cash
awards and recognition plaques.” I couldn’t have agreed
more. Many magazines like Medical Economics do this
annually and it almost always stimulates the members to
respond with their best effort.
Details of the competitions:
We decided to include 3 categories: Creative Writing,
Poetry and Photography with cash awards of $500, $400
and $300 for the first, second and third prizes respectively.
The topic for creative writing was ‘a medically related
narrative based on real life experiences, not exceeding 1000
words. Original poems reflecting one’s medical experience,
either from the point of view of a health care worker, a
patient or just an observer, were considered. Photographs
capturing an interesting scene, mood, or moment in life
were accepted.
Submissions for the various competitions started
pouring in as soon as the e-mail blast went out announcing
the details of the competition. In spite of all the demands
imposed by the stringent on call schedules, patient care
and family responsibilities, our young students and doctors
found time to stop, listen, touch, feel and above all, think
and then express their ideas into words. They clicked their
cameras at interesting scenes.
Altogether, there were 36 submissions for photography,
10 for creative writing and 9 for poetry. The articles
and poems were of high caliber, some very emotionally
charged, evoking one’s inner sensibilities and others, more
philosophical, reflecting on career changes or work place
conundrums. Most seem to have an instinctive, natural
gift for artistic expressions, be it creative writing, poetry
16 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal
or photography. Some told their stories in an easy, readable
fashion touching on small details and spanning different
worlds. The photos they submitted captured that truly
magical moment in one’s life and often didn’t even need
any formal caption. The judges unanimously agreed it was
not easy to pick the winners.
What has this done for AAPI? Plenty, I would say. For
starters, this has brought MSR/ F/ YPS closer to AAPI
by acting as a ‘connector.’ Suddenly, there is a buzz about
AAPI among their ranks. Secondly, the contest has helped
to discover and promote their talents. Thirdly, this may
become the ‘tipping point’ leading to a surge in membership
from the junior ranks of AAPI. As one of our editorial
members, Dr Sivaprasad Madduri, said, “It is a great idea to
have the contests and I am sure it will improve the image of
the Journal. This is a real bench-mark for future journals.”
In this issue we are publishing the articles and poems
that have won the top 3 prizes. Some of the consolation
prize winning pieces will be considered in future issues.
Also, you will note that the center spread is composed of the
photos submitted by the contestants. From all these, you
will get a very good feel about the outstanding talents of our
youngsters. For me, this will have to be rated as a high point
in the history of the journal. And to our young generation
of physicians, I offer my congratulations and best wishes;
we are proud of you. But remember, “Success is a journey,
not a destination.” So, don’t rest on your laurels; we like to
see more of your work in future. And I sincerely hope this
will become an annual event.
A word about the Judges:
The following experts judged and ranked the entries
and before we selected the winners, I personally talked at
length to all of them and got a consensus. I also acted as the
co-ordinator and assisted in judging in all the categories.
We discussed the many aspects of each entry in detail and
graded them and then only the final selection was made.
(continued on next page)

Creative Writing poetry photography
Dr. Sivaprasad Dr. Ujwala Dixit
Madduri
They are already members of the Editorial
committee well versed with writing, with
numerous publications to their credit.
Dr.Vijay Kulkarni,
a past President
of AAPI and well
recognized poet
whose works have
appeared in many
magazines.
Dr. Susheela
Ravindra Nathan,
with two books of
poetry as well as
several articles and
stories to her credit,
was the second judge.
Dr. U. B. Vasudev,
an excellent
photographer
well versed in
photography, whose
photos regularly
appear in
St. Petersburg Times,
Florida’s premier
newspaper.
And the winners are:
Creative Writing:
First Prizes: Sanya V. Hede for ‘The Blessing’
Second Prize: Akshat Jain, MD for ‘The Elephant in the Room’
Third Prize: Sunit Baga for ‘Two years in India’ & Rajiv Sharma, MD for ‘Pursuit of Happiness’
Special Prize for Outstanding Article: Pooja Voria Borde, MD for ‘Music Ma’mm’
Poetry:
First Prize: Smitha Bhatt for ‘The Special Child’
Second Prize: Anuj Gupta for ‘Ten Minutes’
Third Prize: Vaseem Ahmed for ‘Some Say’ & Jai Gandhi for ‘I feel like falling’
Photography:
First Prize: Imran Shaik for ‘Solitude’
Second prize: Kinjal Shah for ‘There is Hope.. is there a Future?’
Third Prizes: Sriram Eleswarapu for ‘Have no fear’ & Rahul Wadke for ‘Still reflection’
I sincerely thank all the judges for doing an excellent job spending a lot of their personal time for this first ever
venture of AAPI. Please enjoy the creative efforts of our young members as they unfold in the next several pages.
www.aapiusa.org 17

MSR F/YPS AAPI Journal
“The Blessing”
MSR/F/YPS Competition Creative Writing —
1 st
Sanya V. Hede *
As I walked through the grey,
double-doors at the entrance of
the Intensive Care Unit, the heart
monitor seemed to beep in fourfour
time. Stiff, lifeless silence
hung heavily in the air, save the
diligent nurses who sat scribbling medication orders. All the
beds held advanced machinery, smelled strongly of latex, and
cradled me in cold blasts of air, but the one at the end of the
hall particularly felt drained of energy.
As a first year medical student and a mere volunteer,
I knew my significance would be small, but my hopeful
enthusiasm drew me forwards. Peering behind the floral
curtains, I looked upon a stout, sun-burned man in a tight,
faded T-shirt, sitting apprehensively at his father’s bedside.
He gave me a tired smile and stood up to introduce me to his
wife, mother, and father, sick in bed—a Methodist minister
at the local church in town. After several painful coughs,
he repeated my name and softly whispered, “Thank you, my
child.” Whether it was from the sincerity of his tone, the
helplessness of his condition or simply the spontaneity of
my musical intuition, I do not know—all I remember is that
within a few minutes, I was singing my favorite German art
song.
There, in the last room of the MICU, I psychologically
morphed into Schumann’s fervent lover from Widmung.
As the heart monitor beeped in four-four time, the words
began to ascend from my heart, carrying more weight as they
reached my mind. They spoke of devotion and joy for the
one person that makes life worthwhile. Suddenly, something
inside of me began to pour outwards. Tears fled my eyes
spilling emotions that I could not understand and all for an
old man who I had met only minutes before, who for all I
knew might have had only had a few more seconds of life to
spare. Standing at the foot of his bed however, I saw in his
eyes a faint sparkle—the kind that reaches out and says, “I
know you—I understand.” Nothing held me back. I gave all
that I could...
Even as the lingering vibrato of my final note faded into
the air, my priest friend still sat motionless, lost in meditative
peace. Trying to wipe the tears from my eyes inconspicuously,
I looked up to find all eyes on me, in an appreciative trance.
Finally, my attentive listener opened his eyes and gazed at
me. Struggling to a sitting position, he held my hands as
if he were holding the Scripture. His eyes scanned my Om
chain, and he smiled as he peered into my soul. “May I bless
you, my child?” he inquired softly. I don’t think I had the
ability to speak as emotions flooded my throat; I just bowed
my head. Placing his bony, but firm hands on my head, he
recited a prayer for my well-being and happiness, while I
closed my eyes to keep my tears of joy from falling on his
knees. I related his blessing to my Indian family’s tradition
for hard and fast healing, a jadu gali, or simply put, a magical
hug. We both erupted into laughter and as I embraced him, I
felt the magic rub off on both of us.
I will never forget that lazy Saturday afternoon, when the
joy of spreading music beckoned me into the hidden corners
of the third floor ICU. In truth, I had come with nothing
but a song in my heart—no stethescope to check a heartbeat,
no morphine to ease the pain, and certainly no idea of how
I could ever help a patient who would probably forget me
after I left. Walking out of the room that day however, I was
a different individual, stronger, wiser, better—for I carried
with me the assurance of my Methodist friend that I had
healed him more than anything ever could and witnessed
the healing of my own well-being. He opened my eyes to a
power within me that I never knew existed—the power of
compassion and sincerity, of a deeper human understanding
that transcends the barriers of race and religion, age and
position.
Medicine was no longer just a science—that day, it
held hands with music and somehow linked the mind and
the heart. We said little, but gained much. Truthfully, I
cannot say how much of an impact my performance had on
his recovery. Looking back in this decision however, I have
realized that the true birth of new perspectives, of my multidimensional
perspective, begins by taking a stab in the dark,
as I did the day I dared to bring music to the I.C.U. I go
back to the I.C.U. sometimes, on lazy Saturday afternoons,
serenade those who wish to hear the sound of music and
quietly leave through the grey double-doors, feeling better
than I did when I came in. I am in search of happiness,
smiles, and jadu galis: the true substance of any life—and
sometimes, if I’m lucky, I will hear the sound of my blessing,
the heart monitor in four-four time reminding me of my dear
friend and his impact on my life.
* Class of 2014 M.D. Candidate
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX hede@bcm.tmc.edu
18 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

MSR/F/YPS AAPI Journal
“Elephant in the Room-Euthanasia”
MSR/F/YPS Competition Creative Writing —
2 nd
Akshat Jain, MD *
“I will give no deadly medicine
to any one if asked, nor suggest
any such counsel”
The Hippocratic Oath
My 6 month old patient who
was born pre mature, under circumstances that would
make even the gravest works of fiction and widest extent of
imagination shudder in shock, is suffering.
I m sitting next to his crib and writing this piece
.Believe me I wish no parent in my NICU should come and
look at him . They are not prepared for this horror. You
will have to carve up the selective deafness and blindness
I have developed over the past few months watching this
baby, and believe me they will suffer.
The medical surgical and theological aspects of his
care have been exhausted. God seems to have given up and
the cruel mockery is staring at me in the face. There will
be no change from this point on, other than worse, despite
heroic efforts at worship and practice to salvage whatever
little life that is left in him.
I have seen babies die and I have faced the horrific
terror of breaking such news to parents, and believe me
it was tough, but I found solace through material of the
likes of Joel Osteen. May be it was “gods wish”, the “divine
intervention” and we meager specks of little nothings have
no say , in meddling with this “business”.
But no Joel Osteen, Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle
could help me reconcile with this pain of suffering deep
down inside. Debilitation is painful to watch and even
more-so when you see the parents losing hope.
I have sought comfort in situations when parents have
accepted the ill stroke of fate and are glad to have love
vested even in a debilitated child. But what do I do when
I know this little one is going to have to fight the battle of
his remaining life alone.
Memories of my editorial in the college magazine on
Euthanasia comes rambling back to consciousness. The
theoretical discussion of pros and cons of Physician assisted
suicide seemed very “literary” at that time. But today I am
facing the dilemma in person; I am at crossroads, bound by
complexities of law and morality.
When is it appropriate for a doctor to play God?
Putting an end to this insurmountable suffering, the
continuous flow of tears, the rigid body, the seemingly
never aborting seizures, and the continuous frothing …
seems to be a valid option. Where the ever loving maternal
instinct has fatigued, the medical science has exhausted
all options, even the doors of heaven seem slam shut, one
wonders was this fate written by the same hand of God that
wrote mine, or was this a rare glitch.
The critics of physician assisted suicide would argue,
putting forth a solid argument, of morality. But if you
qualify to be alive while being dependent on feeding and
breathing tubes, undergoing constant trauma of pain that
is immeasurable, but clearly visible, I bet you this, if God
himself granted this baby one wish, he would unflinchingly
ask for a vial of sweet death.
It’s a dilemma not just faced by me, but anyone who
has shared the pain of Aruna Shanbaug and many others
like her would pray mercy killing would be made legal.
I cannot help but think of the implications of the
power any loosely passed legislation in favor of euthanasia,
will have. It would not take too long before the argument
of “right” to die, be twisted into a “duty” to kill. Suddenly
I recall the chilling lines of conversation between the judge
and a condemned German from the movie—“Judgment at
Nuremberg” and I shudder.
Condemned German –“But we didn’t think it would go that
far.” American judge- “it went that far the very first time you
condemned an innocent human being.”
* New York Medical College , Metropolitan Hospital ,
Manhattan , NY
www.aapiusa.org 19

MSR/F/YPS AAPI Journal
“Two Years in India, The Rest to Reflect”
MSR/F/YPS Competition Creative Writing —
3 rd
Sumit Baga, MD *
There is a saying, “I complained of no shoes, until I
met a man with no feet.” This quote definitely describes
my first two years of medical school, which were in India.
My parents came from India with hopes of the American
dream. For two years, I did quite the opposite. As a
Punjabi born and raised in the United States, I embarked
on a two year journey to study medicine in India. The
four semesters of medical school in Manipal, India
changed my perception of what it means to be a health
care provider. After my experience at Kasturba Medical
College – International Center, it was apparent to me that
I had grown both academically and spiritually.
Every Saturday my class would take a bus to the clinic
and venture to Dr. T. M. A. Pai hospital in Udupi. On the
way there, we would pass a large smoky landfill filled with
the dark smoky stench of burning plastic. The air had a
brownish tinge from all the burning plastic and paper.
The smell was putrid and the hawks circled above in the
sweltering jungle heat. What surprised me the most was
that the impoverished literally dug out their huts in these
heaps of smoking lumps of debris. Most of the time, I was
sitting in an air conditioned room studying medical books
and enjoying the luxury of American junk food. While
the poor suffered from easily treatable and rare conditions
such as iron deficiency and tuberculosis.
The diseases we encountered clinically in India are
situations I am unlikely to encounter again practicing in
the United States. An elderly professor of mine, Dr. Bhatt,
once told our class that there are two major class systems
in India, the very rich and the very poor. He emphasized
that there is a very large rural population that will always
be present in India despite advances in technology and
growth of the Indian economy. These farmers and
20 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal
villagers, undoubtedly the hardest working group of
India, are unfortunately the large part of India that are
uneducated about health care and have less access because
of their financial disadvantage. It was hard to hear about
one patient in Karnataka who unfortunately took all of
the potential treatments based on his symptoms because it
was his cheapest option – he simply could not afford the
one diagnostic test which would determine what disease
he had and it’s specific treatment.
What also surprised me was the number of patients
with pulmonary tuberculosis in the Udupi hospital as well
as the Kasturba Hospital in Manipal. Though the patients
were being treated with the correct anti-tubercular
antibiotics, there was no use of face masks. These patients
weren’t isolated either, which is unfortunately the reason
that tuberculosis still spreads from patient to patient
through air droplets. Another factor that assisted in
the tuberculosis situation in India was that many of the
patients had poor immune systems due to lack of proper
nutrition. It was as if the sweltering jungle heat was a
cesspool for rare infectious diseases like dengue, malaria,
cholera, tuberculosis, filariarsis and others.
Another difference in the Indian medical system that
really surprised me was the fact that the sex of fetus in
India can never be revealed to the parents for fear that
certain parents are likely to commit infanticide if they
find out that the child is a female. Many poor in India
cannot afford to pay for the dowry of a female, and it is
also considered by many to be socially and economically
beneficial for the family if the child is male. Although
this rule has been mandated by the Indian government,
it was unusual to hear from my female classmate on the
OBGYN floor that most if not all of (continued on next page)

the newborns in the nursery were males.
Though India is different from the United States
in many ways, two major differences stuck with me
with most: the vast culture of India and the general
attitude of its people. Spirituality is a very important
aspect in the daily lives of most, if not all Indians. It
has a major impact on the reason that they often carry
such an easy-going demeanor. I got the general sense
from most Indians that everything would be alright.
This is something the fast-paced American life style
truly lacks. It may be due to the strong presence of
spirituality and religion in the Indian culture. Though
Indians may live life more simply, they appear to be
much more comfortable with what little they have.
Many of the local Indian students would call us
non-resident Indians because we were of Indian origin
but had been brought up in the United States. From
their perspective, I definitely saw how Americans
could often act brash and show lack of modesty. Some
of the younger students who had been living in India
for the first time would often get noisy. And the facial
expression from the locals was usually, “You aren’t
from around here, are you?” The calm and collected
demeanor was definitely something I respected about
the native Indians; I truly got a sense that whether rich
or poor or whether they had troubles or not, they were
satisfied with taking each day at a time.
I often find myself not being satisfied with how
much I have, and I always try to return to my days in
Manipal when life was simpler, but I was still content.
I don’t think I value how much opportunity I had in
India until now. Looking back, I miss the people and
culture I came across in India. I learned a great deal in
the basics of medicine and on the rare tropical diseases
present in India, but I got a life lesson on all the small
things of my Indian heritage. Someday when I find time
to escape from my busy life in US hospitals, I believe
I’ll return to India and really appreciate once again how
beautiful it is there.
* Sumit Bagga American University of Antigua
Fourth Year Medical Student • sumitmed@gmail.com

MSR/F/YPS AAPI Journal
Pursuit of Happiness:
To Be or Not To Be — That is the Question!
3 rd
MSR/F/YPS Competition Creative Writing —
Rajiv Sharma, MD *
Knock! Knock! My mother banged on my room
door. The premedical test result was out. I got into the
most prestigious medical school in Punjab. I ran to my
dad who was working in our front yard. His eyes were
moist as he patted my back…but he didn’t say anything. I
could see the joy and pride on his face.
I come from a very modest background. My father
was from a poor family but ambitious to rise above his
limitations. He had left his village barefoot as he had no
money to buy shoes. He joined the police force which was
the only job he could get.
He was a dreamer and I am a dreamer just like him.
He wanted the best for me and my brother, so he sent us
to private English school, and took out heavy loans for
our studies.
I inherited the same vigor as my father. I constantly
pushed myself to perform well, always aiming to be the
best I can at everything I did. Time flew by and I cruised
through the 5 1/2 years of medical school. Then I decided
to relocate to greener pastures. I felt it would be hard for
a man of my background to reach my full potential in
India.
I got married to a girl from USA and emigrated.
Initially worked at a full time job to pay for USMLE exam
fee. But back home things got tough. My father suffered
from severe vertigo and needed frequent admissions to
the hospital. The Police Department forced him to retire
early with a meager pension. However, my father never
asked me for help but I could feel his desperation over the
other end of the phone, every time he made a transatlantic
call. He tried to be strong and not put pressure on me.
And I started sending some money to India every month.
Luckily, I matched in Internal medicine. So, I
started planning my next move to be even better. I chose
Gastroenterology since it paid well and I can pay off my
debts, well, my dad’s debts!
I spent 4-6 hours a day writing research papers/
protocols and worked on my projects unfailingly - on
call, post call or whenever I had some time. I used my
vacation for research and I know my family life suffered
during these periods. I worked like a maniac and gave
my best shot at everything. Due to my confidence some
“key people” at my residency program were turned off by
me- envy perhaps? I am not sure. I was stunned that my
clarity of goal, dedication and motivation was labeled as
“aggression”, “abrasiveness”.
I had 8 active research projects, 15 poster
presentations, 2 national oral presentations, 2 paper
publications and 4 awards for Excellence in Research and
Academics. My competitors for fellowship were guys who
barely had any research, leave alone publications. They
were “friendly” just because they were good at faking it
with the attending physicians and the “key people.” I was
not “good enough.”
“Was this because I was a “Foreign Medical
Graduate?” I constantly asked myself. (continued on next page)
22 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

I applied for fellowship in the same institution and did not
match the first time, so I had to re-apply. I was told that I
had a good chance matching at some “outside” program. I
was not sure if I would ever get a GI spot. I had one year
of residency left. I applied for Chief Resident position
to better my chances of getting into a GI Fellowship.
Interviews went well and now I was waiting for the match
day-highly nervous.
About three weeks before the match I got an
unexpected phone call from an outside area code. It
was one of the program directors in NY whom I had
interviewed with. “Your application is very strong. We
have a sudden opening for a position starting 6 weeks
from now. We would like to offer you that spot,” he said.
My body went numb and hands frozen. I have never
felt like this before. At least someone thought, “I was good
enough.” I started crying…tears of joy but I could see
clearly where this is headed to. Since I was contractually
obligated to be Chief resident for 1 year, I would have to
cancel that contract. My dream was so close that I could
literally touch it now. On the other hand I was scared
about losing it if I couldn’t get out of the contract. What
if they say NO? What if they hurt my career? What if
they feel disrespected? Chief Resident is a big respectful
position in the academic world.
I paged my Medicine program director. He was a
ruthless administrator with zero tolerance for “trouble
makers.” He answered my page right away. My heart
was in my throat, my voice shaky and eyes… wet with
happiness and apprehension.
at such a short notice, this is disrespectful!”
I stayed quiet and explained my point of view. There
was silence. He said, “ I have nothing else to say to you”.
I walked out.
I couldn’t believe my ears... But I had to fulfill my
dreams…my parents’ dream!
I signed the fellowship contract and resigned from
the chief resident position. My parent’s prayers and
sacrifices have paid off. I graduated and moved to NY for
fellowship. I have reached my goal. I am the happiest man
alive.
There comes a point in your life where you have to
make a choice. Should you follow your own goals and
dreams or honor others’ expectations of you? It’s a tough
choice. But that’s how life is...unpredictable!
This reminds me of the Shakespeare’s play Hamlet,
“To be, or not to be--that is the question.” Whether ‘tis
nobler in the mind to suffer. The slings and arrows of
the outrageous fortune! Or, to take arms against a sea of
troubles?
* 2nd year G I Fellow, University of Rochester Medical Center,
Rochester, N Y.
I explained to him the scenario; he paused for a few
seconds…my heart was racing, my hands trembling. Then
he started talking... my heart stopped. He sensed the
happiness, anxiety in my voice. He said “Rajiv… I would
love for you to stay here. I personally would like to work
with you but sometimes you just have to do what’s best for
you and move on. Go ahead, follow your dream”.
The next day the Chief of Medicine wanted to see
me right away. I was terrified. He was furious! He wanted
me to honor my contract and was hinting towards not
taking the GI fellowship spot.
“How are we going to fill the chief resident position
www.aapiusa.org 23

MSR/F/YPS AAPI Journal
“The Music Ma’mm”
MSR F/YPS Competition Creative Writing —
Pooja Voria, MD, MBA *
Special
Prize
Outstanding
Article
It was the first time we had music in the department.
No, there wasn’t a new surround sound system. I didn’t
have my iPod playing. To my surprise, it was my patient
singing to me as I was doing a breast biopsy on her.
A few months ago, Judith Brown* came to the breast
imaging department of my hospital because she felt a new
lump in her breast. I did a complete work up, including
a mammogram and ultrasound. I couldn’t rule out cancer,
so I proceeded to explain to her that she needed a biopsy.
Judith normally had pep and pizzazz, but I could see that
she was scared. She asked for her husband, Rick, to be in
the room. I tried to be empathetic and reassuring, but the
biopsy still needed to be done. I explained each step of the
procedure. Eventually, she nodded and signed the consent
form.
It was clear that Judith was nervous. She lay on the
bed with her arm above her head. I tried to make her as
comfortable as possible, but she was still shifty.
I told her, “I’m going to give you the lidocaine now.
It’s going to sting and burn a little bit, but then the area
will be numb.”
“OK. I think I’m ready. What are you giving me
again?” she replied with angst.
“Lidocaine.”
“Lidocaine. What a funny word. It sounds like
‘Lida Rose’ from the musical, The Music Man.” I was
concentrating on my hands, but I saw her smile from the
corner of my eye.
“Hmm. I’ve never seen The Music Man. Nor have I
heard the song, ‘Lida Rose.’ ”
“Oh, it’s one of my favorites! Rick and I love musicals.
I’m going to sing it for you.”
24 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal
Lida Rose, I’m home again, Rose
To get the sun back in the sky.
Lida Rose, I’m home again, Rose
About a thousand kisses shy.
Ding dong ding
I can hear the chapel bell chime.
Ding dong ding
At the least suggestion I’ll pop the question.
Lida Rose, I’m home again, Rose
Without a sweetheart to my name.
Lida Rose, now everyone knows
That I am hoping you’re the same
So here is my love song, not fancy or fine
Lida Rose, oh won’t you be mine
Lida Rose, oh Lida Rose oh Lida Rose.
And she did. While she sang, her body relaxed a
little bit. Her husband didn’t chime in. We both knew
that singing was comforting to her.
“We’re all done with the biopsy.”
“It’s over? That wasn’t too bad.”
During my breast imaging fellowship, I’ve learned
that comforting a patient is one of the most important
parts of any doctor’s job. Sometimes all it takes is a smile
and a warm blanket to calm the nerves. With others, it
may take much more, a reassuring voice, a listening ear,
or a heart-to-heart in depth discussion. And once in a
while, patients learn to comfort themselves with their
own version of ‘Lida Rose.’
I’m happy to say that I had good news for Judith.
The biopsy was benign and she did not have cancer.
(continued on next page)

But not all the news I give is positive. Giving bad
news is one of the most challenging things a doctor has to
do, especially over the phone, where the empathy in our
voice is all we can offer. Some patients take the bad news
in stride while others become hysterical. It’s a tough job
for us, and comforting a patient is not something we can
learn from a book. It takes time, experience, and good
mentors to learn the art of communication in medicine.
That evening after Judith’s biopsy, I went home and
listened to ‘Lida Rose’ online. It’s sung as a quartlet in
a cappella format. No bells, no whistles, just vocals. It
was catchy, yet soothing. Listening to the song helped
me understand why it put her at ease, bridging the gap
between something as unfamiliar and invasive as a biopsy
with something warm and reassuring.
Judith’s ability to build her inner-strength through
something as simple as singing a proverbial song helped
me to realize that the best way a doctor can comfort a
patient is not always through conventional techniques
like walking a patient through the facts of a procedure
or answering technical medical questions. Through Judith
and other patients, I have learned that fostering an honest
and strong doctor-patient relationship stretches beyond
these typical forms of communication and can require
more comforting, personal, and simple approaches, like
singing a song or simply holding a patient’s hand.
Judith’s singing was a memorable part of my fellowship
experience this year. The fact that she found her strength
to endure in a song opened my eyes to an alternative form
of comforting a patient, and I’ll always remember her as
the “The Music Ma’mm.”
________________________________
*All names changed
* MSRF Communications Chair
Breast Imaging Fellow in the Department of Radiology
University of Washington pvoria@hotmail.com
members in the news
Dr. Reddy Receives the Prestigious Bharat Gaurav
Award at Annual “Global Friendship Day”
Dr. E. Shyam P Reddy, GCC Distinguished
Cancer Scholar, Professor and Co Director, Morehouse
School of Medicine, is honored with the globally reputed
Bharat Gaurav Award and a Certificate of Excellence
for Meritorious Services, Outstanding Performance and
Remarkable Role on January 6th 2011, in New Delhi
during the India International Friendship Society’s (IIFS)
Global Friendship Day.
The Society confers the “Bharat Gaurav Award” to
luminous personalities in India and abroad, who have made
outstanding contributions in their personalized fields,
including science & technology, education, politics and
social work, services providers industry, etc. Past recipients
of this most coveted award include late Mother Teresa,
Noble Laureate Late B.D. Jatti, Former Vice President of
India Dr. Bishma Narain Singh, Cricketer Sunil Gavaskar,
Veteran Actors Shammi Kapoor and Rajesh Khanna, Lord
Bikhu Parekh, Lord Navnit Dholakia, Mr. Harinder S.
Takhar (Minister of the Crown of Province of Ontario,
Canada), NRI business-magnate Vijay Mallya, Dr. Sampat
Shivangi, Dr. Bhagwan T. Sahni, Dr. Sudhir Shrivastava,
Dr. Jayanti Singh, Omie Singh (MP South Africa), and
Sukh Daliwal (MP Vancouver, Canada).
The award was
presented jointly by
Mr. Pawan Kumar
Bansal, Minister
of Parliamentary
Affairs & Water
Resources Government
of India, and
Dr. Bhishma Narain
Singh, Former Union
Minister & Governor
Tamilnadu, at
the 2011 Parvasi
Bharatiya Divas national seminar on Global Participation
in India’s Economic Development.
Other dignitaries present at the award giving ceremony
include Honorable Baroness Sandeep Verma (Minister
in waiting Govt. of UK), Ms. Ruby Dhalla (Member of
Parliament from Canada), Mr. Rohit Kochhar (Chairman
& Managing Director Kochhar & Co.) and Gurmeet
Singh (Secretary General, India International Friendship
Society).
www.aapiusa.org 25

MSR F/YPS AAPI Journal
“The Special Child”
MSR/F/YPS Competition Poetry —
1 st
Smita V. Bhatt, MD *
* PGY-1 Psychiatry
Resident, Department
of Psychiatry, Nassau
University Medical
Center, 2201 Hempstead
Turnpike, East Meadow,
NY 11554,
(516) 572-0123
www.numc.edu

“I Feel Like I’m Falling”
MSR/F/YPS Competition Poetry —
MSR/F/YPS AAPI Journal
3 rd
Jai Gandhi
I’ll be the last to know
When my sanity flees.
My grasp is being loosened,
My fingers beginning to lose their grip,
And I try, and I try, and I dig into that bag
of chalk,
My sweaty palms, desperate to increase the
friction,
To give me a shot at climbing back over this
abyss,
But I keep slipping.
And the irony isn’t lost on me. Not yet.
The comparison, my lost grip on reality as
equivalent
To my death.
Society casts me out for my abnormality.
And in fleeting moments of lucidity,
I think, I think how
If this was a broken bone,
“Some Say”
MSR/F/YPS Competition Poetry —
A seeping, disgusting
wound,
I would cover it up; no one would have been
the wiser.
But this disease eats away at me, until the
disease has consumed me,
And there is no me but the disease.
I become a pestering reminder,
The personification of why ignorance is bliss.
And my lost grip won’t result in plummeting
to the ground,
There will be no splatter.
No, the mess I make will be reflected in the
psyche
Of those who continue to love me
unconditionally.
Who are forced to care for me, and watch me,
As “me” loses all meaning.
3 rd
Vaseem Ahmed *
Some say I tick, others say I thump,
But we can all agree it’s important that I
pump.
My 4 chambers fill with blood on every beat,
My valves help oxygen reach the ends of your
feet.
Exercise keeps my muscles healthy and strong,
Without it, I wouldn’t be able to keep you
alive for very long.
It’s important to eat healthy and exercise,
Eat more salads, but avoid those fries.
Every so often, the doctor has to check me out,
You’ll have to run on the treadmill ‘til you
scream and shout.
One way to keep me healthy is to stop smoking,
It will make you prettier and stronger, I’m not
joking.
If you think you are
having coronary attack,
Take an aspirin; be sure to keep them in your
knapsack.
Today my problems are the leading cause of
death,
But I am the final organ to go until your very
last breath.
Take care of me and don’t let my vessels clog,
Eat an apple a day and don’t forget to jog.
Some say I am filled with blood, others say
with love,
But I am the heart of hearts when push comes
to shove.
*Medical Student, 3rd Year
American University of Antigua,
vahmed729@gmail.com
www.aapiusa.org 27

Verma Varun “Window to the Soul”
Sara Venkat “Sunbird on Flower”
MSR/F/YPS
PHOTO CONTEST
Ami Shah “Sculpture”
Uzma Choudhary “Desert Mountains”
Riddhi Shah “Sunset”
Joseph Marin “In his Steps”
28 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

Vickas Dangyach “Sowing Seeds”
Sandip Patel “Dogged Persistence”
Sheila Krishna “Tokyo at Play”
Serena Jain “Self Discipline”
Subhasis Misra “Endless Possibilities”
Jaya Padmanabhan “Selling Flowers in Jaipur”
www.aapiusa.org 29

Niru Madduri “Purity of Aging” Deepak Pahuja “Solitary Boat”
Amit Momaya “Balance”
Morargi Pesai “Birth of a Storm”
Hetal Bhingradia “Endless Serenity”
Sunita Nathan “Look What I Found ”
30 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

Sirkar Kumkum “Medical School Begins in Paradise”
Ankita Sagar “Tranquil Twilight”
Madhuri Saligrama “Fortitude”
Vidya Pai “A Midsummer’s Night”
Shashank Jain “Ephemeral” Rajiv Bhal “The Chase”
Rippal Shah “Vadodara”
www.aapiusa.org 31

MSR/F/YPS AAPI Journal
Networking Beats Not Working
Pooja Voria, MD, MBA *
going to hire me?
Now that you’re completing
residency/fellowship, what
next? You must be thinking
- How do I find a job? Who’s
Many of us have been in school/training for most of
our lives. We’ve always had specific goals to achieve and
have known exactly what steps to take. In college, our goal
was to get into a medical school so we took the MCAT
and filled out the AMCAS application. In medical school,
our goal was to get into a residency so we filled out the
ERAS application and waited for the dreaded match. But
there is no structured method of finding a job. So what
can you do to improve your chances of getting your dream
job?
Here’s a little secret. The best jobs are found by wordof-mouth,
networking, and referrals. So during residency
and fellowship, you’re not working just to impress your
attendings and studying just to pass your boards, you’re
networking with people who have been immersed in the
marketplace for many years. This includes attendings,
nurses, technologists, and administrators. All of these
people have more experience in the workplace and may
know some “gossip” that could land you a job. If they like
you enough, they may even make a phone call on your
behalf to help you out.
It’s also important to be actively networking when
you can. Go to your specialty’s annual meetings, especially
locally. It’s rare for residents to go to these meetings,
because most feel that they could be using their time
doing something else, i.e. studying, sleeping, or having
fun. But spending even a few hours at these events can
be worth it. You’ll stand out since you’ll be one of the
few residents there. And you never know who will be
sitting at your table. It could be the CEO of a group in the
area. And of course, don’t forget AAPI. AAPI has many
different events thoughout the year, including the annual
convention, all of which are great avenues to meet people
as well as have fun.
If you don’t live in the area you want to work, you can
use a physician recruiter. Recruiters are hired by hospitals
and groups. But not all groups use recruiters. Groups with
good jobs in popular markets and groups in major cities
typically don’t use recruiters because it’s expensive and
they don’t need to (word of mouth or referrals).
You can also look on the website of your specialty’s
professional association. There is usually a job posting
section.
Start early, but don’t dismay if you can’t find
anything. If jobs are tight in the area you’re looking, then
they may only open up if a group acquires a new contract
with a hospital or if someone retires. Something may be
available just a few months before you need to start. It’s a
very fluid market right now, and people aren’t hiring like
they used to.
Remember, it’s in your best interest to find all the
available jobs in the market. So, during residency, set
yourself up a little bit. Network when you can. And don’t
be scared to stand out, especially in today’s job market.
*MSRF Communications Chair
Breast Imaging Fellow in the Department of Radiology
University of Washington pvoria@hotmail.com
32 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

Medical Rotation to India:
First Hand Experience
MSR/F/YPS AAPI Journal
With much interest, enthusiasm and support, AAPI has launched a new endeavor under
the leadership of the President Ajeet R. Singhvi, MD. The purpose of this program is to
send American Medical Students and Residents of Indian origin from accredited medical
schools or Residency program for four weeks rotation to India. This would expose them to
the Indian Medical System, have them learn clinical skills as well as have them experience
of working in suboptimal conditions. Few weeks of work experience is expected to be a life
time of learning through this program. This program is sponsored by AAPI members and other sponsors. We
would like to thank all the committee members for raising the funds for the program and participating in the
candidate selection process. Four candidates have completed their rotation and 4 are currently in India. With the
support of our members we hope to send about 10 candidates this year.
Here are experiences of some of the four candidates who have completed a clinical rotation in India
through this program.
Sincerely,
Vinod Sancheti, MD
Vinod Sancheti, MD
Chair
MedicalRotations@aapiusa.org
Mamta Singhvi, MD
President, AAPI MSRF
mamtasinghvi@gmail.com
Shashi Shah, MD
Advisor & Chair, AAPI-CF
shashimd@gmail.com
Amit Bhakoo, MD
Community Service Chair, MSRF
communserv@aapimsr.org
The Aravind Eye Care System:
An Analysis and An Experience
Swarup S. Swaminathan *
As a young medical student interested in ophthalmology, I was enamored by the opportunity to
conduct a study at the Aravind Eye Hospital thru the AAPI medical rotation to India program.
The postgraduate residents to let me examine patients with unique ocular conditions, which are uncommon in the US.
I was thus able to examine patients with fungal keratitis, complete ophthalmoplegia, and Loa loa filariasis to name a few.
I was also able to attend grand rounds at the base hospital on a weekly basis, which was a wonderful way to learn more
about ophthalmology and interact with the local residents. I was also able to observe several surgeries in the OR, spend
time in the subspecialty clinics, and visit the free hospital clinic, all which were incredibly valuable learning opportunities.
I am extremely grateful to AAPI-MSRF for supporting me in this endeavor and allowing me to gain first-hand
experience in ophthalmology.
*MS2 – Harvard Medical School
swarups@gmail.com
(continued on page 34)
www.aapiusa.org 33

Global and Cross-Cultural Mental Health in India
Neil Krishan Aggarwal, MD, MBA, MA *
I travelled to Sri Guru Ram Das
Institute of Medical Sciences
Throughout my residency, I have
explored issues in cross-cultural and global mental health,
specifically among South Asian populations. The AAPI
MSRF International Externship program supplemented
additional funding from the American Psychiatric Association
and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration to provide me with field experiences.
I worked with Drs. Vikram Patel and Neerja Chowdhury
in summarizing all of the published academic literature
on mood and anxiety disorders among South Asians.
Everyday, I met with a team of researchers to debate the
findings of latest studies and to spend the next nine hours
considering research design and implementation for a future
randomized controlled trial of psychotherapeutic
treatments in resource-challenged settings. The work was
difficult, but stimulating, as we struggled to apply the latest
scientific findings to real world problems. Hopefully, our
efforts will be rewarded with the publication of a systematic
literature review.
After a month of intense research, I spent two weeks
working at a public outpatient clinic in Amritsar affiliated
with Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and
Research. For a population of four million people, there
are only twelve psychiatrists in the city of whom five work
in the government sector. Everyday, I saw between fifty and
eighty patients in seven hours, conducting evaluations and
consultations in Hindi and Punjabi under the supervision
of an attending physician. A number of fascinating crosscultural
differences emerged. Patients controlled their
medical charts which they brought to each visit. Given the
constraints on time and the refreshing lack of a malpractice
culture, physicians wrote the bare minimum defending
their diagnoses and justifications for choosing a particular
medication. In terms of clinical presentation, we saw patients
mostly with depressive, bipolar, anxiety, psychotic,
and substance abuse disorders. Interestingly, psychiatrists
manage epilepsy in India, a disorder commonly referred to
neurologists in the United States. Finally, psychiatrists and
patients often collaborated to devise innovative clinical solutions
regarding the immense expenses of transportation
and medications: psychiatrists often started medications at
higher doses and patients preferred brief directive recommendations
rather than exploratory psychotherapy.
Such international experiences are invaluable for
future clinical researchers. Next year, I will start a fellowship
at Columbia University designed specifically to learn
how to research the prevalence and treatment of mood and
anxiety disorders among South Asians in the United States.
These rotations were indispensable in helping me understand
how to conduct research on the expectations of treatment
among South Asian patients. I am grateful to AAPI
MSRF for generously underwriting a portion of my visit
which exposed me to the Indian academic environment
and to Indian community psychiatry.
*Psychiatry Resident, Yale University
neil.k.aggarwal@gmail.com
Scholar’s Experience in Indore, India
Priti Dangayach *
One of first few students sent to
India; here is her experience. I was
pleasantly surprised when I was
awarded the AAPI International
Externship Scholarship to India. I wanted to learn more
about tropical infectious diseases. Through AAPI, I was
connected with Dr. Ashmeet Choudhary and Dr. Manish
Jain in the departments on Gastroenterology and Internal
34 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal
Medicine, respectively at the Bombay Hospital in Indore.
I arrived in Indore on October 4, 2010, to start my month
long rotation. I had no idea that this month would reignite
my passion for internal medicine and enroot a deep love
for India. With Dr. Choudhary, we started our mornings
by rounding on all our patients in the ICU and wards. Afterwards,
we would see patients together in the outpatient
department, where I had a chance to enhance my physical
(continued on next page)

examination skills and ability to form a differential diagnosis.
To my surprise, I saw a tremendous number of alcohol
related GI cases, such as pancreatitis and cirrhosis as well as
their complications. Endoscopic evaluation introduced me
to H. Pylori induced gastric and duodenal ulcers, varices,
esophageal and gastric cancers and their treatments. In the
outpatient department, I saw interesting cases like stronglyoides,
typhoid, hepatitis C, ulcerative colitis, GERD, and
Barrett’s. I even had the chance to perform several paracentesis
procedures. For the second part of the rotation, I
rotated with Dr. Manish Jain, who inspired me in general
medicine. We faced a large volume of patients and the importance
of quickly using one’s clinical skills and diagnostic
testing, was emphasized and encouraged. I was ecstatic in
my personal improvement in physical examination skills.
I also learned the importance of tailoring lab tests in a resource
limited areas. I learned through many cases of dengue,
TB, swine flu, and neurocystercercosis, of how to diagnose
and treat these infectious disease patients. In clinic,
I also encountered cardiac, heme, pulm, onc, and rheum
patients as well. I was constantly challenged by interesting
cases of Lupus, AIHA, vitamin B12 deficiency, hepatitis,
TB, and fevers of unknown origin. I am grateful that i was
offered and opportunity for this rotation opportunity thru
AAPI.
*Baylor College of Medicine
Chai Time: with an International <strong>Focus</strong>
Kinjal Shah *
We live in an increasingly mobile
society, which lends to the transfer
of disease across oceans. I want to
be competent in providing care for
my patients, weather it is treating the neighbor next door or
a patient half way across the world. To that end, I wanted
to see how healthcare is delivered in India and decided to
spend a month there this January.
I embarked on this journey under the mentorship
of Dr.Nitin Shah, professor of Anesthesiology at Loma
Linda University, California. Our trip itinerary in Jaipur;
Pravasi Bhartiya Divas conference 2011 in Delhi; 37th Annual
Medical highlights included attending the : 4th Annual
AAPI Indio-US Healthcare summit & Surgical camp in Bidada,
Kutch; Kalidas Hospital Surgical Camp, Vyara, Gujarat;
Bardoli Surgical Camp, Bardoli, Gujarat. The Bidada
camp was the highlight of my trip- we had camps in various
specialties- from General surgery to Urology to Dermatology,
and even Vision and Dental Care; a similar panel existed
for the pediatric population. This 20 day Camp in January
at Bidada provided health care related services to thousands
patients! Bidada satisfied my intellectual curiosity as I saw
“zebra” cases such as Duchene’s Muscular Dystrophy, Pustular
Psoriasis, and Rubella associated Congenital Cataracts
and Heart Disease.
In addition to honing my clinical skills, I encountered
and have gained an appreciation for medical problems uncommon
in the US. I would like to thank AAPI for giving
me this opportunity and encourage the AAPI community
to support the AAPI Scholarship for International Electives.
I come out of this elective with a broader perspective on the
practice of medicine.
This trip was….inspiring, refreshing, and served as a
reminder for why I wanted to enter medicine in the first
place.
*UTHSC, Memphis, TN
Without a doubt, I can say this was one of the most
educational endeavors I have embarked on. Where else will
I get to negotiate with the rickshaw driver, drink fresh coconut
water in the surgeon’s lounge, diagnose Duchene’s dystrophy,
visit 72 jinalaya(a Jain tirth) and watch a breathtaking
sunset at the Mandavi beach—all in the same day!
www.aapiusa.org 35

AAPI charitable activities
Report from the Committee on Medical
Missions & Community Service
Ram Upadhyay, MD *
Most of us, as volunteers, are
individually involved in various
philanthropic and charitable
projects. It will not be an exaggeration to say that, due to
our upbringing in India, it is a kind of second nature to us,
to do some ‘seva’ or extend the helping hands to others. We
have been taught that ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,’ i.e., this
whole world is my family. In order to be happy, we need to
try to make this family happy.
• As our AAPI members have expressed their keen
desire to serve the underserved, needy and poor, both
in USA and abroad as volunteers…..
• As our medical students/ residents expressed their
interest to work as volunteers. To serve & learn
globally….
• As many of our AAPI members and their families
have shown interest to work with various NGOS in
India and other countries in Medical as well as non
medical social projects.
With great admiration and gratitude for AAPI
member’s noble desire to serve, our current AAPI
leadership, President Dr. Ajeet R. Singhvi and Executive
committee along the BOTs, established an Ad Hoc
committee known as the COMMITTEE ON MEDICAL
MISSIONS & COMMUNITY SERVICE.
Activities of the Committee include:
1. Preparation of appropriate Forms for potential
Volunteers including Release of Liability form.
2. Dr. Sudeep Kukreja’ Trip to Egypt from Sept. 17 to
October 2nd, 2010 (published in Winter 2011 AAPI
Journal)
3. Haiti Project: this is an ongoing activity.
4. Contacting Various NGOs for working together.
5. Placement of Volunteers in India.
6. Collection of old working equipment and supplies to be
distributed to needy institutions.
7. Storage space for supplies being established with the help
of other charities.
8. Contacting various agencies for transportation of
supplies to target sites.
9. Preparing pertinent Travel information about target
site, including Political stability etc.
10. Collecting the necessary funds. Of course this is a real
challenge!
11. Periodic Tele Conferences, the last one was on 3/10/11
So far our Committee Members have put in a lot
of work. Currently they are involved in very extensive
Community Services with other organizations. We are
collecting all the information and will present to the
AAPI Membership in the near future. Our Heartiest
appreciations and congratulations to the following
members:
Dr. Kukreja who is taking a team to China in a few months.
Dr. Nitin Shah.
Dr. Gopal Badlani and
Dr. V.K. Raju.
They are planning to give more information to our
membership about their activities.
Our Challenges:
This committee needs funding as there are no specials
funds allotted from AAPI. This creates a big hurdle.
As other NGOs who give logistic support expects some
sharing of their expenses.
Our sites need supplies and other resources for which
financial support is needed. Also, we need to make our
36 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

AAPI Charitable clinics potential sites for volunteers
to stay and provide the medical care. They need to have
an ongoing relationship with the adjacent hospitals for
appropriate referral. Our Charitable Foundation needs to
take lead towards this goal.
This committee needs to be upgraded to the status
of a full permanent committee. It’s Chair should be a
voting member of the Governing Body, so that they can
participate in the discussion, since the decision in the Fall
Governing Body in 10/10, in California, unfortunately
has effectively taken off the right to express the views of
non voting members even if they are present during the
meeting. The healthy tradition practiced before need to be
restored.
On March 11, 2011, the whole world was shocked at
the massive tsunami and earthquake that struck Japan. We
had numerous calls and emails from our AAPI members
to help and participate in relief efforts. We immediately
contacted Japanese Consulate. After hearing all details
about our organizations, about numbers and doctors of all
the specialty, they agreed to put AAPI’s name, along with
Doctors without Borders and International Medical Corp
as a potential Medical Relief providers. This is a great
recognition of our organization. I am proud to say that
there were 15 volunteers, from primary care to orthopedics
physicians, were ready to go on 48 hours notice. As the
alert was taken off by Japanese Emergency management
Administration, we were informed that they do not need
Medical Teams from outside. They will accept monetary
help thru Red cross, either American Red Cross or Japanese
Red Cross.
Our donations can be send to AAPI- CF with the
memo: Japanese Relief Fund. Yes, we are ready, if they
need us.
It is wonderful to see the overwhelming response from
our membership during these critical times. May everyone
be happy and healthy, May no body suffers”
Sarve Bhavatu Sukhina, Sarve santu Niramaya
*Chair Committee on Mecical Missions &
Community Services, Boston MA.
Faculty of Emergency Medicine and Global Health
University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
Regional Director for AAPI Region 10

AAPI charitable activities
Project Pacer International, Inc.
Salil Midha, MD, FACC, *
Susan DeTurk and V.K. Saini, MD
Project Pacer
International
(PPI) is a non-profit organization with
the single purpose of bringing medical
technologies and services to less developed
countries around the world. Originally
founded by Dr. V.K. Saini, MD, a
retired cardiothoracic surgeon from the
South Shore & Carney Hospitals, and
Dr. Thomas Piemonte, from Lahey
Clinic, PPI is currently supported by a
large network of highly dedicated and
motivated individuals. In addition to the
tireless efforts of the PPI team, generous
donations from pacemaker companies
such as Medtronic, Guidant, and St. Jude
Medical make the program possible.
2011 marks the 21st visit to India
by Dr. Salil Midha, Chief of Cardiology at the Melrose
Wakefield Hospital, and Ms. Susan DeTurk of the
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Their PPI team,
made up of physicians, nurses, and technologists, has been
performing cardiac procedures such as pacemaker surgery
free of charge for patients who can’t afford the lifesaving
treatment. Most of the patients treated have a high degree
AV block and bradycardia and without the pacemakers
would have little hope of survival. Since Project Pacer
began in 1989, over 350 devices have been in implanted in
India alone.
This year, the team led by Dr. Midha, Dr. John
Omara, Jessica Jordan, RN and Ms. DeTurk implanted
24 new pacemaker devices. Most of these recent efforts in
India have taken place at the Sitaram Bhartiya Institute in
New Delhi and Jaswant Rai Specialty Hospital in Meerut,
Uttar Pradesh, India. Both the hospital administration
and local staff, most notably Dr. Rajeev Agarwala and Mr.
Tara Phulara, have been absolutely (continued on next page)
Top: Project Pacer Team in Meerut India. (Dr. Rajeev
Agarwala, Dr. Salil Midha, Ms. Susan DeTurk, Dr.
S. Kumar, Mike Ford from Medtronic and Dr. Suneet
Mittal)
Above: Dr. John Omara and Dr. Salil Midha performing
surgery
38 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

essential in making the program possible.
In addition, several other area hospitals
have participated including: Mool Chand
Hospital (New Delhi), All India Institute
of Medical Sciences (New Delhi),
Ganga Ram Hospital (New Delhi),
PGI (Chandigarh), Fortis Hospital
(Chandigarh), Sai Sathya Sai Institute of
Higher Medical Sciences (Puttaparthi,
AP), as well as hospitals in Kerala.
One of their most memorable patients
is Vandana Maini. When the team met her,
she was a 17 year old high school student
who had been repeatedly accused of faking
blackout spells by her peers and teachers. In
reality, she lacked proper medical care and
was suffering from a complete heart block
and frequent episodes of asystole. Thanks
to the PPI team, she had her first life-saving
pacemaker surgery 19 years ago and has had 2 successful
battery changes since then. Not only was Vandana able to
graduate from high school and college, she got married and
teaches children in a local school.
Since the PPI team began visiting India, many
others have joined the effort by volunteering their time and
resources to help support the program. New physicians have
been trained in India and pacemaker surgery has become
a routine procedure in the state of UP. Several
local cardiologists dedicate their time to help care
for patients when the team is on site. And, other
charities such as the Ladies Club in Meerut have
donated funds to purchase new devices from Indian
companies, allowing the team to help a larger
number of patients.
“Being able to help those who wouldn’t
survive without these devices and procedures has
been one of the most rewarding experiences of my
life” says Dr. Midha. “It is very moving to see how
many lives we can touch when we lend a hand”.
If you would like to get involved to help
those less fortunate, please contact Dr. Salil Midha
at 781-662-6404. For more information please visit:
melrosecardiology.com/projectpacer.aspx
* Salil Midha, MD, FACC is Chief of Cardiology at Melrose
Wakefield Hospital
Melrose, MA 02176 salilmidha@gmail.com
Clockwise: Dr. V. K. Saini, Dr. Salil Midha, Ms. Susan
DeTurk, Dr. S. Kumar, Ms. Bhavana Gandhi, Dr. Suneet
Mittal
Ms. Susan DeTurk, Dr. V. K. Saini, Dr. Salil Midha and
Dr. Suneet Mittal
Staff at SitaRam Bhartiya Hospital in Delhi with the PPI
team
www.aapiusa.org 39

AAPI charitable activities
In giving is receiving
Gopal Badlani, MD *
When I was leaving my home
in Bombay for the USA, my
father said, “this country gave
you education, now that you are
a doctor you are leaving without
giving anything in return?” I was young and naïve and in
my excitement of migrating to the USA, I chalked it up
to parental separation anxiety. Fast forward to 1994 - I
had by then achieved my professional goals in academic
urology. I had the incredible fortune of being introduced
to an individual who opened my eyes to “karma” as the
path to happiness.
Swamiji at Bairagarh (now known as Sant
Hirdaramnagri) near Bhopal, through his disciple in
NYC, asked for my help to obtain some urological
instruments for “Urology Camps”. Obtaining instruments
was an easy task for me through my friends in the industry
as I was doing a lot of trials, but my curiosity took me to
Bairagarh to take part in one of the camps. Imagine a small
village in India with not one building more than one floor.
I am introduced to an individual living in a Kutiya, in his
eighties. They tell me he is different, he does not preach, he
shuns meeting people. Then they show me a most modern
gymnasium in this village built with his inspiration, with
money earmarked to build the umpteenth temple. Swamiji
said “the youth in this village need a place to go to after
school, we don’t need another temple”. I was so impressed
with this out of the box thinking. He told me “The old, the
children & the infirm are the God’s favorites, if you serve
them well, he will be your guide through this world.”
During my first experience in the camp I cannot explain
the phenomenon, but I was mesmerized with the whole set
up after operating there in the most primitive set up of a
primary care center. The 19 year old with the fistula shunned
by her family, a young spinal cord injury patient with a giant
decubitus begging for a diversion, were challenging cases
without my fancy retractors and automated instruments, but
when I saw the same two individuals a year later, the smile
of gratitude on their faces was the best payment I have ever
received.
Once you decide to start on this path it is unbelievable
40 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal
Patients awaiting surgery in a camp organized by Jeev
Sewa Sansthan in Bairagarh MP
how many people join you and want to help. My fellow
urologists (Sakti Das, Raju Thomas, BhushanKhashu,
Mantu Gupta, ShibanWarikoo, Shashi Shah), my nurses in
the OR, the residents, the airline employees, the shipping
people, the drug reps, the instrument companies and on
and on. My wife Charu has been my backbone. I learned
to “ask for donations” from my friends and family. My
sweet and talented daughter Pooja with the help of my
son Chirag, put on many art auction parties. All of this
effort however pales in comparison to the efforts of the
volunteers of “JeevSewaSansthan (JSS)” & the “Mother
Theresa” of urology, Dr. Catherine DeVries from the
International Volunteers in Urology. These individuals do
this volunteering year round; I do this for 2 or 3 weeks a
year. The JSS volunteers are candy store owners, bank
clerks, shop keepers, yet on the weekends or during the
camps they become the most knowledgeable assistants in
the operating room or in patient care. Through my position
at the American Urological Association we have been able
to partner with Indian American Urology Association to
extend an educational bridge to the Urological Society of
India.
Current Status:
This is a capsule of what we have done
(continued on next page)

Medical missions:
Available throughout the world through International
Volunteers in Urology. IVUmed.org.
In India organized through Jeevsewasansthan.
Jeevsewa@gmail.com. http://jeevsewa.org.
In Africa through International Organization for
Women and Development. ba.margolies@verizon.net.
http://www.iowd.org/
Team leader accompanied by residents and fellows and
supported locally in India by a fellowship trained urologist
who screens patients for surgery. Locations are in rural
India (mostly north).
- 10 day mission, 125 to 150 cases done
- 1 pediatric urology camp per year at Christian
Medical College, Vellore
- Equipment and supplies are donated to local
hospitals
- 2 urology centers built and equipped (Ajmer,
Rajasthan and Bairagarh, Madhya Pradesh)
- Equipment donated to many free care hospitals
(e.g.: Mahua in Saurashtra, Nair Hospital
Mumbai)
- 4 to 6 missions per year since 1994
- Each year 12 to 15 residents receive a scholarship
of up to $3000 each from IVU
- Report of all urology missions in India on website
http://jeevsewa.org/
Education:
Through India American Urology Organization
(IAUA), American Urology Association (AUA) coordinated
with Urological Association (USI) in India.
- 2 post graduate courses done in India with US
faculty, including board review course
- 2 faculty and 4 residents supported to come for
AUA meeting annually in the USA
- 2 andrology fellowships recently funded in India
- 2 “chakraborty” fellowships in USA, for young
faculty from India (3 month observer ship)
- 2 junior faculty supported from USA to go to India
- Leadership of USI hosted at AUA annual meeting
- IRB approved multicenter RCT trials with
urology programs in Nadiad,SGPGI in Lucknow
- Many individual student rotations arranged to
various locations in India
- International Education through AUA to China,
Brazil and Japan
* Professor/Vice Chair, Department of Urology, Wake Forest Baptist
Hospital, Winston-Salem, NC.
Dr. Gopal Badlani is the Secretary – Elect of the
American Urological Association, Linthicum, MD
EXCELE
CAPITAC
AL MANAGEMENT CORP.
REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR
Pradeep Niphadkar, PhD
President
Together with
Custodia
n
Over 25 years of Investment Experience
In depth knowledge of Stocks, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Bonds, Options
Serving the
needs of high net worth clients
A Single Source for 6400 Mutual Funds
Reputation
through Excellence, Integrity and Sound
Advice
VISIT V US AT THE NYC
BOOTH
YC AAPI C
H # 401
CONVENTION
1-800-301-3388
www.ex
celcapitalmgt.com
www.aapiusa.org 41

AAPI in the news
AAPI Charitable Foundation presenting AED to
Indian Consulate.
AAPI President at Indian Doctors Association Gala
with Dr. Ashok Tripathy and Dr. Guru Reddy.
AAPI-CF responds to natural disaster in Alabama.
Dr. M. S. Arun with volunteers at a medical camp in
Alabama, on May 7, 2011.
AAPI President-elect Dr. Sunita Kanumury with AAPI
past leadership at TAPI meeting in PA.
42 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal
AAPI Vice President Dr. Narendra Kumar with former
President of India, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam at a
meeting in Chicago on April 24, 2011.

AAPI in the news
Dr. Samin K. Sharma honored with
prestigious NECO/Ellis Island award.
Dr. Nitin Doshi honored with
prestigious NECO/Ellis Island award.
Dr. Zac Zacharaiah appointed to
Board of Medicine, Florida
Dr. Pawan Rattan with ACOG President Dr. Richard
Waldman.
New Jersey State Assembly honors Dr. Sudhir Parikh.
AAPIQLI honored Nassau County Chief Executive,
honorable Edward Mangano on May 11, 2011
BIMDA Expo Committee & Spouses during Medical
Expo Gala on April 30, 2011.
www.aapiusa.org 43

AAPI & poetry
“My Battlefield”
Vijay Kulkarni, MD *
You got cancer!
No one likes to hear it. Yet
Some have to. Asking, ‘ why me’?
No; It just happened to be you.
When surgeons find cancer
They grab it, excise it, and repair it
All the collateral damage left
On this Battlefield-My Body.
Suddenly I know my body is invaded
By a killer disease, growing unseen,
Little known, asymptomatic, relentless
Killer for sure unless fought against.
And yet there is a Hope
In healing body, retreating cancer
Hope for a normal life, albeit with
Cancer lurking in the background.
Who are the warriors? –The Physicians
What do they fight with?
Chemo, radiation, chemo,
Surgery, chemo, chemo till end.
Will cancer come back?
That depends!
Not on what was done
But on what cancer decides to do next?
Where do they fight?
On the battlefield-My precious Body
They turn it upside down, inside out
Destroy good with bad tissue.
Who says, I fought the cancer?
I was only a suffering bystander.
*Dr Vijay Kulkarni is a past president of AAPI and has published his poems in AAPI Journal and many
other reputed magazines. Glendale, Wisconsin
44 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

MSR/F/YPS new members
Patron Members from July 1, 2010
Anjaneyulu Alapati, AL
Vidya Alapati, AL
Pradeep Bhambhvani, AL
Dinesh Chandra, AL
Murali Gadde, AL
Bala Gopurala, AL
Muralidhar Nannapaneni, AL
Anitha Padmanabhan, AL
Pradeep Patel, AL
Smitha Persaud, AL
Rakesh Shah, AL
Suparna Shivasahankara, AL
Parekha Yedla, AL
Neeraj Bharany, AR
Sanjay Dass, AR
Sreechandra Donepudi, AR
Rangaswamy Govindarajan, AR
Satyanarayan Hegde, AR
Archana Hinduja, AR
Kedar Jambhekar, AR
Supriya Jambhekar, AR
Manish Joshi, AR
Megha Karkera, AR
Vyas Keyur, AR
Nasim Khan, AR
Bhairavi Kharod-dholakia, AR
Govinda Lohani, AR
Bijay Nair, AR
Pramod Nelluri, AR
Naveen Patil, AR
Sowmya Patil, AR
Senthil Raghavan, AR
Roopa Ram, AR
Srinivasan Ramaswamy, AR
Raghu Reddy, AR
Rajesh Sachdeva, AR
Ritu Sachdeva, AR
Rohan Samant, AR
Roopa Samant, AR
Akkaraju Sarma, AR
Sudhir Shah, AR
BK Singh, AR
Saumendra Swain, AR
Sundararaman Swaminathan, AR
Sushma Thapa, AR
Amy Vora, AR
Rama Maganti, AZ
Kiran Mishra, AZ
Zabita Singh, AZ
Dan Inder Sraow, AZ
Umesh Tiwari, AZ
Sheetal Wadera, AZ
Suman Agarwal, CA
Alka Aneja, CA
Rajan Bahl, CA
Gaurav Banka, CA
Rahul Bhardwaj, CA
Sundeep Bhat, CA
Kavitha Bhatia, CA
Sundeep Bhatia, CA
Rakesh Bhola, CA
Barbara Brar, CA
Harbinder Brar, CA
Anjali Butani , CA
Neil Butani , CA
Indraneel Chakrabarty, CA
Patalappa Chandrashekar, CA
Sanjana Chaturvedi, CA
Sumantha Chaudhuri, CA
Raj Chopra, CA
Kulmeet Dang, CA
Snigdha Das, CA
Anil Daya, CA
Priti Desai, CA
Sunita Desai, CA
Karthikeya Devireddy, CA
Amarjit Dhaliwal, CA
Raja Dhalla, CA
Nitin Dhamija, CA
Vamshidhara Gade, CA
Adarsh Gandhi, CA
Gauri Garde, CA
Bimlesh Garg, CA
Rajiv Garg, CA
Jasbir Gill, CA
Ashwin Gowda, CA
Vivek Gupta, CA
Barkha Gurbani, CA
Rajasekar Jagadeesan, CA
Jyoti Jain, CA
Prateek Jindal, CA
Tim Joseph, CA
Amar Kadakia, CA
Hemal Kadakia, CA
Anitha Kankar, CA
Kalyani Karandikar, CA
Sheila Karr, CA
Gauri Kelekar, CA
Priyatam Kesari, CA
Vivek Kesari, CA
Sushma Kola, CA
Amita Kolavala, CA
Rahul Kolavala, CA
Gauree Konijeti, CA
Swapna Kudtarkar, CA
Prashanth Kumar, CA
Pramita Kuruvilla, CA
Hima Lingam, CA
Devanand Manoli, CA
Akshay Mehta, CA
Amal Mehta, CA
Pranav Mehta, CA
Ritvik Mehta, CA
Seema Mishra, CA
Vinu Mohan, CA
Vikrant Moharir, CA
Raj Nihalani, CA
Anuradha Pandya, CA
Kaustubh Patankar, CA
Amit Patel, CA
Sunil Patel, CA
Lori Prakash, CA
Sulochana Pramanik, CA
Krishna Anurag Pulumati, CA
Rajesh Rao, CA
Anisha Rastogi, CA
Anjay Rastogi, CA
Ashish Rastogi, CA
Noor Sachdev, CA
Vaishali Saste, CA
Sajeet Sawhney, CA
Swarnpal Sekhon, CA
Ankit Shah, CA
Rajendra Shah, CA
Mangala Shaker, CA
Vikram Shaker, CA
Walavan Sivakumar, CA
Niki Tank, CA
Mahesh Tiwari, CA
G. Sunny Uppal, CA
Nina Vadecha, CA
Venkat Vangala, CA
Anjali Dhurandhar, CO
Bookanakere Niranjan, CO
Neil Aggarwal, CT
Latha Chirunomula, CT
Amar Dalsania, CT
Monica Majmundar Seth, CT
Nishita Patel, CT
Neena Pursnani, CT
Anuj Shah, CT
Manasi Shah, CT
Sapna Tandon, CT
Jotika Mangipudy, DC
Monica Mukherjee, DC
Aditya Sharma, DC
Gautam Siram, DC
Chaitra Ujjani, DC
George Verghese, DC
Reema Malhotra, DE
Karuna Ahuja, FL
Sejal Alvarez, FL
Ashish Bhavsar, FL
Vandana Bhide, FL
Harvinder Chadda, FL
Rahul Chopra, FL
Ashish Dalal, FL
Neal Delvadia, FL
Ankit Desai, FL
Rupal Desai, FL
Shailesh Desai, FL
Vijay Desai, FL
Nalini Devabhaktuni, FL
Raghu Devabhaktuni, FL
Gautami Dholakia, FL
Samueal Edwards, FL
Faiz Fatteh, FL
Shahnaz Fatteh, FL
Mufaddal Ghadiali, FL
Ravikiran Ghanta, FL
Anil Gogineni, FL
Indulekha Gopal, FL
Maneesh Gossain, FL
Lav Goyal, FL
Sanjiva Goyal, FL
Sonia Goyal, FL
Anjali Gupta, FL
Bharat Gupta, FL
Chander Gupta, FL
Manish Gupta, FL
Meenu Gupta, FL
Vishal Gupta, FL
Vivek Gupta, FL
Irfan Imami, FL
Paul Jayachandra, FL
Shivanand Karkal, FL
Amita Kathuria, FL
Prem Kathuria, FL
Sanjay Khubchandani, FL
Murali Kirshna, FL
Priti Kothari, FL
Aalok Kuthiala, FL
Garima Lal, FL
Haravu Lokesh, FL
Swarnamba Lokesh, FL
Atul Madan, FL
Mayur Maniar, FL
Aruna Marfatia, FL
Ravi Mehan, FL
Ashwin Mehta, FL
Mayur Mehta, FL
Srini Mutyala, FL
Saumil Oza, FL
Samir Padalia, FL
Ketan Pandya, FL
Hiren Parikh, FL
Nigam Parikh, FL
Bhasker Patel, FL
Devang Patel, FL
Jitendra Patel, FL
Mona Patel, FL
Neel Patel, FL
Pragnesh Patel, FL
Prashant Patel, FL
Rajendra Patel, FL
Rajiv Patel, FL
Rakesh Patel, FL
Ravi Patel, FL
Sangiv Patel, FL
Varesh Patel, FL
Vanessa Peluso, FL
Srikiran Pothamsetty, FL
Jai Prakash, FL
Vinod Prasad, FL
Harsha Rajashekar, FL
Vidya Rajpara, FL
Keshav Ramireddy, FL
Ramana Rao, FL
Sundeep Rawal, FL
Bhavna Reddy, FL
Mahender Reddy, FL
Nischal Reddy, FL
Sanjay Reddy, FL
Harish Sadhwani, FL
Arhish Sahai, FL
Thomas Samuel, FL
Satinder Sandhu, FL
Mili Saoji, FL
Neelam Seth, FL
Darshan Shah, FL
Devang Shah, FL
Neerav Shah, FL
Nihal Shah, FL
Rajesh Shah, FL
Shivani Shah, FL
Vinay Sharma, FL
Nitesh Shekhadia, FL
Dipak Sheth, FL
Rajesh Shetty, FL
Kahlil Shillingford, FL
Shwetanshu Shukla, FL
Ajit Singh, FL
Vinay Srivastava, FL
Falguni Sura, FL
Sandeep Sura, FL
Sandeep Swain, FL
Mohammad Tahir, FL
Sanjay Tandon, FL
Pushpak Taunk, FL
Durgesh Thaker, FL
Lizzy Thomas, FL
Madhavi Uppalapati, FL
Srikar Veerareddy, FL
Ranju Wadhwa, FL
Santokh Walha, FL
www.aapiusa.org 45

Patron Members from July 1, 2010
Nalini Yelamanchi, FL
Dhruv Chawla, GA
Rashesh Dholakia, GA
Amita Ghia, GA
Monique Gupta, GA
Seema Jain, GA
Arati Joshi, GA
Meenakshi Kakarala, GA
Mukti Kanji, GA
Haritha Katamreddy, GA
Kanji Kiran, GA
Kush Kumar, GA
Vaibhav Maurya, GA
Shreedhar Nagnur, GA
Ajit Nemi, GA
Samip Parikh, GA
Ami Patel, GA
Devon Patel, GA
Manojkumar Patel, GA
Neel Patel, GA
Nivedita Patel, GA
Jatin Pithadia, GA
Roshan Prabhu, GA
Shreya Raja, GA
Raj Rajpara, GA
Manan Shah, GA
Rupali Shah, GA
Preeti Subhedar, GA
Sameer Tapryal, Hawaii
Chandramohan Batra, IA
Vikram Agrawal, IL
Mukesh Ahluwalia, IL
Francis Alenghat, IL
Navdip Arora, IL
Nitin Barman, IL
Vishal Bhalani, IL
Pradeep Bhanot, IL
Annapurna Bobba, IL
Monica Borkar, IL
Venkata Buddharaju, IL
Archana Desai, IL
Heyer Devarapalli, IL
Neetha Dhananjaya, IL
Anisha Dua, IL
Sunita Ferns, IL
Shailesh Gandhi, IL
Rishi Garg, IL
Dave Gupta, IL
Monica Jailwala, IL
Aarti Jani, IL
Prerna Khanna, IL
Aatish Madhiwala, IL
Ankur Mehta, IL
Rajul Mehta, IL
Sachin Mehta, IL
Praveen Mulangi, IL
Sindhu Pandit, IL
Ajay Patel, IL
Nipa Patel, IL
Sameer Patel, IL
Premlata Paul, IL
Anjana Pillai, IL
Pravin Pratap, IL
Pravin Pratap, IL
Satish Reddy, IL
Sreenivas Reddy, IL
Vicram Reddy, IL
Vijaya Reddy, IL
Nishi Sahgal, IL
Neha Saraiya, IL
Shefali Shah, IL
Paru Sharma, IL
Tushar Sharma, IL
Kiran Thakrar, IL
Murali Vinta, IL
Harish Yalamanchili, IL
Rachana Yalamanchili, IL
Sameer Bavishi, IN
Vipul Brahmbhatt, IN
Jugesh Cheema, IN
Rita Devnani, IN
Neil Gupta, IN
Shreyas Joshi, IN
Kiran Kareti, IN
Abhishek Khemka, IN
Anuradita Kollipara, IN
Sreenivasa Narran, IN
Sanjay Pathak, IN
Padma Ponugoti, IN
Narotham Pradeep, IN
Shalin Soni, IN
Jayesh Thakrar, IN
Dhaval Parikh, KS
Amar Patel, KS
Syed Raffi, KS
Pavan Reddy, KS
Subhash Shah, KS
Richa Sharma, KS
Avinash Singh, KS
Arpit Agrawal, KY
Arpit Agrawal, KY
Purvi Amin, KY
Akshay Desai, KY
Rishi Kumar, KY
Mamata Majmundar, KY
Amy Mangla, KY
Amul Shah, KY
Ramesh Ayyala, LA
Tulsi Bice, LA
Varun Choudry, LA
Jama Kaimal, LA
Nita Kohli, LA
Prashant Kumar, LA
Harminder Mallik, LA
Anish Patel, LA
Palvi Patel, LA
Satya Reddy, LA
Venu Vadlamudi, LA
Rita Bagla, MA
Manjula Battaluri, MA
Anurag Das, MA
Priya Desai, MA
Lipika Goyal, MA
Mahesh Jayaraman, MA
Aman Kalra, MA
Nandita Kapoor, MA
Bonu Kapoor-Mohimen, MA
Anand Kenia, MA
Bharti Khurana, MA
Ramanathan Madras-Seshadri, MA
Manorama Mathur, MA
Kavya Chitra Mekala, MA
Naveen Reddy, MA
Kapil Saxena, MA
Nirav Shah, MA
Ravi Shah, MA
Sachin Shah, MA
Sachita Shah, MA
Raja Shaikh, MA
Manju Sheth, MA
Richa Upadhyay, MA
Ritawaj Upadhyay, MA
Sitaram Upadhyay, MA
Anita Aggarwal, MD
Nisha Aggarwal, MD
Nivee Amin, MD
Dilip Anmangandla, MD
Rachna Arora, MD
Priti Bhansali, MD
Amit Bhargava, MD
Murari Bijpuria, MD
Madhu Chaudhry, MD
Chicky Dadlani, MD
Waseema Dalui, MD
Chinnadurai Devadason, MD
Sameer Dhalla, MD
Shruti Gandhi, MD
Jhansi Ganesan, MD
Rajender Gattu, MD
Sanjay Goel, MD
Angela Gupta, MD
Anuj Gupta, MD
Gaurav Gupta, MD
Sunil Gupta, MD
Suni Jani, MD
Merlynn Jayaraman, MD
Neha Kalaria, MD
Rita Kalyani, MD
Tahoora Kawaja, MD
Sapna Kudchadkar, MD
Pradeep Kulkarni, MD
Aruna Kumar, MD
Priya Kundra, MD
Varkey Mathew, MD
Shoba Mathews, MD
Manoj Mathur, MD
Mukesh Mathur, MD
Kiran Mehta, MD
Mangal Mohan, MD
Anwarali Munshi, MD
Varada Nargund, MD
Uday Patel, MD
Atul Purohit, MD
Sudhir Rao, MD
Nabila Shad, MD
Ami Shah, MD
Reena Shah, MD
Himani Shishodia, MD
Randip Taneja, MD
Rajshree Thaker, MD
Punit Vaidya, MD
Muzammil Ahmed, MI
Zaheda Ali, MI
Minal Bhanushali, MI
Debashish Bhattacharya, MI
Aditya Bulusu, MI
Usha Bulusu, MI
Priti Chandiwala-Mody, MI
Ami Degala, MI
Gourisankar Degala, MI
Bhogilal Doshi, MI
Anju Goyal, MI
Nikhil Goyal, MI
Vamshidhar Guduguntla, MI
Sanjaya Gupta, MI
Bhavnagri Jamshid, MI
Srinivas Janardan, MI
Annie Kalapparambath, MI
Tomy Kalapparambath, MI
Pratima Karia, MI
Vijay Karia, MI
Vineet Khanna, MI
Michelle Khurana, MI
Parikshit Kumar, MI
Deepthi Lingam, MI
Natesh Lingam, MI
Sushil Mankani, MI
Anup Manoharan, MI
Caroline Mathew, MI
Veeresh Medlery, MI
Manoj Mohan, MI
Rama Mulpuri, MI
Geetha Nair, MI
Sandra Narayanan, MI
Neethi Patel, MI
Rushi Patel, MI
Veera Pavuluri, MI
Kala Ramasamy, MI
Dilli Ramesh, MI
Shabeta Sahore, MI
Mala Sengupta, MI
Dina Shah, MI
Samir Shah, MI
Maanasi Silk, MI
Anil Swami, MI
Ashima Tahilramani, MI
Kiran Talanki, MI
Hima Vanapalli, MI
Gireesh Velugubanti, MI
Shalini Bobra, MN
Ravi Gada, MN
Syed Abbas, MO
Banke Agarwal, MO
Surekha Bidap, MO
Krishna Chunduri, MO
Swapan Dholakia, MO
Nilay Gandhi, MO
Santosh Gupta, MO
Sanjay Havaldar, MO
Ankaj Khosla, MO
Adam LaBore, MO
Rama Naidu, MO
Jyotirmaya Nanda, MO
Sonia Partap, MO
Shalini Paruthi, MO
Srinivas Reddy, MO
Rukmini Rednam, MO
Siresha Samudrala, MO
Anjum Shariff, MO
Madhuri Subbaiah, MO
Rajesh Swaminathan, MO
Rama Tallam, MO
Premal Thaker, MO
Sreekanth Cheruku, MS
Anjlee Mehta, MS
Tarun Agarwal, NC
Amrita Desai, NC
Sumina Goel, NC
Tina Gupta, NC
Mona Gupta-agarwal, NC
Akhil Hegde, NC
Caren Jhaveri, NC
Ravi Jhaveri, NC
Amit Kumar, NC
uma Nadiminti, NC
Farha Naqui, NC
Sandeep Pangarkar, NC
Pretesh Patel, NC
Aman Pathak, NC
Rickin Shah, NC
Geeta Subramaniam, NC
Rakesh Vaidya, NC
Sara Venkat, NC
Bobbili Williams, NC
Suwarna Bhide-Doeskar, ND
Dhananjay Doeskar, ND
Vinutha Netaji, ND
Tej Bhavsar, NE
Rakesh Agarwal, NJ
Neil Agrawal, NJ
46 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

Patron Members from July 1, 2010
Stuti Agrawal, NJ
Adarsh Arya, NJ
Tarun Bhandari, NJ
Karambir Dalal, NJ
Tejas Deliwala, NJ
Aaditya Desai, NJ
Amita Desai, NJ
Shailendra Desai, NJ
Aditi Dhakar, NJ
Satish Doddakashi, NJ
Shefali Gandhi, NJ
Shveta Gandhi, NJ
Shah Gaurav, NJ
Niraj Govil, NJ
Ranjana Govil, NJ
Pamela Grover, NJ
Adarsh Gupta, NJ
Kavita Gupta, NJ
Rakesh Gupta, NJ
Vidya Gupta, NJ
Vinit Gupta, NJ
Shankar Iyer, NJ
Sandarsh Kancherla, NJ
Mansi Kanuga, NJ
Sheela Kapoor, NJ
Meeta Kashyap, NJ
Mahesh Katta, NJ
Rachna Krish, NJ
Awani Kumar, NJ
Anita Mehrotra, NJ
Jai Mirchandani, NJ
Neelima Myneni, NJ
Lakshmi Nadiminti, NJ
Neil Nagaria, NJ
Sangita Nagpal, NJ
Amit Narula, NJ
Usha Natarajan, NJ
Amay Parikh, NJ
Pranay Parikh, NJ
Sandip Parikh, NJ
Vipul Parikh, NJ
Kiritkumar Parmar, NJ
Dakshesh Patel, NJ
Hitesh Patel, NJ
Kamal Patel, NJ
Manoj Patel, NJ
Parag Patel, NJ
Rajesh Patel, NJ
Anil Pawa, NJ
Sakshi Pawa, NJ
Michael Pereira, NJ
Anoop Porwal, NJ
Satish Potluri, NJ
Manoj Prasad, NJ
Niranjan Rao, NJ
Aj Rastogi, NJ
Sadhna Rastogi, NJ
Surender Rastogi, NJ
Manish Saini, NJ
Vijay Sankhla, NJ
Neel Shah, NJ
Neha Shah, NJ
Anil Sharma, NJ
Naresh Sharma, NJ
Manjula Singh, NJ
Vandana Singh, NJ
Rajan Sivaram, NJ
Ami Vaidya, NJ
Rupali Wadhwa, NJ
Sunishka Wimalawansa, NJ
Febin Jeyamony, NM
Bhaskar Sahay, NM
Chandra Narala, NV
Matt Treinen, NV
Nalini Velayudhan, NV
Amit Aggarwal, NY
Neena Aggarwal, NY
Aziz Ahmed, NY
Ameeta Ahuja, NY
Aafaque Akhtar, NY
Isaac Alamuri, NY
Sandeep Annam, NY
Mukul Arya, NY
Kunjlata Ashar, NY
Venkateswara Atluru, NY
Sunil Babu, NY
Saurabh Bahl, NY
Ritu Bajaj, NY
Dinshaw Bamji, NY
Om Bansal, NY
Usha Bansal, NY
Reema Batra, NY
Sunit Baxi, NY
Ravindra Bhachawat, NY
Dipti Bhoiwala, NY
Rohit Chandra, NY
Visalam Chandrasekaran, NY
Saqib Chaudhry, NY
Chaitanya Chevireddy, NY
Nina Chopra, NY
Sonia Chopra, NY
Sunanda Chugh, NY
Nidhi Dugar, NY
Swati Gandhi, NY
Devendra Gill, NY
Anuj Goenka, NY
Pratichi Goenka, NY
Bhaskar Gopalakrishnan, NY
Sameer Goyal, NY
Ekta Gupta, NY
Rahul Gupta, NY
Rakesh Gupta, NY
Saroj Gupta, NY
Sheila Gupta, NY
Swarn Gupta, NY
Yukti Gupta, NY
Mehandi Haran, NY
Smitha Inaganti, NY
Sony Jacob, NY
Akshat Jain, NY
Anushri Jain, NY
Manasvi Jaitly, NY
Parul Jajoo, NY
Kenar Jhaveri, NY
Tanmeet Josen, NY
Viral Juthani, NY
Ashutosh Kacker, NY
Jaydeep Kadam, NY
Ranjit Kadam, NY
Sejal Kadam, NY
Shivaji Kadam, NY
Hemant Kade, NY
Padmaja Kandula, NY
Kavita Kantak, NY
Nalini Kanth, NY
Monica Kapoor, NY
Sameer Khanijo, NY
Gopal Kishore, NY
Susheel Kodali, NY
Vineet Korrapati, NY
Binny Koshy, NY
Binny Koshy, NY
Meera Kothary, NY
Paresh Kothary, NY
Shefali Kothary, NY
Rakesh Koul, NY
Atul Kukar, NY
Nina Kukar, NY
Sujata Kulkarni, NY
Atul Kumar, NY
Ankur Lodha, NY
Anupama Lodha, NY
Sanjay Lodha, NY
Saurabh Lodha, NY
Justin Loona, NY
Reena Loona, NY
Jay Malde, NY
Sumita Mazumdar, NY
Dhiren Mehta, NY
Neeta Mehta, NY
Nilesh Mehta, NY
Preeti Mehta, NY
Yashodhara Misra, NY
Rajesh Mittal, NY
Neeraj Modi, NY
Suvarna Mohan, NY
Arun Mohile, NY
Unni Mooppan, NY
Manjunath
Muddaraju, NY
Adarsh Mudgil, NY
Ruhayna Mukhir, NY
Hari Nadiminti, NY
Swathi Nadindla, NY
Sandeep Naidu, NY
Veena Nanda, NY
Sowmya Nanjappa, NY
Zeenat Naqvi, NY
Rahul Nayyar, NY
Samir Nayyar, NY
Farida Nentin, NY
Sadik Panwar, NY
Amrish Parikh, NY
Neeti Parikh, NY
Neha Parikh, NY
Sanjay Parikh, NY
Amit Patel, NY
Asha Patel, NY
Chandrakant Patel, NY
Dharti Patel, NY
Kavin Patel, NY
Kunjan Patel, NY
Mihir Patel, NY
Narendra Patel, NY
Natavarbhai Patel, NY
Sonal Patel, NY
Dileep Puppala, NY
Pamela Puthoor, NY
Holalkere Rajagopal, NY
Sanjai Rao, NY
Rita Ratani, NY
Manish Raval, NY
Chendra Reddy, NY
Chitra Reddy, NY
Ravichandra Reddy, NY
Swetha Reddy, NY
Anita Rohra, NY
Dhanbir Saluja, NY
Aparna Sarin, NY
Akash Shah, NY
Alpesh Shah, NY
Anjali Shah, NY
Ankur Shah, NY
Dhiru Shah, NY
Neena Shah, NY
Nirav Shah, NY
Vaishali Shah, NY
Hita Sharma, NY
Kavita Sharma, NY
Mohan Sharma, NY
Amit Shembekar, NY
Kalpesh Shukla, NY
Meenal Shukla, NY
Viju Sidhwani, NY
Shobha Sikka, NY
Sayantani Sindher, NY
Kailash Singhvi, NY
Vikas Singla, NY
Bhavani Srinivasan, NY
Sathish Subbaiah, NY
Dilip Subhedar, NY
Padma Sundaram, NY
Raj Tandon, NY
Mala Tanna, NY
Neil Tanna, NY
Mohina Tejpaul, NY
Samuel Thampi, NY
Deepak Vadhan, NY
Sudeepta Varma, NY
Srinivasan Vasisht, NY
Anitha Vempaty, NY
Kikkeri Vinaya, NY
Devika Vittal, NY
Silaja Yitta, NY
Manish Zinzuvadia, NY
Puja Aggarwal, OH
Ashish Basu, OH
Medha Godbole, OH
Malini Juval, OH
Joseph Karimpil, OH
Nisha Lakhi, OH
Vivek Manocha, OH
Mitul Mehta, OH
Shilpa Mehta, OH
George Nadakav, OH
Shefali Nadler, OH
Rahul Nath, OH
Mohammed Najeeb
Osman, OH
Shital Parikh, OH
Binesh Patel, OH
Parit Patel, OH
Meenakshi Rana, OH
rekha raveendran, OH
Bindu Sangani, OH
Kamlesh Sanghvi, OH
Sydney Saxena, OH
Meera Shah, OH
Niyati Sheth, OH
Sanjay Sheth, OH
Anisha Singh, OH
Manoj Singh, OH
Manish Srivastava, OH
Mothkur Venkat, OH
Satish Arora, OK
Arun Devakonda, OK
Madhu Koduri, OK
Gaurav Kumar, OK
Seethal Madhavarapu, OK
Amit Mehta, OK
Aneesh Mehta, OK
Nimish Parekh, OK
Chintan Parikh, OK
Shaurin Patel, OK
Archana Rao, OK
Uma Rao, OK
Prithi Reddy, OK
Anant Singhal, OK
Karunesh Singhal, OK
Sanjeev Trehan, OK
www.aapiusa.org 47

Patron Members from July 1, 2010
Satyanisth Agrawal, PA
Nina Ahuja, PA
Meera Bajwa, PA
Priyanka Chadha, PA
Srikiran Chennupati, PA
Michael Cherian, PA
Shiraz Damji, PA
Nupur Dashottar, PA
Shashi Divaker, PA
Sanjeev Garg, PA
Suresh Ghosh, PA
Narainder Gupta, PA
Priya Jagga, PA
Summit Kundaria, PA
Rakesh Malhotra, PA
Ritu Mckeown-bagla, PA
Ritu Mckeown-bagla, PA
Rajesh Mehta, PA
Lalita Mittal, PA
Aparna Mukherjee-Mele, PA
Pradeep Nair, PA
Deepak Pahuja, PA
Ankur Parikh, PA
Anuj Parikh, PA
Neha Patel, PA
Lisa Pathak, PA
Vijay Peddareddigari, PA
Kiran Perkins, PA
Jithendra Rai, PA
Leela Raju, PA
Ami Shah, PA
Prashant Shah, PA
Rachana Shah, PA
Ravi Shah, PA
Samir Shah, PA
Jashwant Sharma, PA
Saloni Sharma, PA
Sushant Sharma, PA
Nigam Sheth, PA
Jaspal Singh, PA
Ira Vohra, PA
Anjali Mehta, RI
Kavita Mishra, RI
Bijal Desai, SC
Animesh Sinha, SC
Anil Yallapragada, SC
Sanjay Agarwal, TN
Mayuri Appareddy, TN
Priya Bazzani, TN
Saji Gopinathan, TN
Sheetu Jain, TN
Abhay Kemkar, TN
Nirupama Madduri, TN
Monika Natarajan, TN
Shankar Natarajan, TN
Shankar Natarajan, TN
Hardev Patel, TN
Pushpanshu Pushpanshu, TN
Chetan Shah, TN
Ajay Talati, TN
Samuel Vincent, TN
Sanjay Agarwal, TX
Suneal Agarwal, TX
Murali Alloju, TX
Hari Babu Ancha, TX
Aparna Annam, TX
Parikshet Babber, TX
Devendra Bachawat, TX
Neeraj Badhey, TX
Anju Bhagavan, TX
Vijay Bhagia, TX
Neerja Bhardwaj, TX
Sravana chennupati, TX
Tushar Desai, TX
Sahitya Gadiraju, TX
Silpa Gadiraju, TX
Meera Gangadharan, TX
Sudhir Gogu, TX
Abhijeet Goyal, TX
Saketh Guntupalli, TX
Sonika Gupta, TX
Aparna Kamat, TX
Geeta Kandala, TX
Praveen Korivi, TX
Amit Kothari, TX
Kiran Kurichety, TX
Sandra Kurup, TX
Samir Lapsiwala, TX
Anand Lodha, TX
Vasavi Malineni, TX
Preeti Malladi, TX
Sachin Mehta, TX
Vijay Mohan, TX
Rashmi Murthy, TX
Subhash Mutyala, TX
Sreekumaran Nair, TX
Devraj Nayak, TX
Vijayanadh Ojili, TX
Tina Pariani, TX
Chandrakant Patel, TX
Julie Patel, TX
Pulin Patel, TX
Vinisha Patel, TX
Tania Purkayastha, TX
Brinda Rao, TX
Jayashree Rao, TX
Rumya Rao, TX
Vikas Rao, TX
Anil Reddy, TX
Indrani Reddy, TX
Mamta Reddy, TX
Swathi Reddy, TX
Uday Reddy, TX
Kamalesh Sankhala, TX
Aashish Shah, TX
Neela Shah, TX
Shalin Shah, TX
Sunil Sudarshan, TX
Smita Suterwala, TX
Subrata Talukdar, TX
Mahesh Thummala, TX
Anil Tiberwal, TX
Deepti Tolia , TX
Veeral Tolia , TX
Aditya Kaza, UT
Sanjeev Aggarwal, VA
Faisal Ahmed, VA
Sandeep Bagla, VA
Shobha Chidambaram, VA
Sireesha Chimata, VA
Vidya Colospate, VA
Premakumari Duraisami, VA
Ruchi Garg, VA
Prag Gupta, VA
Ami Idiculla, VA
Stanley Idiculla, VA
Manisha Jariwala, VA
Shwetha Kyatham, VA
Mignonette Lobo, VA
Ankmalika Louis, VA
Rushita Mehta, VA
Vivek Nag, VA
Geeta Nayyar, VA
Sobha Paluvoi, VA
Mrinali Patel, VA
Mukesh Patel, VA
Tejas Patel, VA
Seema Qaiyumi, VA
Rajesh Rajpal, VA
Sujatha Ramamurthy, VA
Nikhil Rao, VA
Amy Reddy, VA
Manoj Reddy, VA
Sameer Rohatgi, VA
Pooja Sabharwal, VA
Amit Shah, VA
Renu Shah, VA
Taral Sharma, VA
Pooja Singhal, VA
Sabrena Tangri, VA
Anjali Varandani, VA
Vikrant Virupannavar, VA
Sonali Vora, VA
Padmaja Yalamanchili, VA
Shashi Kumar, WA
Shilpen Patel, WA
Ganesh Elangovan, WI
Sweeta Gandhi, WI
Parameswaran Hari, WI
Kailas Laxman, WI
Asha Mehta, WI
Shibani Munshi, WI
Annmarie Sundareson, WI
Prasad Devabhaktuni, WV
Manu Kaushik, WV
Venkata Moningi, WV
Narendra Patel, WV
Kumaraswamy Sivakumaran, WV
Vipul Thakkar, WV
Regular Members
Dual Membership & others
Dibyajiban Mahapatra, AL
Ravindra Mailapur, AL
Vinod Bansal, AL
Dheerendranath Raikhelkar, AZ
Meenakshi Goyal-khemka, AZ
Param Dedhia, AZ
Anitha Mullangi, CA
Gunvantray Mehta, CA
Mohammed Mollah, CA
Nayana Patel, CA
Pravin Kansagra, CA
Rakesh Dixit, CA
Smita Tandon, CA
Sunny Shah, CA
Uday Shah, CA
Vikram Kamdar, CA
Jessie Singh, FL
Subash Rege, FL
Vishnu Prasad Yelamanchi, FL
Manel Nayak, GA
Shyam Shah, GA
Sima Pandey, GA
Gopal Madhav, IL
Joshua Mammen, KS
Rajesh Kotecha, MI
Rakesh Alva, NC
Ajai Goyal, NJ
Anil Sharma, NJ
Chakrapani Prakash, NJ
Dharam Pal Mann, NJ
Kausalya Chennapragada, NJ
Krishna Bhaskarabhatla, NJ
Manoj Trivedi, NJ
Rajesh Mohan, NJ
Sandhya Patil, NJ
Vineeta Pathak, NJ
Akhaya Das, NY
Anil Kapoor, NY
Anil Maheshwari, NY
Chitranjan Ranawat, NY
Dayanand Huded, NY
Kishor Zinzuvadia, NY
Meenakshi Jhaveri, NY
Rohit Bhojo Shahani, NY
Samir Desai, NY
Samuel Mark, NY
Sukhvinder Ranu, NY
Sunil Dutt Aggarwal, NY
Dharmesh Gandhi, OH
Mukesh Rangwani, OH
Ravindra Pawar, OH
Shwetal Desai, OH
Suresh Yadav, OH
Atul Kalanuria, PA
Ashok Tripathy, TX
Kalidindi Vishnu, TX
Madhavi Muppidi, TX
Sunil Sahai, TX
Rajendra Rathour, WI
Rajiv Varma, WI
Yoganand Gundamraj, WI
Prasuna Jami, WV
48 Spring 2011 • AAPI Journal

If you need help finding a sponsor, please contact AAPI Office at (630) 990-2277
American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin
Executive Office: 600 Enterprise Drive Suite 108, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Telephone: (630) 990-2277, Fax: (630) 990-2281, www.aapiusa.org
AAPI Tax ID: 38-2532505
NOMINATION FORM FOR PATRON MEMBERSHIP
The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin extends a one time opportunity to its Patron/
Life members to nominate only one family member/friend as a new Patron Member at a one time fee of
$100. The offer expires on June 30, 2012. Please fill in the application and fax/mail it to AAPI Office.
This offer is extended only to the Patron/Life members as of October 30, 2009 who did not utilize this
opportunity earlier.
NOMINATED MEMBER PERSONAL Information
Last Name: First Name: Middle Initial:
Degree:
Other degrees:
(DO, BDS, MBA, PhD etc):
Male ____ Female ____ Private Practice ___ Academics ___ Industry ___ Other(specify) __________
Primary Specialty:
Secondary Specialty:
Current address:
City: State: ZIP Code:
Phone: Fax: Email:
Medical/Dental School:
Year of Graduation: Residency Completion Year: Fellowship Completion Year:
nOMINATED BY
Last Name: First Name: Middle Initial:
AAPI Membership Number:
Current address:
City: State: ZIP Code:
Phone: Fax: Email:
Medical/Dental School:
Private Practice ___ Academics ___ Retired ____ Other(specify) __________
Payment information
Visa _____ American Express _____ Master Card ____ Check_____ Charge Amount: $100.00
Credit Card Number: Exp Date: Security Code:
Name of Cardholder:
Credit Card billing address:
City: State: ZIP Code:
Signature
I agree to pay the total amount according to card issuer agreement. All credit card transactions are processed in
U.S. dollars and are subject to the current exchange rates. Membership dues may be tax deductible as an ordinary
business expense. Consult your tax advisor. AAPI Tax ID # 38-2532505.
Signature of Applicant:
Date:

AAPI Executive Office
600 Enterprise Drive, Suite 108
Oakbrook, IL 60523
prsrtd std
u.s. postage
paid
tampa, fl
permit no. 4309
American Association of
Physicians of Indian Origin
More Convention
Information Inside
Back Cover
Ajeet R. Singhvi, MD, President • Shashi Shah, MD, Host City President • Ajay K. Lodha, MD, Convention Chairman
www.aapiconvention.com • convention@aapiusa.org