Great Equalization: Is MBBS From India Equal To M.D. In U.S.A?

• Reflections on the Second Indo-US Summit 

• Partners with AAPI to Host a Successful 

Medical Conference 

• Prevention of Deafness: A Vision for India 

• Crisis! 

• Obesity, Acanthosis Nigrican and Type 2 

Diabetes in High School Youth 

Membership Update 

Form Inside! 

on page 32 of this issue

AAPI Journal • March 2009 

AAPI (American Association 

of Physicians of Indian Origin) 

Sanku Rao, M.D., President 

600 Enterprise Drive, Suite 108 

Oakbrook, IL 60523 

Phone: 630-990-2277 

Fax: 630-990-2281 

www.aapiusa.org 

AAPI Journal Editor 

Sivaprasad Madduri, M.D. 

2817 Charlton Lane 

Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 

O: 573-778-7158 

H: 573-686-3632 

F: 573-686-1298 

madduri@semo.net 

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 the 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. 

Copyright ' 2009 AAPI. 

All rights reserved. 

Designed & Printed by: 

GR Marketing & Graphic Design 

Tampa, Florida 

(813) 886-4500 

www.grgraphics.net 

CONTENT 

Executives 

• Presidential Message by Sanku Rao, M.D. ........................4 

• Editor’s Desk by Sivaprasad Madduri, M.D. ..........8 

• President-Elect’s Report by Vinod Shah, M.D. ....................10 

• Vice President’s Report by Ajeet R. Singhvi, M.D ..............11 

• Secretary’s Report by Prasad Srinivasan, M.D. ............13 

• Treasurer’s Report by Narendra R.Kumar, M.D. ..........14 

Feature 

• Reflections on the Second 

Indo-US Summit by Prasad Srinivasan, M.D. ............15 

• Partners with AAPI to Host a 

Successful Medical Conference 

In Goa, India 

by Nasir Khan, M.D.......................19 

• Prevention of Deafness: 

A Vision for India by Raj Desai, M.D. ......................21 

• Pharmaceutical Advertisement: 

Makes for Better Healthcare 

For All? 

by Sidharth Bagga, M.D. 

Shagun Bagga-Malhotra, M.D. 

Pankaj Malhotra, M.D...............22 

• Great Equalization... 

Is MBBS From India Equal To 

M.D. In U.S.A? by Akshay Desai, M.D. ................23 

• Crisis! by M. P. Ravindra Nathan, M.D. ....24 

Special Articles 

• Obesity, Acanthosis Nigrican 

and Type 2 Diabetes in High 

School Youth 

• Probiotic Theraphy 

by Naznin M. Dixit, M.D. 

Mehul P. Dixit, M.D. ................26 

by M. S. Reddy, M.D. 

D. R. K. Reddy, M.D. ................27 

• The Behaviorally 

Disruptive Physician by Gopal Lalmalani, M.D. ............29 

• Suffocation by Riddhi Shah, M.D. ....................30 

• Distinguished AAPI Members 

AMA Awards ......................................................31 

• AAPI Membership Update ......................................................32 

• AAPI Membership Registration ......................................................33 

• AAPI Membership Status Report ......................................................35 

• AAPI Upcoming Events ......................................................42 

Depatments 

• Members in the News: 

Raj Gupta, M.D., AppaRao Mukkamala, M.D., 

Shastri Swaminathan, M.D., Prasad Srinivasan, M.D., 

Roshni Kulkarni, M.D., ......................................................37 

• Poem (Autumnal Burst) by Monita Soni, M.D. ......................7 

• Poem (When I Took Off My 

White Coat) by Sharmeela Saha, M.D. ..............39 

• Poem (Superwoman) by Vimol Goyle, M.D. ....................42 

About the Cover 

The second Indo-US summit, held from January 2nd to 

4th, 2009 in New Delhi in collaboration with the 

Government of India and IMA. 


3


President’s Message 

by Sanku Rao, M.D. 

Dear members, it’s my privilege to 

present the President’s report. 

AAPI Convention 2008: 

I am very happy to inform you that 

the Las Vegas Convention held in 

June 2008 was a success. I thank you 

all for the active participation in 

making this event a profitable one. 

Teleconferences: 

The monthly Executive Committee 

teleconferences are being held with 

an active participation from the 

Officers with useful discussions and 

exchange of ideas. 

In the past seven months, I visited: 

• Orlando, FL: Met with Chair and 

Co-chairs of 2009 Convention 

committee. 

• Tampa, FL: Keynote speaker at a 

conference held by Federation of 

Greater Tampa 

• New York: Attended the annual 

meeting of Federation of AAPI of 

Greater NY and NJ and Long 

Island and Queens Chapter on 

October 18, 2008 

• Cleveland, OH: Attended the 

25th Silver Jubilee meeting of 

APINO as a keynote speaker on 

November 1, 2008 

• Grenada: Attended St. George 

University, Grenada conference 

on November 13, 2008 and met 

with Dr. Charles Modeca, 

Chancellor of SGU. The 

university has setup scholarships 

amounting to $500,000 which 

will be issued to students of 

Indian Origin every year and 

AAPI will select the awardees. 

• Anaheim, CA: Attended the 

annual meeting held jointly by 

Indian Medical Association of 

Greater Los Angeles and Indian 

Medical Association of Southern 

California on November 22, 

2008. 

• Wichita, KS: Attended the annual 

meeting held by AAPI Wichita 

Kansas Chapter on December 

12, 2008. 

Membership and Membership 

Benefits Committee are working very 

hard to put together a 

comprehensive membership 

package. 

AAPI Charitable Foundation: 

At the Fall Governing Body 

meeting held at Oklahoma City, the 

AAPI Charitable Foundation 

fundraiser dinner event was held in 

association with the AAPI-Oklahoma 

Chapter on Friday, October 24th, 

2008 and raised $37,000 which will 

help AAPI Charitable Foundation to 

continue and expand its charitable 

activities in India and here in US. 

Second Indo-US Healthcare Summit: 

The second Indo-US summit, held 

from January 2nd to 4th, 2009 in 

New Delhi in collaboration with the 

Government of India and IMA was a 

huge success attended by more than 

175 delegates both from USA & 

India. After the press conference and 

Strategic Planning Committee 

meeting on the 2nd followed by 

Johnson & Johnson sponsored dinner 

with key MDs and CEOs from India, 

Honorable Minister for Overseas 

Indian Affairs Mr. Vayalar Ravi 

inaugurated the summit on 3rd 

morning. In his inaugural speech, 

Mr. Ravi said that AAPI is in a 

position to play a leading role in the 

healthcare arena given its vast 

expertise and skill set and informed 

that the 

Government 

of India 

would soon initiate talks 

Sanku Rao, M.D. 

AAPI President 

with the Medical Council of India 

and the Indian Medical Association 

to enable physicians living abroad to 

practice in India. Dr. Ramesh Mehta, 

President of British Association of 

Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) 

informed that the BAPIO will partner 

with AAPI from next year in the rural 

healthcare projects in India. 

The meeting aimed at bringing 

together caring and dedicated 

physicians from both the countries to 

focus on six disease categories – 

Asthma and Allergy, Cardiology, 

Diabetes, Infectious Disease, 

Maternal and Infant Health and 

Mental Health. Several break-out 

sessions were done where the US 

Delegates worked with their Indian 

counterparts on six disease states 

and strategic planning. The summit 

concluded with the summaries of 

recommendations from each of the 

disease states. Follow up with the 

chairs and co-chairs are being 

planned so that our goals are 

achieved and their recommendations 

can be presented at the upcoming 

annual convention. 

The Strategic planning committee 

will draw their action plan for the 

next five years and give 

recommendations on which AAPI 

will act. 

AAPI delegation met the Chief 

Minister of New Delhi, Honorable 

Mrs. Sheila Dixit and informed about 

our activities and goals. The Chief 

Minister was very gracious to offer 

office-space in New Delhi for AAPI. 

Continued on page 5 

4 www.aapiusa.org



Continued from page 4 

On January 5th, I met with Chief 

Minister of Andhra Pradesh Dr. Y.S. 

Rajasekhara Reddy and updated him 

regarding the Health Summit and 

need to implement the rural health 

care initiative. At the press 

conference on the afternoon of the 

5th, AAPI along with Andhra 

Pradesh Medical Graduates (APMG) 

outlined our vision in implementing 

the rural healthcare in Andhra 

Pradesh. 

I also met with Chief Minister of 

Gujarat, Mr. Narendra Modi. Mr. 

Modi requested a proposal on a 

rural healthcare project in the state 

of Gujarat. 

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: 

The Ministry of Overseas Indian 

Affairs (MOIA) in partnership with 

the State Government of Tamil Nadu 

and the Confederation of Indian 

Industry, (CII) organized the Pravasi 

Bharatiya Divas at Chennai Trade 

Center, Chennai, India from January 

7-9, 2008. AAPI delegation was 

invited for the event. I was one of 

the panelists for the session ‘Health 

for All: Role of Diaspora’. 

Global Association of Physicians of 

Indian Origin (GAPIO): 

The world’s first comprehensive 

healthcare organization to be named 

as Global Association of Physicians 

of Indian Origin (GAPIO) was 

launched by the Government of 

India at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 

in Chennai, India. This global 

consortium of healthcare 

professionals consists of international 

medical fraternaties such as 

American Association of Physicians 

of Indian Origin (AAPI), Canadian 


Heritage (CAPIH) and British 


Origin (BAPIO). The Consortium lays 

emphasis on improving health 

provision and addressing health 

inequalities in India. The consortium 

will promote the contribution of 

approximately 1.2 million physicians 

and dentists of Indian origin to 

global health and to harness their 

skills and expertise to address 

healthcare issues in India. 

GAPIO is fully backed by 

Government of India and founding 

members would be given 

membership free of charge for first 

two years and benefits include 

newsletters, access to educational 

programs, networking and right of 

access to fraternal associations and 

academic journal. 

Elected Chair: Dr. Pratap Reddy 

Elected vice chairs: Dr Sanku 

Rao (AAPI) and Dr. Ramesh 

Mathur (BAPIO) 

Honorary Healthcare Advisers: 

Anwar Feroz & Haresh Kaneriya, 

Johnson & Johnson, NJ 

AAPI Academic Affairs: 

• Develop a Directory of 

Academic Notables 

• Assist CME Committee in 

development of agenda with 

topics and speakers. 

AAPI CME: 

This year’s first CME Program was 

held on a Greek Island’s cruise Sept. 

21 to 28th, 2008 and was 

successful. The CME was well done 

and everyone enjoyed the visit to 

the Greek Islands. 

The second CME program was 

held in Goa from December 28 – 

January 1st. The CME was very well 

done with interested sessions on 

‘Hypertension and Cardio Metabolic 

Syndrome’, ‘Impaired Medical 

Students & Physicians’, ‘Neglected 

Bladder’ etc. The participants 

enjoyed the visit to Goa. 

The third CME will be on March 

7th in Roswell, GA in association 

with Georgia Association of 

Physicians of Indian Heritage. Dr. 

P.K. Natrajan, CME Chair and Dr. 

Naresh Parikh, Regional Director, 

Southern Region are working closely 

to finalize the program. 

Externship Program: 

This Clinical Observership 

program is organized based on the 

model of the IMG Observership, 

which currently has been in 

existence in Oklahoma since 1999. 

The primary purpose of this 

Observership is to assist IMGs in 

gaining admission into US residency 

training programs. 

Currently, externship programs are 

in Oklahoma City, San Antonio and 

Boston. However, there are 

approximately 4,000 IMGs awaiting 

placement at this time. For this 

reason, AAPI is planning to start 

three new externship programs in 

Dallas, New York, and Michigan by 

April 2009, which will help improve 

the chances of more IMGs to gain 

acceptance into US residencies. 

Women’s Forum: 

This year’s Women Health Forum 

has been planned on March 14th, 

2009 in New Jersey. The Committee 

is working very hard to make this 

event successful. 

Spring Governing Body: 

The Spring Governing Body 

Meeting, in association with Indian 

Medical Association of New England 

is scheduled to be held from April 

10 – 12, 2009 at Boston, MA. 



5




Legislative Day: 

Legislative committee did an 

excellent job lobbying the congress 

and helped in halting the Medicare 

cuts. This year the Legislative 

Conference will be held on April 

28th, 2009 at Washington D.C. 

Dinner/Reception is scheduled on 

April 27th. 

Annual Convention: 

The 27th Annual AAPI Convention 

will be held at the Walt Disney 

World Dolphin Hotel and 

Convention Center from Wednesday 

through Sunday, June 10-14, 2009. 

The Convention Committee is 

working very diligently. Exhibition 

booth registration is online. 

Member registration will go live in 

first week of March. 

IT Committee: 

When I took over as President, 

AAPI website was optimally 

functional, very poorly designed and 

was not serving the membership or 

the organization in a desirable 

manner, and it needed to be 

revamped. Redesigning the entire 

website and starting from scratch is 

one of the high priority tasks for me. 

I had several teleconferences with 

our IT Chair Dr. Anil Gupta and 

discussed the needs and advantages 

to build a new site rather than 

spending time to fix the current one 

which, according to the IT engineers, 

may never provide functionalities we 

desire and expect for the AAPI 

website because of the poor design 

inherent in the current website. 

We purchased a 80 Gigabyte 

Dedicated Server for AAPI. Phase I 

& II of the project is completed and 

the new website is projected to be 

unveiled in 1st week of April 2009. 

All the subchapters are invited to 

use our server for free. In the new 

website, we are planning to put easy 

links to subchapters of AAPI. 

With the development of new 

website, an important thing I am 

very interested in is to explore the 

possibilities of developing industry 

partnerships for mutual benefits such 

as working with Electronic Medical 

Record (EMR) companies. 

AAPI Journal: 

AAPI Publications Committee did 

a fabulous job in bringing the AAPI 

Journal on time. The Journal was 

sent out to 14,000 members in 

December 2008. To make the 

Journal self-sufficient, Journal 

Resource Committee did a 

tremendous job in raising funds 

through advertisements. 

Finances: 

Financially, AAPI is stable and 

strong. Weekly teleconferences with 

our Treasurer Dr. Narendra Kumar 

are being scheduled and the 

finances are being monitored very 

closely. We are following all the 

guidelines and paying bills very 

promptly. Checks above $2,000 are 

being signed by the Treasurer and 

me. We filed all the relevant tax 

returns as of June 2008. 

AAPI Office: 

Rama, Sam & Vijaya have been 

managing the AAPI Office very well. 

Search for an Executive Director is on. 

I invite you all to attend the 

Women’s Forum on March 14th, 

2009 at New Jersey, Spring 

Governing Body Meeting April 10 – 

12, 2009 at Boston, MA and the 

annual convention at Orlando, FL 

from June 10-14, 2009. 

Poem: Autumnal Burst 

by Monita Soni, M.D. 

A crisp fall morning 

Follows the glorious 

Historic Tuesday night 

The night of prayers 

Answered ....the night 

Of happy tears... 

The night of jubilation 

The eve of hope.... 

My lips smile, my eyes sparkle 

The whole world sings 

The clear blue sky 

After a terrible terrible storm 

Holds up a promised wreath 

Of Leaping yellows, flaming oranges 

Chocolate browns 

Melting into fierce reds 

A gusty gale lifts my spirits 

Echoes the chorus of the 

Swirling leaves 

Yes we can! Yes we can! 

This Tumultous Tuesday 

Will resonate forever 

Linking the "chosen" one 

To those who believe in......Yes we can! 


7


From The Editor’s Desk 

by Sivaprasad Madduri, M.D. 

It Is Time To Start Work Mr. President! 

(An open letter to President Obama) 


Editor-in-Chief 

Dear Mr. President, 

Congratulations. With your win as 

the President of the United States, you 

accomplished a victory that was 

beyond the scope of imagination. The 

events that followed also are euphoric: 

the spectacular inauguration 

ceremony; the adoration you created 

amongst the younger generation of 

this country; and the eloquence with 

which you conduct press conferences 

has kept the nation in awe. 

Health care is an issue that deserves 

your prompt attention. I have been a 

practicing physician in the same rural 

town in Southeast Missouri for 30 

years. I have seen and experienced 

ups and downs of health care. Now, 

unfortunately, like the economy, it is 

on a downward slump and is at its 

cross roads; one wrong turn can ruin 

it further. 

There are three fundamental 

problems plaguing our health care 

system today: lack of access, 

skyrocketing costs, and disparity of 

quality of care. America is facing a 

health care crisis. As of 2006, 47 

million Americans have no health 

insurance, 16 million are under 

insured, and the number keeps 

growing. It is not the poor and the 

indigent that are affected, as they 

qualify for government funded health 

insurance, Medicaid. Tragically, it is 

the young and the working 

populations who do not have 

insurance through their employment 

and cannot afford to buy their own 

insurance. They fall through the cracks 

and are left in the cold. Nearly 8.7 

million Americans without health 

insurance are children and eight of 10 

8 www.aapiusa.org 

uninsured live in working homes. 

Health care is a major issue in every 

job contract negotiation, and an 

estimated five million families, since 

2000, have filed for bankruptcy in the 

aftermath of serious medical 

problems. Health care dictates the 

every core of our social fabric: when 

to get married, when to have children, 

when to get a divorce, when to quit or 

not to quit a job, when to retire, when 

not to own a house – to name a few. 

Ironically, we spend more in health 

care dollars than any other 

industrialized nation in the world. 

Health care spending per year in U.S. 

is a whopping two trillion dollars, or 

16 percent of GDP, while Switzerland, 

the next most expensive health 

system, spends only 10 percent. Yet, 

according to a recent World Health 

Organization report, the U.S. ranks 

37th in overall health system 

performance out of 191 member 

nations. We are 10th in life 

expectancy, 15th in infant mortality 

rate, 7th in vaccination of general 

population. It is true beyond doubt, 

the health care dollar is not being 

spent efficiently and, to say the least, 

wisely. 

Why health care is so expensive, yet 

inefficient in our country? The reasons 

are many and to name a few: 

sophisticated technology that is 

widely, yet indiscriminately used; 

profit-seeking middle men including 

insurance companies; and 

corporations trying to dictate how to 

run the system. The ever worsening 

medical-legal atmosphere that is 

choking health care providers and is 

forcing them to practice ‘defensive 

medicine’ is responsible for 15-20 

percent of health care costs. 

Skyrocketing costs of prescription 

medicines are forcing our citizens to 

travel to Canada and Mexico to 

purchase their daily medications. 

Paper work and the money spent to 

comply with the government 

regulations is also a major culprit for 

the escalating health care costs in the 

Unites States. 

I am sure there are quite a few 

solutions to mend the ailing health 

care system. The one possible answer 

is Universal Health Care, where every 

one gets health care under one single 

payer (federal government) system. 

However, historically, universal health 

care did not withstand the test of time. 

The European and Asian countries 

with universal health care were found 

to be ineffective in satisfying the needs 

of their citizens. So is the reason for 

the two-tier system in those countries 

where in the wealthy and the affluent 

go to private hospitals, and the poor 

end up in underfunded, poorly 

managed health centers. 

Continued on page 9


From The Editor’s Desk 


During the presidential campaign, 

the much-publicized Obama-Biden 

plan promised to provide affordable, 

accessible health care for all 

Americans. It is built on the existing 

health care system and uses existing 

providers, doctors and plans. Under 

the Obama-Biden plan, the patients 

will be able to make health care 

decisions with their doctors, not with 

their insurance company bureaucrats. 

We have been promised to reduce the 

insurance costs to go down by $2,500 

dollars per year, and people who do 

not have insurance will have a choice 

of new, affordable health insurance. 

The plan also requires insurance 

companies to cover pre-existing 

conditions, create a new Small 

Business Health Tax Credit to help 

small businesses provide insurance to 

their employees; lower costs for 

businesses to cover catastrophic 

health costs. 

We also need more help from the 

legislators: 

• Federal tort reform that mandates 

caps on malpractice settlements 

and arbitration committees to 

monitor the medical-legal cases. 

• Make employers more 

responsible: those that do not 

provide health insurance should 

make a meaningful contribution 

to the cost of coverage for the 

employees. 

• Reduce the federal and state 

mandated regulations in health 

care and the associated paper 

work, so doctors and nurses can 

spend their time with the patients, 

not doing paper work. 

• Corporations that run health care 

facilities should reinvest the profits 

into improving the local facility, 

rather than shipping the money to 

their corporate offices. 

• All hospitals should have their 

share of ‘service beds’ to take care 

of patients without insurance, an 

usual norm in 70’s and 80’s. 

So, Mr. President: The tasks ahead 

to mend the health care system are 

many, difficult and arduous, yet 

achievable if every one works hard 

at it. You have already proved that 

nothing is impossible to achieve 

with dedication, hard work, 

integrity, and humility. 

Wishing you luck and praying for 

your success. 

Editorial Committe 

Chair: 

Members: 


Urologist, Poplar Bluff, MO 


M. P. Ravindra Nathan, M.D. 

Cardiologist, Brooksville, FL 

ravinath@tampabay.rr.com 

Subruto Kundu, M.D. 

Neurologist, San Leandro, CA 

virtualme2@comcast.net 

Venkit S. Iyer, M.D. 

Palm Harbor, FL 

Jayesh Shah, M.D. 

Regional Director, SW ( 2006-2008), 

AAPI Vice Chair, AMA- IMG Section 

Medical Director 

Rita Frenchman, M.D. 

Hendersonville, TN 

Purvi Parikh, M.D. 

MSRF Representative for Publications Committee 

purviparikh7@hotmail.com 

Monita Soni, M.D. 

President, PrimePath, P.C. 

Decatur, AL 

Janine Saldahna, M.D. 

Anesthesiologist, Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary and 

Mass. General Hospital 

jansaldanha@gmail.com 

Niruma Madduri, M.D. 

Dept. of Developmental Pediatrics 

nsmadduri@texaschildrenshospital.org 

Julie Y. Patel, M.D. 

Assistant Professor 

Texas A & M Health Science Center 

Pooja Voria, M.D. 

Radiology Resident, University of Washington 

AAPI MSRF Executive Committee 

img.aapimsrf@gmail.com 

VenuGopal K. Menon, M.D. 

Allergy and Immunology, Pearland, Texas 

doctorvmenon@hotmail.com 


9


President-Elect’s Report 

by Vinod K. Shah, M.D. 

I would like to express my 

profound gratitude to the entire 

membership for giving me the 

opportunity to serve our 

organization as President Elect for 

the year 2008-09. The year started 

on a very positive note and I am 

honored to represent you at different 

meetings. 

After a long tenure, Ambassador 

Ronan Sen is leaving Washington 

D.C. He is gracious to invite us for a 

farewell party that is planned on 

March 28th. It will be my pleasure 

to represent you for this occasion. 

We have been closely in touch with 

the Embassy of India who has 

always been supportive of Indian 

Diaspora and the Ambassador has 

always graced our conventions by 

his presence. 

As a special guest of House 

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, it was 

my pleasure to attend the 

Democratic National Convention. 

The Convention gave me an 

opportunity to network with many 

senior members of Democratic Party 

and I learned a lot about healthcare 

agenda which will be an extremely 

important issue for all of us. 

I recently visited Capitol Hill to 

arrange for our forthcoming 

Legislative Day. 

Association with other 

Organizations: 

1. Attended the Legislative 

Conference held by Asian 

American Hotel Owner’s 

Association (AAHOA) on 

Wednesday, September 10th at 

Capitol Hill. I will be attending 

the annual conference of 

AAHOA on April 24 & 25, 

2009. 

2. Attended the annual meeting 

held by Indian Medical 

Association of Central Florida. 

AAPI Events: 

1. Participated in the CME 

program conducted in the last 

week of September 2008 under 

the leadership of Dr. Sanku Rao 

on Cruise to the Greek Islands. 

Members participated in the 

CME enjoyed the visit to the 

Greek Islands and the entire 

event was very exciting. 

2. Attended the Fall Governing 

Body meeting at the Oklahoma 

City on October 25th. 

3. Attended the Ohio Chapter 

annual meeting. The group in 

Columbus is dedicated, 

energetic and focused. I was 

impressed with their event and 

friendship. 

4. Planning to attend the 

upcoming CME events in 

Atlanta and Tampa, Women’s 

Forum in New Jersey, Spring 

Governing Body meeting in 

Boston. 

Constitution & Bylaws Committee: 

As a chair of Constitution & 

Bylaws Committee, the first Bylaw 

Committee meeting was held on 

October 8, 2008. Existing revision of 

the Bylaws was reviewed which was 

proposed and approved at the 

Spring Governing Body meeting 

held in Michigan in March 2008 

and subsequently forwarded to the 

General Body. No objections were 

received from any members. We 

also discussed extensively how 

modifications to the Bylaws can be 

made to improve membership, to 

create a strong and positive image 

and to 

develop 

member 

satisfaction. 

We are 

planning to have another 

teleconference in next few days to 

work diligently to propose a revision 

in the Bylaws to achieve those 

objectives. 

Legislative Day: 

The next AAPI Legislative 

conference will be held on April 

28th, 2009 at the Cannon Caucus 

Room on Capitol Hill, Washington 

D.C. I am planning to meet with the 

Senator Conrad to discuss regarding 

proposed renewal of IMG J-1 Visa- 

Waiver Program which is going to 

expire this year. 

Orlando Convention: 

Vinod K. Shah, M.D. 

President-Elect, AAPI 

I had several meetings with the 

Chair of Orlando Convention Dr. 

Ravi Jahagirdar and his team. I am 

sure under his leadership we will 

have a fantastic convention. I would 

like to compliment the entire 

convention team who is working so 

hard to make the annual event a big 

success. I am looking forward for 

our next convention committee 

meeting on 8th of March. 

We are united as a team and we 

have enormous support of our entire 

membership. I am looking forward 

to working with you all in the years 

to come. 

I hope that you will call me with 

your suggestions to make AAPI a 

stronger and more formidable 

organization. Thank You very much 

for your friendship and trust. 

10 www.aapiusa.org


Vice-President’s Report 

by Ajeet R. Singhvi, M.D. 

As the Vice President of the 

American Association of Physicians 

of Indian Origin (AAPI), it is my 

privilege to present the Vice 

President’s report. 

As your Vice President I have been 

assisting the President, the President- 

Elect, the Secretary, and the Treasurer 

in whatever capacity they have asked 

for my services. Dr. Sanku Rao has 

been working very hard, along with 

the Executive Committee to move 

our organization forward. 

One of the major responsibility, as 

the Chair of membership committee 

is to increase our current 

Ajeet R. Singhvi, M.D. 

Vice President, AAPI 

membership. 

Organization is only 

as strong as its membership. Our 

current membership as of February 

28, 2009 is as follows: 

As of June 30, 2008 As of February 28, 2009 From July 1 to February 28, 2009 

a. Patron – Life member 6,311 6,428 117 

b. MSRF – Our Future 6,721 7,433 712 

c. YPS - Our Youth 193 213 20 

d. Annual – Our Strength 734 851 117 

Total 13,959 14,925 966 

Considering the total strength of 

45,000+ physicians and over 

10,000+ MSRF & YPS, we have a 

long way to go. We had set a 

modest goal to increase our total 

membership at least by 5% at the 

beginning of the fiscal year. We have 

already achieved that goal. The 

MSRF section has seen the greatest 

increase which is very heartening 

and needs to be commended. 

However, the Annual membership 

and YPS membership growth has 

been dismal. Patron membership 

usually sees two peaks during the 

year. First one just before the 

General Election (January 31st of 

each year is the cutoff date to be 

eligible to vote for the General 

Election) and the other peak is 

before the convention (patron 

members get their registration fee 

waived). With the Orlando 

Convention preparation is in full 

swing, the membership and 

convention committees will be 

working hard to increase the 

numbers. You can apply online or 

ask for an application by 

fax/mail/email from the AAPI office. 

Recruiting new members is 

challenging in any organization, 

especially with physicians. They are 

not only very busy in their 

profession, but also do not perceive 

it to be crucial. To be able to wield 

influence in Washington (for 

professional issues and legislative 

concerns) as well as with the 

pharmaceutical industry and other 

vendors (for CMEs, charitable 

activities, conference, and raising 

funds) membership number counts. 

Your membership benefit committee 

under the leadership of Dr. Anil 

Khosla, Dr. Lakhu Rohra and Dr. 

Rajendra Gupta, Chair, Board of 

Trustees has been working hard over 

a ‘Benefits’ Package’. We hope to 

present it at the Spring Governing 

Body meeting. 

AAPI’s strength and image 

continues to grow, yet great many 

Physicians who are well reputed and 

widely known nationally and 

internationally are not members of 

our Organization. We need to bring 

them into the fold and tap their 

resources. I seek your help and 

guidance in this regard. If we can 

somehow convince our colleagues 

to become members and attend one 

or two AAPI events, they will be 

very happy and will feel good being 

part of our organization. Let’s try to 

add one member each this year. We 

will be twice as strong instantly. 

I will be happy to receive and 

respond to your comments. 


11


Secretary’s Report 

by Prasad Srinivasan, M.D. 

It is a pleasure and privilege for 

me to present this report. The 

Second Indo-US Summit focused on 

the implementation of the 

recommendations from the six 

disease states and strategic planning. 

It was unanimously felt that it is 

crucial to have follow up 

teleconferences and to start planning 

the next year’s Summit. I could not 

go with the AAPI delegation with 

the Chief Minister Madam Sheila 

Dixit as I was co-chairing one of the 

disease states at the summit. 

However during a subsequent visit I 

had the opportunity to meet the 

Chief Minister and discuss with her 

the importance of having a 

representative of AAPI in New 

Delhi. 

Our Office in Chicago is currently 

overworked and short staffed as Ms. 

Rama Khatri has been out of the 

office for health reasons. Both Ms. 

Vijaya Kodali and Mr. Sam 

Fulambarker are doing an 

outstanding job in keeping up with 

the numerous requests and 

deadlines. 

In a teleconference of the 

Standing Committee Chairs, the 

various Committees updated the 

Officers of the work accomplished 

during the year. 

I have been a spokesperson for 

AAPI at numerous events in India. 

I was invited to participate on the 

healthcare panel on the First World 

Economic Tamil Meet and Diaspora 

in Chennai. I highlighted AAPI’s 

activities both in India and the 

United States. I received a lot of 

positive feedback about our 

involvement and the externship 

program. 

I was a consultant at the super 

specialty hospital at Puttarparthi, 

India. I had the opportunity once 

again to speak about 

AAPI’s activities in 

India and focused on 

the work done by 

the AAPI charitable clinics. 

Prasad Srinivasan, M.D. 

Secretary, AAPI 

In my address at the 28th 

International Congress of NRIs in 

New Delhi, the NRIs across the 

globe got a bird’s eye view of our 

organization, its multiple platforms 

and its accomplishments. 

I want to thank you for giving me 

the opportunity to serve you in the 

capacity of Secretary. 

AAPI Executive Officers 

President 

Sanku Rao, MD 

(580) 234-0285 

sankuraook@sbcglobal.net 

Secretary 

Prasad Srinivasan, MD 

(860) 246-7273 

prasads268@yahoo.com 

President Elect 

Vinod K. Shah, MD 

(301) 373-7416 

vinnyshah@hotmail.com 

Treasurer 

Narendra Kumar, MD 

(989) 793-1040 

kum73@aol.com 

Vice President 

Ajeet R. Singhvi, MD 

(951) 929-0124 

asinghvi@aol.com 

Past President 

Hemant Patel, MD 

(873) 373-7700 

drhemantpatel@gmail.com 

600 Enterprise Drive, Suite 108 • Oak Brook, IL 60523 • Phone: (630) 990-2277 Fax: (630) 990-2281 


13


Treasurer’s Report 

by Narendra Kumar, M.D. 

It is my privilege to report that the 

state of our finances continues to be 

strong, and we are making every 

effort to maintain and improve the 

current financial status. This 

requires the help and support of our 

constituency. As AAPI Treasurer, I 

will fulfill my promise to keep AAPI 

finances in proper order by 

maintaining fiscal stability, 

accountability and enhance 

financial health. It is important to 

keep financial matters transparent to 

the membership. This requires 

cautious spending and enhanced 

revenues especially during this 

current economic climate. I am 

closely monitoring financial 

activities at the AAPI National 

Executive Office, and I am keeping 

our President appraised on the 

financial status at a regular interval, 

Narendra Kumar, M.D. 

Treasurer, AAPI 

and the 

Executive 

Committee at our monthly 

teleconferences. A detailed report 

will be presented at the Governing 

Body meeting in Boston and at our 

General Body meeting in Orlando. 

Citi Bank Operating Acct Balance ......................$101,351.55 

Citi Bank Money Market Acct Balance ..............$150,332.98 

Indo-US Healthcare Summit Acct Balance............$40,656.89 

Women’s Healthcare Summit Acct Balance ............$2,768.72 

AAPI Orlando Convention Account......................$44,524.85 

AAPI-Charitable Foundation Acct as of 1/09....$1,029,289.89 

AAPI-CF Elite Account (Current) ........................$143,005.53 

BOT Account (Smith Barney)as of 1/09............$2,079,021.33 

Major Income/Expenses As of February 19, 2009 

Major Income 

Balance From Previous Year (6/30/08)................$122,459.87 

Patron Fund Allocation (from BOT)....................$122,795.25 

Las Vegas Convention Balance (approx) ............$178,119.30 

Total Membership Dues ......................................$63,850.00 

AAPI Emergency Relief Fund ....................................$652.00 

CME ......................................................................$7,974.14 

Journal Ads..........................................................$43,250.00 

Website Ads ..........................................................$2,100.00 

Nomination Filing Fee ........................................$10,000.00 

Royalties................................................................$6,854.09 

Resource Directory Sponsorship............................$7,500.00 

2005 Convention - Closing balance ......................$3,049.97 

Philadelphia 07 Convention ................................$24,984.67 

Refund from 2008 LV Conv. (Advance refunded) $54,510.80 

June 2008 Year-in Review Ads Income ..................$7,833.00 

Money Market acct Balance ................................$11,768.16 

Uncleared Checks from July 1 to Nov 14, 08 ......$21,702.24 

Accounts Payable ....................................................$648.06 

AAPI Charitable Foundation ....................................$100.00 

Major Expenses 

AAPI MSRF/YPS Support ................$12,500.00 

Accountant Fee ................................$4,800.00 

Computer Related ............................$5,286.70 

Computer Related ..........................$12,640.88 

Constant Contact (Email) ......................$967.94 

Media Consultant............................$10,500.00 

Copy Machine Lease ........................$3,930.54 

Media Consultant............................$14,900.00 

Condo Association Fee......................$4,394.14 

Office Expenses ................................$3,307.41 

Insurance ..........................................$3,146.00 

Postage..............................................$2,415.35 

AAPI Journal--June 08 Issue ............$29,249.00 

AAPI Journal (2 issues) ....................$44,598.17 

2008 Resource Directory ..................$7,600.00 

Printing – Other ................................$4,216.65 

Governing Body Expenses ......................$1,429.40 

Employee Wages & Misc...............$126,736.26 

Telephone/Storage/Bank Fees etc.......$7,937.72 

Travel ................................................$6,399.20 

Promotions........................................$3,274.11 

2009 Orlando Convention Advance ..$82,184.83 

2007 Real Estate Taxes ......................$3,535.90 

14 www.aapiusa.org

FEATURE 


Reflections on the Second Indo-US Summit 

by Prasad Srinivasan, M.D. 

Prasad Srinivasan, M.D. 

Secretary, AAPI 

It was a great second act. 

The second Indo-US summit, held 

from January 2nd to 4th, 2009 lived 

up to its expectations. It was 

fortunate that the weather in New 

Delhi was very pleasant and the fog 

did not deter the enthusiasm of the 

summit. 

At the press conference on the 

afternoon of the 2nd, President Dr. 

Sanku Rao, outlined to a well 

attended press conference our goals 

and expectations. As Secretary I 

shared the podium and had the 

opportunity to express my thoughts 

as well. The Indian press had a lot of 

questions for both of us. It was a 

good platform to showcase AAPI. 

The meeting on that evening was 

on strategic planning. The healthcare 

landscape of India was looked into 

at length. A physician’s perspective 

was given by Dr. N. Saini, the Hon. 

Joint secretary IMA. The research 

done by Mckinsey & Co was 

presented by Dr. Mandar Vaidya, 

Senior Partner, Mckinsey and Co, 

India. An expert panel then 

convened and shared their thoughts 

and answered questions from the 

international delegates. The expert 

panel comprised of Dr. V. Monga, 

Head Health Services Delhi State, 

Dr. Shakti Gupta, Head of 

Administration, All India Institute of 

Medical Sciences, Dr. Anupam 

Sibal. Group Medical Director, 

Apollo Group of Hospitals and Dr. 

Parvez Ahmed, Executive Director, 

MAX Health. This session was 

moderated by Mr. Anwar Feroz and 

Mr. Haresh Kaneriya. 

On the morning of the third Mr. 

Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas 

Indian Affairs, said AAPI is in a 

position to play a leading role in the 

healthcare arena given its vast 

expertise and skill set. He added 

that the government would soon 

initiate talks with the Medical 

Council of India and the Indian 

Medical Association to enable 

physicians living abroad to practice 

in India. “Several physicians who 

have made a mark abroad are 

willing to return to India and we 



15


FEATURE 

Reflections On The Second Indo-US Summit 


should use their expertise given the 

shortage of doctors in India. 

Licensing issues should not come in 

the way of using their knowledge” 

the minister stated. 

Dr. Sanku Rao, President of AAPI, 

outlined his vision and AAPI’s 

commitment to the implementations 

of the recommendations. AAPI has 

signed a MoU to train the trainees in 

screening the rural population for 

hypertension, diabetes, cardio 

vascular diseases, and other 

ailments. The project is yet to begin 

although it has been four years since 

the MoU was signed. Dr. Rao hoped 

that the projects would soon get 

started. Dr. Ramesh Mehta, 

President of British Association of 

Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) 

said half the population of United 

Kingdom is treated by Indian 

doctors. There are about 40,000 

Indian physicians in the National 

Health Service and Indians 

constitute more than one third of all 

physicians in the UK. BAPIO will 

partner with AAPI from next year in 

the rural healthcare projects in 

India. Dr. Narendra Saini, coordinator 

of the summit, 

congratulated AAPI for having the 

conviction to hold the Indo-US 

summit at a time when several 

international conferences in India 

were cancelled following the 

Mumbai massacre. Mr. Anwar Feroz 

welcomed the gathering. Dr. Ajeet 

Singhvi, Vice President of AAPI and 

acting chair of the strategic planning 

session proposed a vote of thanks. 

The rest of the day was spent in 

break-out sessions where the US 

Delegates worked with their Indian 

counterparts on six disease states 

and strategic planning. The US 

Chairs of the disease states were 

Asthma and Allergy - Dr. Jayesh 

Kanuga, Cardiology - Dr. Enas Enas, 

Diabetes - Dr. Anuj Bhargava, 

Infectious Disease - Dr. Vijay 

Yeldandi, Maternal and Infant Health 

- Dr. Arun Pramanik, Mental Health - 

Dr. Ananda Pandurangi, the Chair of 

the Strategic Planning Committee - 

acting co-chair Dr. Ajeet Singhvi. It 

was a full working day. 

Dr. Sanku Rao & AAPI delegation 

met the Chief Minister of New 

Delhi, the Hon. Sheila Dixit. The 

delegation had the opportunity to 

inform the Chief Minister of our 

activities and goals. The Chief 

Minister was very gracious to offer 

office-space in New Delhi for AAPI. 

The final morning of the summit 

comprised of summaries of 

recommendations from each of the 

disease states. The presentations 

were very concise and clear. 

In reflection, the second Indo-US 

summit was very well organized 

with a clear agenda. It is important 

that the recommendations are acted 

upon in a timely fashion and not set 

aside until weeks before the next 

Indo-US summit. Dr. Sanku Rao is 

determined to do his best to 

implement these recommendations 

in India. Follow up with the chairs 

and co-chairs are being planned so 

that our goals are achieved and their 

recommendations can be presented 

at the upcoming annual convention. 

16 www.aapiusa.org

FEATURE 


Reflections On The Second Indo-US Summit 


17


FEATURE 

Reflections On The Second Indo-US Summit


FEATURE 

Partners With AAPI To Host 

A Successful Medical Conference In Goa, India 

by Nasir A. Khan, M.D. 

Nasir A. Khan, M.D. 

President, Indian Medical Association 

of New England 

The Indian Medical Association of 

New England (IMANE), in 

collaboration with the American 


Origin (AAPI), hosted a very 

successful medical conference in 

Goa, India, on Dec. 28-30, 2008. 

Most of the physicians who had 

signed up for the conference 

attended, despite the recent Mumbai 

tragedy. Twenty-two physicians were 

awarded certificates for 6 hours of 

Category I CME credits through my 

office at Bournewood Hospital. Their 

evaluations of the event gave an 

average approval rating of 4.85 on a 

scale of 1 to 5. I moderated the two 

sessions and lectured on “Impaired 

Medical Students and Physicians.” 

The other speakers included 

Rajendra Seth, MD, Internist from 

Pennsylvania, who spoke on 

“Hypertension” and “Cardio 

metabolic Syndrome,” Professor Atul 

Bhatnager, DDS, Orthodontist from 

Luknow, India, who presented on 

“Post-Operative Rehabilitation in 

Maxillo Facial Surgical Procedures” 

and Sivaprasad Madduri, MD, 

Urologist from Missouri, who spoke 

on “Andropause – Male 

Hypogonadism – Fact or Fiction,” 

and on “The Irritable Bladder.” 

We stayed in Goa four nights at 

the Hotel De Cidade, which is 

situated on the Vainguinim Beach. 

All the participants agreed that the 

resort was superb. The all-inclusive 

amenities included meals, spa, pool 

and beach, and were befitting of a 

world-class resort. During the day, 

temperatures reached 90 degrees. 

The evenings were cooler with a 

gentle breeze. The conference 

facility was conducive for formal 

power point presentations, coupled 

with opportunities for relaxation and 

socialization. 

Located on the West Coast of 

South India along the Arabian 

Ocean, Goa is a visitor’s paradise 

and all of us had the chance to 

sightsee and learn more about its 

long and interesting history. Goa 

had Hindu and Muslim rulers but 

was actually settled by the 

Portuguese in 1510 to further the 

spice trade and spread Christianity. 

Goa’s harbor and wide rivers were 

felt to be ideal for their ships. In 

1961, India reclaimed its territory, 

but even now, Roman Catholicism 

remains the predominant religion 

with world famous churches and 

skirts outnumber saris. 

To get better acquainted with the 

area and its scenic points of interest, 

we had bus tours arranged to some 

of the most popular local attractions. 

Panjabi, the capital of Goa and the 

smallest of all capitals in India, was 

a pleasant city to wander around 

and bargain for souvenirs. Old Goa 

was more historical. The Basilica of 

Bom Jesus was built in 1605 and 

houses the remains of St. Francis 

Xavier and the Se Cathedral, 

supposedly the largest church in 

Asia, were some of the highlights 

from a tourist perspective. Other 

sights we admired included the 

Hindu Mangueshi Temple, with its 

well-preserved white tower, and the 

Fort Arguada on the coast, which 

conveyed the past need for 

fortification against other European 

predators. 

In addition to exploring Goa’s 

illustrious past, we also enjoyed the 

Goa of today, which is renowned for 

its superb, sandy beaches and the 

warm ocean waters. In fact, it has 

become a major attraction for 

Europeans and Russians fleeing from 

the dark, cold winters. Some of the 

tourists are backpackers and stay in 



19


FEATURE 

Partners With AAPI To Host 

A Successful Medical Conference In Goa, India 


bed and breakfasts, while others 

(such as doctors from the U.S.!) 

prefer to stay in five-star hotels. But 

regardless of the accommodation 

choices, one of the high points of 

the season is Goa’s grand New Year’s 

Eve celebration. 

conference. Now I really look 

forward to seeing several AAPI 

members at the Governing Body 

Meeting in April, 2009, in Boston 

and at the Annual Meeting in 

Orlando, FL, in June of 2009 

I have to admit this, along with 

the chance to get to know the 

various speakers and other attendees 

and their spouses – especially Dr. 

Sanku Rao, President of AAPI and 

his wife Rohini, was the highlight of 

the trip for me as well. The outdoor 

New Year’s Eve dinner at the hotel 

had several hundred attendees,some 

who were staying there, while others 

came from surrounding lodgings to 

enjoy the incredible variety and 

quantity of food offered. The music, 

orchestra and dance floor truly 

made the night a fantastic finale to 

our trip. 

Following my return to the U.S., 

I received several emails from 

attendees, which were highly 

complimentary of the medical 

Policies and Guidelines for Writers in AAPI Journal 

AAPI Journal seeks articles from 

members on medical and social matters, 

memorable experiences in your life, 

practice tips and techniques etc. Articles 

may be sent as e-mail (Microsoft Word, if 

possible) attachments only. Feature 

articles should be about 1 - 1.5 pages 

(500 -750 words), and news items about 

1/4 to 1/2 page (100 words). Stories 

should be based on personal experiences, 

should be written in a conversational 

style, easy to read and must be relevant 

to our journal. Kindly do not send any 

scientific papers or case reports which are 

more suitable for a peer reviewed 

journal. 

We also encourage submissions for the 

regular columns “A Glimpse of My Life,” 

“The best of AAPI humor,” “AAPI and 

Poetry” and, “AAPI Travelogues.” Author 

photographs and illustrative pictures for 

the articles are welcome. In discussing 

personal stories, the more specific you 

can be about your situation including the 

impact on your patients, the better. Also, 

please include in your response your 

specialty, practice situation and e-mail 

information if you'd be willing to talk to 

us at greater length about your 

experience. 

The Editorial committee reserves the 

right to accept or reject any articles and 

edit all accepted articles as needed. 

Please visit our web site 

www.aapiusa.org for detailed 

instructions. The receipt of the articles 

will be acknowledged; please restrain 

from calling and/or sending e-mails, as 

we do not have an office or secretary for 

the journal itself. As soon as the Editorial 

Board accepts the article for publication, 

the author will be notified. 

Editor, AAPI Journal 



20 www.aapiusa.org


FEATURE 

Prevention Of Deafness: 

A Vision For India 

by Raj Desai, M.D. 

Raj Desai, M.D. 

President, Project Deaf India 

As One Person, I Cannot Change The World, But I Can Change The World Of One Person 

Paul Shane Spear 

Deafness is one of the commonest 

congenital disabilities in the world. It is 

estimated to be 30 times more common 

than other newborn birth defects such as 

sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, or 

hypothyroidism. 

As reported by the WHO, there are 

about 250 - 300 million deaf people in 

the world, 2/3 of them live in the 

underdeveloped nations and of these 

India has the largest share. With such a 

large number of hearing impaired young 

Indians, it amounts to a severe loss of 

productivity, both economic and 

physical. The present estimate records 

even a larger number of people with 

milder degrees of hearing loss or 

unilateral hearing loss in age group 

overs 45 years of age in India. 

Dr. Desai met the Ex-President Dr. 

Abdul Kalam for 30 minutes and 

requested that INDIA must start “EARLY 

detection of newborn hearing loss and 

intervention.” Dr. Kalam appreciated the 

idea and within a few days following 

their meeting a report occurred in the 

leading daily newspaper THE TIMES OF 

INDIA JAN. 27 2007: “That one out of 

twelve (1/12) persons in India has 

hearing loss. The problem is receiving 

political attention. The Health Ministry 

has launched a project called NPPCD 

(NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE 

PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF 

DEAFNESS,) in addition, the program 

will treat ear infections and other 

diseases causing hearing loss...” 

This Campaign was introduced at the 

end of Jan. 2007 in 10 states and 25 

districts and one Union territory of India. 

These are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, 

Gujarat, Karnataka, Manipur, Sikkim, 

Tamil Nadu, Uttarkhand, UttarPradesh, 

Delhi, and Chandigargh. 

This project will be expanded to 

include 203 districts covering all states 

and union territories of INDIA by 2012. 

The expansion will be done in a phased 

manner with inclusion of 45 new 

districts each year. 

All the training for the program will be 

provided by the medical colleges, ENT 

doctors and Audiologists of the state and 

districts. 

Expected Benefits from the Program are: 

1) Decrease in the magnitude of 

hearing impaired persons. 

2) Decrease in the severity/extent of 

ear morbidity and hearing 

impairment. 

I have introduced a model for 

screening newborns at hospitals, and 

home birthing centers in several states of 

India. This involves carrying a screening 

machine, the size of a laptop computer 

on the back of a scooter by a health care 

worker, or audiologist. The fact is that 

Newborn Baby and Mom are kept at the 

hospital post delivery for 5-7 days 

throughout India. Thus an audiologist 

can go from one birthing center to 

another and screen several infants for 

hearing loss daily. For home/village 

deliveries also it is practical to go to a 

central location in the village, i e., a 

church or a temple and screen the 

newborns. 

The computerized screening machines 

are fairly accurate, and provide a taped 

record of the child’s hearing loss. It is 

necessary to data base all screenings 

and further establish a followup of all 

babies detected for hearing loss and 

provide immediate treatment or Hearing 

Aids or Cochlear Implants (CI). Although 

CI are expensive at present Dr. Abdul 

Kalam and his research team are 

working on an economical model. IF 

THE ABOVE IS REALIZED IN NEXT FEW 

YEARS, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA WITH 

DEAFNESS WILL ENJOY THE SAME 

STATUS AS IN THE USA. 

Prevention Of Deafnes In India 

As we discussed earlier, India has one 

of the highest incidences of deafness on 

the globe. There are many causes such 

as: chronic ear infections, poor ear care, 

malnutrition, poor or absent prenatal 

care contaminated water supply, abuse 

of common drugs used for malaria, 

tuberculosis, and the misuse of 

antibiotics available over the counter. 

Genetics also plays a significant role. 

It is estimated that 40% of cases of 

deafness are due to lack of a 

MANDATORY vaccination for Measles 

and Rubella (MR) in the NATIONAL 

VACCINATION PLAN. 

In south India and amongst Muslims it 

is said to have more deafness (30%) due 

to the custom of consanguinity. 

As in the developed nations, if India 

introduces mandatory MR vaccination 

one can decrease the incidence of 

deafness by about 40%. The rest of the 

causes of deafness will only be solved as 

India’s daily hygienic conditions and the 

education on deafness, by its doctors 

along with socio-economical conditions 

get better in the future. 


21


FEATURE 

Pharmaceutical Advertisement: 

Makes For Better Healthcare For All? 

by Sidharth Bagga, M.D. - Shagun Bagga, M.D. - Pankaj Malhotra, M.D. 

Sidharth Bagga, M.D. 

Stamford, CT 

Abstract 

The role of direct to consumer 

advertising has changed the 

landscape of physician-patient 

relationship. To date physicians have 

adapted to this change with minimal 

intervention, and are falling victim 

to its misconceptions. We focus on 

the pros and cons of having an 

unaware consumer decide on a 

product or solution that is beyond 

their scope of knowledge. Who is 

the end recipient of this mass 

advertising focus? Who benefits and 

who suffers from the decisions 

coerced by this medium? 

Introduction 

Why should this ever be a 

concern for people? We want what 

everyone else has, and want it 

because we saw people doing it on 

TV, billboards, or endorsed by 

celebrities. Doesn’t being advertised 

to expand your options, allow you 

to compare costs and then make an 

informed decision? It does! This is 

the same reason why children’s 

shows are only given limited 

amounts of advertisement time. 

What is inherently different in 

advertising to children? Why are 

there higher standards, and less 

power of suggestion for them? The 

answer ends up lying in how they 

perceive the information. A child 

watching the same advertisement as 

an adult will take it as the truth; 

whereas an adult will have the 

ability to weigh and contrast the 

claims of the company. This is the 

reason why many countries in the 

world do not allow Direct to 


Consumer Advertising (DTCA) of 

pharmaceutical products. 

Why DTCA? 

In DTCA of pharmaceuticals, the 

patient is considered to be the 

consumer, as he/she will be the end 

user of the product. The patient is 

not in fact a consumer of a 

pharmaceutical drug, but a 

consumer of the service by a 

physician. Nevertheless, studies 

have shown that the prescribing 

habits of physicians change if a 

patient shows a particular interest in 

one brand or class of medications. 

This led to an increase in advertising 

efforts followed by an increased 

usage of brand medications, despite 

appropriate generic substitutes. 

Many pharmaceuticals impress 

upon the public that their 

advertisement is a legitimate form of 

patient education. Despite 

indication, advertisement coerces 

purchase of medication from the 

patients, but a physician is able to 

differentiate between the risks and 

benefits. This differing opinion 

between patient and physician can 

lead to a worsening in the doctor 

patient relationship. DTCA claim 

that this knowledge will allow 

patients to be more readily 

agreeable to treatment options, and 

increase compliance with their 

treatment. Providing information 

that allows the patient to be a better 

consumer of doctor’s services can 

increase the overall quality of 

healthcare. 

How does DTCA work? 

The world as 

a whole has 

had a 

relatively strict 

stance 

towards 

DTCA of 

pharmaceuticals. 

Pharmaceutical 

Companies 

have been 

attempting to 

alter physician 

prescribing 

habits for 

many years, 

and realized 

that they 

had a higher 

Pankaj Malhotra, M.D. 

Stamford, CT 

Shagun Bagga-Malhotra, M.D. 

Stamford, CT 

impact in altering the patient’s 

viewpoints; and thus are having a 

bigger impact on physician 

prescribing habits. This has led to an 

increase in their budgets for DTCA, in 

excess of 2.5 billion for 2001 alone. 

Since the inception of DTCA, 

some countries have noticed 

significant changes in branded 

prescriptions. Many countries have 

realized these trends and are readily 

attempting to curtail the use of 

DTCA of pharmaceuticals, while 

demanding explicit statements of 

indications, risks and adverse effects 

during these campaigns. 

Outcomes and Health Measures 

Proponents of DTCA claim to 

provide adequate knowledge to their 

end user of their product. The 

Continued on page 25

FEATURE 


Great Equalization... 

Is MBBS from India Equal to M.D. in USA? 

by Akshay Desai, M.D. 

Akshay Desai, M.D., M.P.H. 

St. Petersburg, Florida 

Recently, a decision in a landmark 

case out of Texas was handed down 

that greatly affects the membership 

of AAPI as well those young doctors 

in India wanting to come to the 

United States of America and who 

would be a part of AAPI’s future. 

I report with great pleasure that 

the Administrative Appeals Office 

(AAO), disagreed with Texas Service 

Centre (TSC) and ruled that a 

M.B.B.S degree from India does 

indeed equate to an U.S. M.D. 

degree. The ruling states that the 

beneficiary (M.B.B.S from Pune 

University) met the requirements of 

the labor certification, (Second 

Preference), specifically a foreign 

equivalent to a US medical degree. 

This recent decision overruled an 

earlier negative ruling at the lower 

level involving Norman Regional 

Hospital. 

Prior to this ruling M.B.B.S. 

doctors, like you and me could only 

apply under the Third Preference 

(EB-3) which equated us with “aliens 

with at least two years of experience 

as skilled workers, and others with 

less than two years experience, such 

as an unskilled worker who can 

perform labor for which qualified 

workers are not available in the 

United States.“ Yes we were 

classified as “Skilled workers”. Our 

Medical degree in India was not 

recognized. Under the Second 

Preference (EB-2) we are now 

classified as “aliens who are 

members of the professions holding 

advanced degrees or their equivalent 

and aliens who because of their 

exceptional ability in the sciences, 

arts, or business will substantially 

benefit the national economy, 

cultural, or educational interests or 

welfare of the United States.” This 

means, that we the physicians with 

M.B.B.S degrees from India, can 

now legally claim our medical 

degree from India, being equivalent 

to a U.S. M.D. degree. Those of us 

who need an immigrant visa can 

now qualify for Employment Based 

Second Preference (EB-2), reserved 

for persons with U.S. advanced 

degree or foreign equivalent. The 

second Preference (EB-2) has a 

better and faster chance of receiving 

a Visa as compared to the Third 

Preference (EB-3). 

This ruling finally recognizes 

fellow members of AAPI at least by 

the Dept. of Immigration as being 

“Medical Doctors” in the true sense 

of the word. This takes us back to 

one of the prime reasons for forming 

AAPI, 28 years ago, that we stand 

for our rights and be recognized as 

trained medical professionals who 

can serve the community with 

respect and honor. Yes, we do have 

a few more hurdles to cross but if 

we are united and not forget our 

goals we can achieve them. For this 

we might need a change in 

ourselves and a grass root active 

participation. I will continue to 

monitor this ruling on behalf of our 

young graduates from India and 

make sure that this ruling is 

enforced. 

My objective is to keep you 

abreast of information with material 

impact on our membership that 

would be related to employment, 

medical practice, regulatory 

compliance, and licensing. If our 

members are financially strong, only 

then will we be able to affect 

“change” within and outside of AAPI 

to have a significant impact 

throughout the nation. 

I will continue to keep a keen eye 

out and continue to keep you all 

updated as to other news relating to 

this decision. If you wish to share 

your thoughts about this ruling, 

please contact me at 

drdesai@univhc.com. 


23


FEATURE 

Crisis! 

by Dr. M. P. Ravindra Nathan 

M. P. Ravindra Nathan, M.D. 

Brooksville, Florida 

“Come to the office right away”, 

Becky, my nurse, interrupted my 

ICU rounds. “Sally fell in the 

examining room. I think she has a 

fractured hip,” her words exploded 

in my ears. Knowing the patient 

well, I panicked sensing this could 

portend her end. 

When Sally presented to me for 

the first time, she looked like living 

death; very frail and much older 

than her age of 60 years. She was a 

poor Medicaid patient from another 

town where no cardiologist would 

accept her. I was the new kid in 

town and coming from a teaching 

hospital, I was fascinated with the 

challenge she offered, too naive to 

think in terms of dollars and cents. 

Boy, did she turn out to be some 

challenge! Sally had chronic 

rheumatic heart disease and already 

had three mitral valve surgeries. 

She currently had a dysfunctional 

prosthesis with severe mitral 

regurgitation and a baggy left 

ventricle which looked more like 

end stage cardiomyopathy. Type II 

diabetes, peripheral and carotid 

vascular disease were additional 

burdens to cope with. As expected, 

she developed severe heart failure 

complicated by pleural effusion and 

ascites. During the next several 

months, Sally needed multiple 

hospitalizations. I thought each one 

would be her last, but her 

indomitable will and undying 

optimism pulled her out. 

My nurse even delivered diuretics 

and antibiotics to her home, as she 

had no money or reliable 


transportation. I never saw or talked 

to any of her relatives, including the 

daughter who worked for a local 

dentist, with whom she lived 

sporadically. Her folks had 

seemingly abandoned her, Sally 

having become a big liability. 

There was near pandemonium in 

the office, by the time I reached 

there. Sally was on the floor, quite 

short of breath and pale. The nurse 

was administering oxygen. The 

ambulance promptly arrived to take 

her to the ICU. I wanted to inform 

the relatives but she gave me, 

between short and difficult breaths, 

her usual answer: “Oh, don't bother 

to call my children, they don’t care. 

You are my family, Dr. Nathan, I 

trust your judgment”. 

During the last few years, amidst 

many critical care admissions, there 

were no enquiries from the family. 

Becky and I were her sole 

guardians, literally. I liked and 

respected her almost like my mother 

and she, of course, was very grateful 

for the attention we showered on 

her. She used to become visibly 

upset whenever we mentioned her 

relatives. To make matters worse, 

Sally developed carcinoma cervix 

with pelvic metastasis, and I had to 

use my wit and charms on one of 

our radiation oncologists to accept 

her as his patient. Initially, she 

couldn't even lie down long enough 

for radium implantation and I had to 

readmit her to relieve her 

pulmonary congestion before she 

could complete a course of 

radiation therapy. 

Now Sally is in the intensive care 

unit (ICU), with a fracture of the left 

hip and was steadily going downhill 

with full-blown heart failure, almost 

into cardiogenic shock. An 

emergency thoracentesis yielded a 

liter of pleural fluid. Her diabetes 

was out of control. She was in Atrial 

Fibrillation with rapid ventricular 

rate and a BP of 90/60 mm of Hg. 

The orthopedic surgeon was 

reluctant even to touch her and the 

anesthesiologist didn't like the idea 

of her dying in the operating room; 

the risk was much too high, for 

surgery. And without surgery, Sally 

would never walk in the near future. 

Just then, the ICU nurse 

announced there is a bunch of 

relatives waiting to see me. “Finally, 

I get to see Sally's folks, it's about 

time,” I thought. My enthusiasm was 

very short lived. I saw a half a 

dozen hostile, irate faces in the 

conference room. The eldest 

daughter, the self-appointed 

spokesperson of the family, had only 

one question for me: 

“Doc, what is the name of your 

insurance company?” 

I was stunned and speechless for a 

moment. Trying not to show my 

rage, I politely replied, “But first, 

don't you want to know how your 

mother is doing?” 

“Well, she fell in your office, 

didn't she?” 

Without mincing words, a clear 

message was delivered. A barrage of 

Continued on page 25


FEATURE 

Crisis! 


questions followed, faster than I 

could answer, each designed to 

intimidate me into an admission of 

guilt. She didn't care how her 

mother was doing. It hardly 

mattered if my nurse and I 

contributed anything for dear 

momma’s welfare in the past six 

years. The dialogue deadpanned. I 

could sense a legal battle royal 

brewing. 

I took my lumps and retreated. 

Clearly they didn't travel all the way 

from New Jersey to Florida to see 

their mother getting better or give 

me a personal ‘thank you’ for all 

what I have done for her. On the 

contrary, I realized much to my 

dismay, that they have already 

retained a lawyer. I informed my 

liability lawyer too; I didn't think 

that any malpractice has been 

committed. With her frail condition, 

Sally could have sustained a fall 

anywhere, in my office or any public 

place. 

During the next few days, poor 

Sally teetered between life and 

death. Even the nurses could sense 

that this family didn't care and 

probably would be very delighted if 

Sally didn’t make it. With a 

heightened sense of responsibility I 

worked on her, in spite of the odds 

stacked against me. With 

appropriate hemodynamic 

monitoring and all other state-of-theart 

critical care therapy, we 

managed to pull Sally out of the 

crisis, the surgeon and the 

anesthesiologist handling their parts 

very well. At long last, Sally was 

discharged on crutches. During this 

long-drawn saga, the relatives asked 

the nurses repeatedly: “How long 

can mother last like this?” 

Sally’s recovery was a true miracle 

and we gave high-fives to each 

other. The relatives appeared 

disappointed, or so I thought. 

And now, the epiphany. A few 

weeks late my lawyer informed me 

that the family unsuccessfully 

contacted 3 trial lawyers who 

refused to accept the case. They 

couldn’t find a single thing wrong. 

Sally will hear nothing about legal 

action against me. She even gave a 

Pharmaceutical Advertisement: 

Makes For Better Healthcare For All? 


inception of DTCA has been unable 

to raise any of the health indices in 

the countries, but has increased the 

amount of GDP expenditure on 

health care. Although, this does not 

disprove the use of DTCA because 

the results of the medications 

prescribed might be relevant 10 or 

20 years in the future, but it does 

bring into light the fact that a country 

like Turkey spends as much on 

childhood vaccinations as it does on 

treatment of erectile dysfunction. 

Conclusive Remarks 

DTCA of pharmaceutical products 

has the potential to become a major 

changing force in driving healthcare 

decisions. Physicians are informed 

consumer of medications, not 

patients. Advertising to a third party 

that becomes the recipient of your 

product is reasonable, because they 

might be able to stimulate demand 

for your product, as evidenced by 

increasing number of medications 

prescribed in countries with DTCA. 

This approach also brings out 

statement to the nurses that her fall 

in my office was entirely her own 

fault. One of the daughters had 

hinted that Sally may have been 

pushed from the examining table but 

this didn't hold much water. Finally, 

the attempt at a malpractice suit met 

an inevitable demise. 

I felt vindicated. Finding that they 

couldn't collect from my insurance 

company, the family dumped Sally 

back in her small house and went 

on their way. We arranged a home 

health care agency to take care of 

her. As a last act of gratitude to me, 

the family also transferred Sally's 

records to another cardiologist, 

much against Sally's wishes! 

I get a hearty laugh when I think 

that Sally is relaxing in a recliner 

surfing TV channels and enjoying 

whatever life is left for her. She must 

have a chuckle too, having beaten 

the odds and taught a lesson to her 

greedy, neglectful children. And as 

for myself, I learned that relatives of 

patients come in various types and 

attitudes and I have to handle all 

situations with equanimity. 

problems that are far worse than that 

of the actual disease process and 

poor allocation of resources for 

disease management. 

Pharmaceutical corporations would 

be advised to create informative 

websites to allow physicians to 

direct their patients to those banks 

of knowledge rather than provide a 

thirty second highlight about noncohesive 

symptoms hoping to have 

patients inquire enough about the 

medication to have the doctor 

prescribe it to them. 


25


SPECIAL ARTICLE 

Obesity, Acanthosis Nigricans 

and Type 2 Diabetes In High School Youth 

by Naznin M. Dixit, M.D. & Mehul P. Dixit, M.D. 

Naznin M. Dixit, M.D. 

Orlando, Florida 

Introduction 

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes 

has increased 4- to 6-fold in 30 years 

among US adolescents. We aimed to 

determine the prevalence of type 2 

diabetes and obesity among 

adolescents within the border 

community of Douglas, Arizona. 

Research Design And Methods 

Douglas is a rural community 

located in Southeastern Arizona, on 

the Mexican-U.S.A. border. The study 

was approved by the Human Subjects 

Review Committee and the School 

Board. The study was conducted in 2 

phases. Physical data was obtained 

from students (grades 9-12) during the 

phase 1 of the study. Parent and 

student health history questionnaires 

were sent home along with the 

consent forms. The school nurse was 

trained to identify for the presence of 

acanthosis nigricans (AN) around the 

neck. Casual capillary blood glucose 

(CBG) measurements were taken. 

During the phase 2 of the study, 

students with CBG ® 110mg/dl were 

asked to submit a fasting venous blood 

sample on two separate occasions for 

plasma glucose and insulin analysis. 

Statistical Analysis 

Data were analyzed using STATA 

(version 6.0,). 

Fisher’s Exact Chi-Square tests were 

used to assess correlation. A P value 

< 0.05 was statistically significant. 


Results – Of the total 1150 students in 

grades 9-12 aged 14-19 years, 778 

entered the study, a participation rate 

of 68%. The male to female ratio was 

1: 1.1. 93.5% were of Hispanic origin. 

Mean BMI ± SD was 25.01 ± 5.99 

(range 15.1-54.1); BMI z- score ranged 

from –1.64 to 4.41. Students with 

BMI3 85th and



Probiotic Theraphy 

by M.S. Reddy, M.D & D.R.K. Reddy, M.D. 

Probiotics as Therapeutic Agents: 

Probiotics are bacteria or 

microorganisms that are beneficial to 

the health of an individual. They are 

essentially the opposite of 

antibiotics, which are inhibitory to 

other bacteria (including Probiotic 

bacteria). The word ‘Probiotic’ is 

derived from two Greek words, ‘Pro’ 

and ‘Bios’, meaning ‘for life’. 

Probiotics are non-pathogenic, do 

not produce toxins, and are 

considered natural. The Probiotics 

organisms are believed to exhibit 

therapeutic effects because of their 

innate ability to produce lactic acid 

and other substances that are 

inhibitory to harmful bacteria. They 

naturally reside in the human 

intestinal tract at receptor sites in the 

ileum, where they create a mildly 

acidic environment that is not 

favorable for the growth and viability 

of pathogenic microorganisms, 

including viruses. 

These beneficial bacteria have an 

antagonistic effect on pathogenic 

bacteria, while antibiotics have an 

antagonistic effect on Probiotics. 

Consequently, when a person is 

treated with antibiotics, the 

Probiotics residing in the 

gastrointestinal tract can be inhibited, 

adding another layer of complexity 

to the illness. To counteract this 

problem, some physicians prescribe 

the use of Probiotics following use of 

an antibiotic, in order to restore 

healthy gastrointestinal flora. 

Considerable judgment should be 

exercised by the physician in 

prescribing a proper Probiotic by 

taking into account its physiological 

and biochemical properties. 

Since Probiotics are natural 

inhabitants of the human 

gastrointestinal tract, they have to be 

maintained in proper balance to 

bestow good health. Modern foods 

that contain preservatives and dyes, 

etc., are not beneficial to the 

gastrointestinal flora, especially 

Probiotics. Consequently, in order to 

maintain and ensure proper 

gastrointestinal eco-flora, continuous 

or periodic supplementation of 

Probiotics is a must. 

Potential Benefits of Probiotic Therapy: 

Before proceeding with a 

discussion on the benefits of 

Probiotic therapy, let us review the 

microbiological composition of the 

human gastrointestinal tract. The 

human gastrointestinal tract harbors a 

variety of microorganisms. The 

human stomach content, i.e. gastric 

juice, has only 10 to 100 

microorganisms per milliliter (ml) or 

gram. In the upper portion of the 

small intestine, i.e. the duodenum, 

the bacterial population in the 

contents range from 1000 to 10,000 

per/ml. The bacterial population 

increases as we go down to the distal 

part of the ileum to 1,000,000 to 

10,000,000 per/ml of the contents. 

The colon has 100 billion to 1 trillion 

bacteria per/ml of the contents. In 

the entire colon, the total number of 

bacteria is roughly 100 trillion or 

more. The total number of eucaryotic 

cells (cells with definite nucleus) in 

the human being is roughly 10 

trillion. Thus, the colon bacterial cell 

population exceeds the total host cell 

population by ten times or more. 

The bacterial population in the gut 

has been adapted through 

associative growth relationships. 

There are many factors that interfere 

with this normal dynamic balance. 

Various factors contribute to this 

eco-imbalance, including the intake 

of chemicals, antibiotics, etc. Under 

these adverse conditions, the 

microflora that are beneficial health 

promoters are replaced by 

pathogenic bacteria such as 

Clostridia, sulphate reducers, certain 

Bacteroides species, etc. These 

pathogenic bacteria predispose the 

host to a number of clinical 

disorders, and infections by transient 

enteropathogens. Thus, maintenance 

of balanced beneficial intestinal 

microflora, consisting of 

Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, 

etc. is essential. It raises a very 

important issue regarding the validity 

of antibiotic therapy. In our opinion, 

the microbial ecosystem of the small 

intestine and colon dictate the 

overall health and well being of the 

human. 

The following are some of the 

benefits of Probiotic therapy: 

1. Reduction of lactose 

malabsorption: Half of the 

world population is unable to 

utilize lactose. Lactose 

malabsorption can be corrected 

by probiotics. Lactose is a 

disaccharide made of glucose 

and galactose. A person who 

lacks the enzyme lactase in the 

gut cannot digest lactose and 

thus develops clinical symptoms 

of typical lactose intolerance. 

Probiotics, especially L. 

acidophilus, have the B- 

galactosidase enzyme, which 

can break down the 



27



Probiotic Theraphy 


disaccharide lactose into the 

simple sugars glucose and 

galactose in the Ileum, and thus 

reduce the discomfort of lactose 

intolerance. 

2. Reduction of intestinal 

infections: Antibiotic-induced 

diarrhea has been successfully 

controlled by Probiotics. 

Lactobacillus and 

Bifidobacterium have been used 

in children and adults for 

therapy of intestinal infections. 

3. Reduction of coronary heart 

disease: The fact that Probiotic 

supplementation inhibits 

cholesterol concentrations in the 

blood and increases the 

excretion of cholesterol in the 

feces has been well 

documented. Cholesterol 

absorption is interfered within 

the gut partly due to 

assimilation of cholesterol by 

Probiotic organisms. In addition, 

Probiotics (Bifidobacterium 

longum) deconjugate bile salts 

with the aid of bile salt 

hydrolase, and thus increase the 

excretion of free bile salts in the 

feces. This has the potential to 

reduce serum cholesterol 

because the replacement of bile 

salts would require the 

utilization of some cholesterol 

in the body. Thus, the resultant 

hypocholesterolemia may 

reduce the incidence of 

coronary heart disease. 

4. Immunomodulation: This is a 

very important activity induced 

by Probiotics. Immunestimulating 

activity is attributed 

to their bacterial cell envelope 

constituents such as 

peptidoglycan. Results of 

various investigators indicate 

that Probiotics stimulate the 


production of antibodies, 

enhance the systemic activity of 

macrophages, and increase 

interferon levels and the number 

of killer cells. 

5. Suppression of cancer: Dietary 

intake of lyophilized cultures of 

Bifidobacterium longum has 

significantly suppressed the 

development of azoxymethaneinduced 

aberrant crypt foci 

(ACF) formation in the colon. 

The same group of scientists 

elucidated the ability of the 

Probiotic strain to inhibit the 

incidence of colon tumors. 

6. Suppression of Helicobacter 

pylori: Helicobacter pylori is a 

gram-negative spiral-shaped 

bacterial pathogen that 

colonizes in the area between 

the mucous layers of the 

stomach and gastric epithelium. 

The International Agency for 

Research on Cancer has 

classified H. pylori as a Group I 

carcinogen. This is the first 

pathogenic bacterium to be 

classified as such. Limited 

research data indicate that even 

H. pylori can be inactivated or 

suppressed with the use of 

proper Probiotics. 

Prophylactic Probiotic Therapy for 

Cancer Suppression: 

Some of the non-Probiotic type of 

gastrointestinal flora will convert 

procarcinogens to carcinogens. Some 

of the end products of digestion are 

procarcinogenic. For example, end 

products of the digestion of beef may 

be more procarcinogenic than those 

of vegetables. Procarcinogenic 

materials may not cause cancer; 

however, if they are acted upon by 

certain microbial enzymes (betaglycosidase; 

beta-glucuronidase; 

steroid 7 alpha-dehydroxylase; 

nitroreductase and nitrate reductase; 

azoreductase; and tryptophanase) in 

the G.I. tract, it will be converted to 

a carcinogen. Probiotics, by their 

innate nature, suppress the growth of 

these undesirable enzyme-producing 

non-Probiotic bacteria, and thus 

reduce the chance of converting 

procarcinogens to carcinogens. 

If you analyze the entire 

mechanism, cancer starts with one 

cell through mutation. If mutagens 

are reduced or eliminated in the 

body, cancer can be controlled. 

Mutagens can be reduced if proper 

Probiotics are administered and 

made to colonize in the 

gastrointestinal tract. In our opinion, 

a proper diet and Probiotic therapy is 

the wave of the future to eliminate 

mutagenesis, which is the starting 

point of cancer. 

In conclusion: 

Since the efficacy of Probiotic 

therapy is linked to the proper 

Probiotic organisms and also their 

physiological condition at the time of 

oral administration, the following 

selection criteria should be followed 

by the physician: 

1. They must be of human origin. 

2. They must have high acid and 

bile stability. 

3. They must have adhesion 

properties to stick and colonize 

on the intestinal mucosa. 

4. They must be safe and clinically 

proven. 

5. They must be clinically 

validated. 

6. They must be produced or 

manufactured by taking into 

account the strain stability 

(plasmid retention), phage 

resistance and freeze drying 

survival.



The Behaviorally Disruptive Physician 

by Gopal Lalmalani, M.D. 

Gopal Lalmalani, M.D. 

Denver, Colorado 

Some health care professionals may 

consciously or subconsciously be 

perpetrators of disruptive behavior in 

our workplace. New JCAHO 

standards require that hospital and 

medical staff leaders recognize such 

pattern of disruptive behavior and 

confront these professionals. The Joint 

Commission states that “safety and 

quality thrive in an environment that 

supports working in teams and 

respecting other people, regardless of 

their position in the organization. 

Undesirable behaviors that intimidate 

staff, decrease morale, and increase 

staff turnover can threaten the safety 

and quality of care” This new 

standard will be applicable to 

physicians as well as all other health 

care professionals (including nurses, 

pharmacists and management). 

Who is a disruptive physician and 

what is disruptive behavior? Although 

there is no clear definition, the term 

“disruptive” is sometimes used 

interchangeably with the term 

“abusive” and the AMA describes this 

type of behavior as “a style of 

interaction with physicians, hospital 

personnel, patients, family members 

or others that interferes with patient 

care”. Disruptive behavior 

encompasses a spectrum of conduct 

that includes verbal abuse, emotional 

outbursts, yelling and screaming, use 

of sarcasm or belittling remarks, and 

threats of violence. It may also 

include incidents of inappropriate 

physical contact, throwing tantrums, 

and tossing objects. Other health 

team members are likely to try and 

avoid contact with the disruptive 

physician which may then affect the 

communication needed to provide 

high quality patient care. 

Disruptive physician policies are 

often written vaguely and broadly, 

and are subjective. As an 

organization, we need to ensure that 

these policies are not used to target 

outspoken medical staff members or 

physicians who are not “team 

players”. We need to protect 

competent and compassionate 

physicians who truly care for the 

patient’s welfare, and who provide 

good-faith and constructive criticisms 

in order to improve the quality of care 

in the hospital. The AMA code states 

that, “criticism that is offered in good 

faith with the aim of improving 

patient care should not be construed 

as disruptive behavior”. 

We need to also ensure that these 

disruptive physician policies are not 

targeted to get a physician off the 

medical staff by an economic 

competitor who for some reason or 

the other may be more “influential” 

within the hospital. There have been 

instances where the hospital nursing 

staff has been instructed to “write up” 

every action of a “targeted” physician 

as “inappropriate”. Such false labeling 

of a targeted but innocent physician 

could be a blow to his or her practice 

resulting in loss of reputation in the 

community and loss of income. Any 

correspondence from the hospital or 

medical staff leadership that 

insinuates that a particular physician 

may be “disruptive” should be taken 

seriously and responded to 

immediately with objectivity and 

facts. If necessary, legal counsel from 

a health law attorney should be 

obtained. Otherwise, the potential for 

loss of privileges, loss of liability 

insurance, and termination of hospital 

contract could be a real one. 

Furthermore, reports to the state 

professional health program, the state 

licensure board, or the National 

Practitioner Data Bank may further 

jeopardize the physician’s career. 

Medical staff leaders need to 

carefully craft by-law provisions that 

contain procedural safeguards that 

protect due process, and offers fair 

hearing. Physicians who truly exhibit 

disruptive behavior should initially be 

referred to a medical staff wellness 

committee. The key is to get the 

physician involved as soon as 

possible. At times, requesting another 

respected physician colleague to be a 

liaison or a mentor could be useful in 

calming a disruptive physician. If 

disruptive acts recur, more formal 

action is warranted. If the physician 

behavior poses a significant risk to 

patient safety, immediate suspension 

of privileges may be necessary. If the 

physician’s behavior does not pose an 

imminent risk to patient safety, then a 

meeting should be held by the 

Medical Executive Committee, and a 

formal peer review be initiated. Peer 

review needs to be legitimate, with 

the sole purpose of protecting patients 

in furtherance of their quality of care 

and promoting safety. 

As physician leaders, and strong 

advocates for our patient’s care and 

safety, we should champion the 

policy on professionalism, define 

unacceptable behavior, and agree on 

ways and means of rectifying 

disruptive physician behavior. Thanks 

to the national impetus and the 

headlines recently made on this issue, 

it is time that we address this matter 

urgently. 


29



Suffocation 

by Riddhi Shah, M.D. 

Riddhi Shah, M.D. 

Dominica, West Indies 

...It has been a lifelong pattern 

with me to come back to strength 

from a position of extreme weakness: 

I had been almost suffocated and 

then found that I was breathing more 

deeply than ever. 

Saul Bellow 

Doctors need to be both affable 

and competent. Both of these traits 

are equally important in patient 

care. In college, I minored in 

communications, where a premium 

was placed on interacting with and 

relating to an extremely diverse 

student body. My volunteer 

activities at the time – as a science 

tutor in an inner-city high school 

and working in the Emergency 

Room of a sprawling public hospital 

focused on honing these skills 

outside the classroom. However, 

while all of these experiences added 

to my appreciation for medicine, it 

took a near tragedy in the second 

half of my sophomore year of 

college for me to fully realize the 

responsibilities entrusted to a 

physician, and ideals I should strive 

towards both as a medical student 

and as a practicing physician. 

A little more than four years ago 

(even though it still feels like last 

week), after my friends and I had 

returned from a carefree Spring 

Break, my routine physical was 

anything but routine. My doctor’s 

hands lingered a little too long, and 

she seemed to grimace a little. First, I 

mentally scolded myself for being 

paranoid, but I knew as soon as she 

asked if I performed monthly breast 

exams that something was wrong. 

Only after helping me up did she tell 

me that there was a suspicious mass 

in my breast. She gave me a moment 

for this to sink in, and then quietly 

asked if I wanted to tell my mother, or 

if she should break the news. I 

opened my mouth to speak, but no 

words came out. Weakly, I nodded, 

still thinking that I could wake up 

from this bad dream at any moment. 

When my mother entered the 

exam room, my doctor explained the 

situation as delicately as she could. 

She detailed tests I would have to 

undergo to determine whether this 

was a tumor or a cyst, the likely 

outcome of each and a tentative plan 

of action. Upon hearing “tumor” my 

mother’s eyes glazed over, since for 

her (and most other Indian parents), 

tumor almost reflexively means 

cancer. Patiently, my doctor went 

through the explanation again, even 

more delicately this time, and then 

added that there was no chance I 

had cancer. 

I returned home utterly shocked and 

confused. My head, full of answerless 

questions, was spinning. Why me? 

Was this because of something I had 

done? And of course, what now? Not 

knowing what to do, I sought truth in 

statistics since after all, numbers don’t 

lie. On the Internet, I found statistics 

that teenagers develop breast cancer 

about 5% of the time. The first thing I 

did was call my doctor. She had lied; 

there was a chance, albeit a very small 

one. She tried her best to console me 

and then reminded me that since I 

wasn’t just a number, it made no sense 

to look for comfort in them. 

The rest of that semester was spent 

scurrying from one doctor to another. 

For the first time in my life, 

schoolwork had taken a back seat. 

Everywhere I went both the doctors 

and the nurses did their best to 

convince me that they understood 

how I felt. Even though I knew they 

couldn’t possibly, their concern was 

both palpable and genuine. I still 

remember how the doctor performing 

my biopsy sent for someone to hold 

my hand and talk to me during the 

procedure so that I wouldn’t see the 

needle she used. 

A few days after my biopsy, my 

doctor informed me that I had a 

benign tumor and that due to its size, 

it would be best to remove it. I 

could also just leave it alone, and 

undergo surveillance in which case it 

could potentially do more harm. I 

opted for the surgery since although 

scary; it was less scary than the 

alternative. The surgery was 

scheduled for August. 

August came and went and 

eventually, everything settled down. 

In the end, I was left with memories 

and a scar, neither of which will ever 

fade completely. My work 

experiences in college had helped me 

develop some of the skills required to 

me a doctor, but I wasn’t able to 

completely internalize what being a 

physician required until I had almost 

“suffocated”. The opportunity to give 

others the same warm care I received 

is the impetus that will always keep 

me going. 

30 www.aapiusa.org



Distinguished AAPI Members AMA Awards 

Dear Friends, 

The AAPI Leadership would like to 

congratulate our distinguished AAPI 

members who have been recognized 

by the American Medical Association 

for their commitment and dedication 

to excellence in their fields. 

Sincerely, 

Sanku S. Rao, MD 

President AAPI 

Dr. Nathan Davis 

International Award in 

Medicine 

The AMA Foundation’s Dr. Nathan 

Davis International Awards in 

Medicine and Public Health 

annually honor physicians or health 

sector organizations that further 

health information and medical 

practice worldwide. Named for the 

founder of the AMA, the awards 

expand the thirteen-year tradition of 

the Dr. Nathan Davis Awards 

Program-currently presented for 

outstanding service in the 

international arena. With the 

presentation of these awards, the 

AMA Foundation strives to 

encourage and stimulate 

international recognition of the 

highest standards of service that 

advance the well being of all. 

AppaRao Mukkamala, MD 

Grand Blanc, Michigan 

Established NRI Medical College 

and General Hospital in the state of 

Andhra Pradesh, India. The medical 

school has dramatically impacted 

health care in India by providing a 

stream of physicians into the country 

as well as cutting-edge medical 

research and free care to the 

community. 

Leadership Award Recipients 

The Leadership Awards honor 56 

outstanding medical students, 

residents/fellows, early career 

physicians and established 

physicians from across the country. 

These leaders display strong nonclinical 

leadership skills in advocacy, 

community service, public health or 

education. 

RESIDENTS/FELLOWS 

(Total 13) 

Jaspal Ahluwalia MD 

Derwood, MD 

Sabesan Karuppiah MD 

Paterson, NJ 

EARLY CAREER PHYSICIANS 

(Total 14) 

Noel Deep MD, FACP 

Antigo, WI 

Apurv Gupta MD, MPH 

Barrington, RI 

Shilpen Patel MD 

Seattle, WA 

MEDICAL STUDENTS 

( Total 15) 

Manisha Bahl 

Chico, CA 

AAPI Special Recognition 

Roshni Kulkarni, MD 

National Hemophilia Foundation 

Lifetime Achievement Award 


31


American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin 

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE 

(Please use UPPERCASE letters to update the form) 

First Name Middle Initial Last Name 

Primary Address (Home/Office) City/State/Zip 

Secondary Address (Home/Office) 

City/State/Zip 

Home Phone Office Phone Fax 

Email Address 

Medical School & State 

Name of Spouse if MD (Please submit another form with full details of the Spouse) 

………………………………………………………………………....................... 

Current Information (If different from Above) 

First Name Middle Initial Last Name 

Primary Address (Home/Office) City/State/Zip 

Secondary Address (Home/Office) 

City/State/Zip 

Home Phone Office Phone Fax 

Email Address 

Medical School & State 

Signature Date 

Please send correspondence to: (by mail or fax) 

AAPI Executive Office 

vkodali@aapiusa.net 

Attn. Vijaya Kodali O: (630) 990-2277 

600 Enterprise Drive, Suite 108 F: (630) 990-2281 

Oak Brook, IL 60523 

32 www.aapiusa.org

AAPI 

MEMBER’S APPLICATION



AAPI Membership Status Report 

As a patron member of AAPI, you 

hold a unique leadership status in the 

community you live in. AAPI has come 

a long way since its humble beginning 

in 1982 to become the largest ethnic 

Organization in the USA. However, the 

health and strength of our organization 

is its membership. 

Sometimes we are asked “What is 

the benefit of AAPI Membership”? Your 

membership benefit committee under 

the leadership of Dr. Anil Khosla, Dr. 

Lakhu Rohra are working over a 

‘Benefits Package’. Here are some of 

the areas and companies we are 

exploring: 

a. Banking: Bank of America, Citi 

Group (Exclusively for AAPI 

Members) 

b. Airline Programs: Air India, Air 

France, Jet Airways, Continental 

c. Life Insurance: New York Life, 

Nationwide 

d. Mortgage: JP Morgan-WAMU 

e. Medical/Surgical: Henry Schein, 

McKesson 

f. Telecommunication: Verizon, 

Cingular, Sprint, TrueRoots (TATA) 

g. Car Rental Program: Hertz, Avis 

h. Entertainment: Asian Television 

Network 

i. Computers: Dell 

j. Payroll: ADP 

We are working with Malpractice 

Insurance carriers. We hope to 

negotiate most of the benefits by early 

2009. We are also working to build a 

state of art IT Platform and in the next 

few months our website is going to be 

interactive and user friendly. 

You may consider giving a gift of 

AAPI Patron membership to a family or 

friend at a reduced rate of $500.00 for 

single physician & $750.00 for 

physician couple. You can download 

the membership application or use the 

one found on page 33 of this 

publication. 

Thank you for your continued 

support and wishing you and your 

family happines and success 

throughout the coming years. 

Sanku S. Rao, M.D. 

President, AAPI 

sankuraook@sbcglobal.net 

Ajeet R. Singhvi, M.D. 

Vice President, AAPI 

asinghvi@aol.com 

DR MOHAN DURVE PRESENTS CME PROGRAMS FOR YEAR 2009-2010 

*trips Dr. Durve will be escorting. 

South Africa July 16 - 31 or Nov 5 - 17, 2009 From $2519 

Australia/New Zealand Aug 3 - 17or Sept 7 - 21, 2009 $4699w/air from LA 

Russian River Cruise July 25 - Aug 5, 2009 From $2659 

China w/ Yangtze River Cruise September 3 - 19, 2009 (air buy 1 get 1 free) From $2849 

Croatia (DalmationCost,Italy, Slovenia) June 15-25 or Sept 29-Oct 8, 2009 From $2049 

Iceland June 21 - 28, 2009 From $1849 

*Bermuda Cruise July 5 - 12, 2009 (Deadline April 15) From $914 

Alaska Cruise (Anchorage to Vancouver) July 15-22, 2009 (Deadline April 25) Balcony From $1170 

*Maan Sarovar & Kailash (by helicopter) Aug 30 - Sept 13, 2009 From $3900 

Himalayan Kingdoms (Bhutan,Nepal,Sikkim) Sept 13 – 27, 2009 Call for price 

Spain & Morocco Sept 17, 2009 From $3449 

S. America Oct 13 – 27, 2009 From $4149 

Jordan & Egypt Oct 15 - 29, 2009 From $3699 

*Scotland Oct 17 - 26, 2009 From $1749 

Egypt Oct 21 – Nov 1, 2009 From $2369 

Antarctica Dec 3-16, 2009 From $6799 

Morocco Dec 24 – Jan 2, 2010 From $2399 

*Jordan w/opt pre- Syria Jan 10 - 15, 2010 From $999 

*Namibia w/optional Botswana Safari Feb 17 - 24, 2010 From $4999 

Antarctica Feb 13 – 26, 2010 From $7190 

*Oberammergau s Passion Play (Offered only once every 10 years) w/ France & Bavaria 

Sept 17-27, 2010; 11 days 

$3749 Land Only 

Call Dr. Mohan Durve at 888-794-1995 or 440-845-7272 E-mail at: mjdurve@yahoo.com or mjdurve@sbcglobal.net. 

We will also organize Family or group vacations to your dream destinations on your dates of choice! 


35

Members In The News 


Dr. Raj Gupta 

AAPI congratulates its Patron 

Member Dr. Raj Gupta, for being 

elected as 216th President of the 

Medical Society of New Jersey, a 

largest and an oldest medical 

Association in USA. 

Dr. Gupta is a practicing Gastroenterologist 

in Princeton, New 

Jersey. He is recipient of the 

Outstanding Leadership Award from 

AMA. 

Dr. Gupta has been recognized by 

several professional and 

philanthropic organizations for his 

long dedicated services. He has 

served in panel discussions on 

Heath Policy Issues at various 

national seminars. He has also 

participated in AAPI’s Panel 

discussion. 

Dr. Gupta firmly believes in 

“sacred relationship between 

physician and patient.” He is 

concerned that this sacred 

relationship is being ignored and 

under attack in the bigger health 

care debates, centered around cost 

and profitability. 

It is matter of 

great pride that 

one of us, has 

been chosen to 

lead a prestigious 

Medical Society 

of New Jersey. 

AAPI extends heartiest 

congratulations to Dr. Raj Gupta. 

Dr. AppaRao Mukkamala 

Dr. Nathan Davis International 

Award in Medicine – The AMA 

Foundation’s Dr. Nathan Davis 

International Awards in Medicine 

and Public Health annually honors 

physicians or health sector 

organizations that further health 

information and medical practice 

worldwide. Named for the founder 

of the AMA, the awards expand the 

thirteen-year tradition of the Dr. 

Nathan Davis Awards Programcurrently 

presented for outstanding 

service in the international arena. 

With the presentation of these 

awards, the AMA Foundation strives 

to encourage and stimulate 

international recognition of the 

highest standards of service that 

advance the well being of all. 

Established NRI Medical College 

and General Hospital in the state of 

Andhra Pradesh, India. The medical 

school has dramatically impacted 

health care in India by providing a 

stream of physicians into the country 

as well as cutting-edge medical 

research and free care to the 

community. Dr. Mukkamala, one of 

our past 

presidents of AAPI 

is a board 

certified 

radiologist 

practicing in Flint, 

Michigan for over 

30 years. He is 

currently the Director/Chairman of 

the Board of American Physician 

Capital, Inc. and is the immediate 

past president of Michigan State 

Medical Society. 

Dr. Shastri Swaminathan 

President, Illinois State Medical 

Society • Shastri Swaminathan, 

M.D., is a board-certified 

psychiatrist from Chicago. In 

addition to his private medical 

practice, he is the current medical 

director of the Department of 

Psychiatry at Advocate Illinois 

Masonic Medical Center in Chicago 

and a clinical associate professor at 

the University of Illinois College of 

Medicine. 

A member of ISMS since 1990, 

Dr. Swaminathan most recently 

served as president-elect of ISMS 

representing Chicago area 

physicians on the Society’s Board of 

Trustees. Locally, Dr. Swaminathan 

is a past-president of the Chicago 

Medical Society. He has also served 

as president for the Indian American 

Medical Association, the Illinois 

Psychiatric Society, and is a current 

member of the Illinois delegation to 

the America Medical Association. 

Dr. Swaminathan 

received his 

medical degree 

from All India 

Institute of 

Medical Sciences, 

New Delhi, India. He performed his 

residency at Northwestern 

University Medical School, Chicago. 

Dr. Swaminathan’s term as 

president runs through April 2009. 


37

Members In The News 


Dr. Roshni Kulkarni 

Dr. Roshni Kulkarni, Professor and 

Director, Pediatric & Adolescent 

Hematology/Oncology. 

Director (Pediatric) MSU Centers 

for Bleeding and Clotting Disorders 

Department of Pediatrics and 

Human Development, Michigan 

State University and Distinguished 

Hematology Consultant, Division of 

Blood Disorders (DBD), NCBDDD; 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) was recently 

honored by the National 

Hemophilia Foundation’s with its 

highest recognition, Award of 

Excellence, Lifetime Achievement at 

the 60th annual meeting in Denver 

Colorado in 2008. 

Dr. Kulkarni was the former 

director of the Division of Blood 

Disorders, at the CDC. She is a 

member of numerous local, regional 

and national committees, reviewer 

for many journals and is active in 

research and has received numerous 

awards. In 2003 she was the 

recipient of the National 

Hemophilia Foundation’s award of 

excellence as the “Physician of the 

Year”. In 2004 she received the 

“Distinguished Faculty” award from 

the College of Human Medicine, 

Michigan State University. In 2007 

she was named to “Best Doctors in 

America”. 

Her work includes raising global 

awareness regarding women/ 

adolescents and babies with 

bleeding disorders to prevent 

complications such as excess 

periods, post partum hemorrhage 

intracranial hemorrhages. 

As a part of her ongoing interest in 

education, she has developed 

animations on 

hemostasis that 

are available on 

the web at 

msu.edu/user/phd, 

reddymed.com 

and 

hemostasiscme.org 

(cell based 

coagulation). She 

continues to mentor junior faculty 

both at hers and other institutions. 

Dr. Kulkarni’s major interest is 

encouraging the development of 

well funded Blood Disorders Centers 

that will not only serve bleeding and 

clotting, rare blood disorders and 

hemoglobinopathies communities 

but will be a training ground to 

retain and sustain providers of this 

specialty world wide. 

Dr. Prasad Srinivasan 

The first World Tamils Economic 

Convention Diaspora meeting was 

held in Chennai in January 2009. 

Dr. Prasad Srinivasan was a speaker 

at the health care forum and 

highlighted the activities and 

achievements of AAPI both in India 

and the United States. 

He was featured on the cover of 

India Today (Tamil Edition) with an 

article inside the magazine 

highlighting his speech. 

The caption on the cover reads 

“Golden Tamilians” 

Poem: When I Took Off My White Coat 

by Sharmeela Saha, M.D. 

Whenever there’s a pause in my life, I let myself think 

about you. 

Just before I go to sleep, or when I can relax after 

finishing a day’s work. 

I know you wouldn’t want anyone to be so sad, let 

alone the people you loved. 

But you couldn’t stay with ordinary people. 

No one could be human and be as kind, selfless as you. 

Everyone you interacted with felt like they meant 

something to you – which I am sure they did. 

No one can ever be as accepting and loving as you. 

It’s infuriating to think you aren’t here 

For us to call when we need you, 

When we might just want to hear your voice, 

Give you hug, see your smile, 

Or hear your contagious laugh. 

I never wanted to feel this deep grief. 

It’s not any normal kind of mourning. 

It’s the feeling that you really can’t ever be fully 

happy again. 

I’m chasing something completely unattainable. 

But I’m thankful you were my brother. 

I’m so grateful that we visited 

Just four days before you stopped speaking. 

I’m thankful for that last tease. 


39


December 19, 2008 

Krishnoswami Vijayaraghavan, M.B.B.S., F.A.C.C. 

2817 E Ludlow Dr 

Phoenix, AZ 85032-5665 

Dr. Vijayaraghavan, 

Congratulations on your position as the newest member of our Board of Governors and welcome to one of the 

leading bodies of the College. Being elected by your colleagues to this position of professional leadership reflects 

the respect which you have earned from your peers and the high esteem in which you are held. 

The Board of Governors advises the college of membership opinions and informs members of the policies and 

actions of the College. As a member of the Board of Governors, you will represent the needs and opinions of the 

members within your state/province and have the opportunity to implement ACC national initiatives locally. 

Your membership in this exclusive body offers you the opportunity to work closely with renowned physicians in the 

cardiology profession, as well as much professional and personal growth and satisfaction. Your role as Governor is 

timeless during the upcoming national deliberations on health system and payment reform in which ACC and the 

Chapters must be intimately involved. 

While being a Governor carries with it the responsibility of leadership, the College recognizes that you volunteer 

your time to the ACC because of your commitment to your profession. Therefore, the College and its staff will 

provide you with the tools and resources necessary to successfully accomplish your goals and the goals of your 

constituency. We hope you will take advantage of these resources. 

We look forward to working with you in the future and meeting you at the January Leadership Forum. 

Our best to you in the coming year and to you and your family during the holidays. 

W. Douglas Weaver, M.D., F.A.C.C. 

President, American College of Cardiology 

Jack Lewin, M.D. 

CEO, American College of Cardiology 


41


AAPI Upcoming Events 

AAPI Spring Governing Body Meeting 

Hosted by the Indian Medical Association of 

New England 

April 10th to 12th, 2009 

Boston, Massachusetts 

Venue: 

Renaissance Hotel on the South Boston 

Waterfront 

606 Congress Street • Boston, Massachusetts 

1-888-796-4664 

Group Code: 

AAPI/IMANE *Discount available until March 20th* 

Registration: 

Governing Body members please RSVP with 

the AAPI Office 

AAPI Spring Legislative Day 

Tuesday April 28th, 2009 

Capitol Hill, Washington, DC 

Registration: 

Contact AAPI Office 

AAPI 27th Annual Convention 

Dolphin Hotel and Convention Center 

June 10th-14th 2009 

Orlando, FL 

Exhibition and Member Registration Online at: 

www.aapiconvention.com 

convention@aapiusa.net 

Poem: Superwomen 

by Vimal Goyle, M.D. 

Here we come women of WPC 

All different sizes and physique 

Some of us are tall, medium and short 

Some of us are average, thin and fat 

We also come in light and dark brown shades 

Have different languages and culinary tastes 

But will speak with one voice and behave 

Debate different issues in GBM and AAPI convention 

Will make women forum a real hot event 

We wear different hat at home and at work 

Make life and death decisions at the job 

No matter what we have as career 

Will always be the wife and the Mom 

The keeper of the social calendar indeed 

We also play Mom Doc, when called by kids at 2am 

About their allergies, cough, fever and cold 

No matter what and whatever it is 

We appreciate the family support 

Without them, we will not be able to 

Act and accomplish like supermoms for sure 

Do not mean to be arrogant at all 

Just the experiences of women,s lives 

We are trying to tell the way it is like. 

42 www.aapiusa.org

AAPI Executive Office 

600 Enterprise Drive, Suite 108 

Oakbrook, IL 60523 

PRSRT STD 

U.S. POSTAGE 

PAID 

Tampa, FL 

PERMIT # 4309

Great Equalization: Is MBBS From India Equal To M.D. In U.S.A?

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