The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) – Medical Students, Residents, and Fellows (MSRF), AAPI-MSRF, hosted its annual MSRF & Premed Medical Scholars Summit at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, from January 25-26, 2025.

Organized by a team of medical students and residents of Indian origin, the summit was led by the MSRF Executive Board, including Dr. Priya Uppal (President), Priyanka Kolli (President-Elect), Sohi Mistry (Vice President), Priyal Shah (Treasurer), and Drishti Patel (Secretary).

AAPI-MSRF serves as a national platform representing medical, dental, and podiatry students, as well as resident physicians of Indian origin in North America. Its mission is to foster networking, mentorship, and communication among its members, said the AAPI-MSRF statement.

In the statement, AAPI President Dr. Satheesh Kathula emphasized the organization’s commitment to engaging second-generation physicians. “My priority has been to engage the second-generation physicians and foster mentorship to ensure AAPI’s continued relevance and vitality,” he stated, adding that AAPI is forming a committee of accomplished academicians to mentor aspiring physicians from both India and the U.S.

Dr. Uppal highlighted the summit’s impact, saying, “We had over 100 attendees at the two-day event, with highlights that included our residency and fellowship panel, where attendees had the opportunity to ask questions directly of program directors from various surgical and non-surgical specialties. We also featured a medical school admissions Q&A with the Dean of Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and an MCAT advice lecture from a 520+ scorer.”

This year’s event welcomed high school students, encouraging them to begin their pre-medical journeys early. The research symposium, featuring oral and poster presentations in arts, humanities, and cutting-edge medical research, provided attendees with valuable insights and feedback from expert judges from AAPI.

 Dr. Sunil Kaza, chair of AAPI BOT, praised the interactive nature of the sessions. He said, “The two-day-long summit was packed with academic sessions,” noting the sessions encouraged active participation, helping medical students and residents navigate their careers effectively.

President-Elect of AAPI, Dr. Amit Chakrabarty said, “I strongly believe that acquiring new knowledge is crucial for professionals, especially for the physicians in a changing healthcare environment.” He further noted that the summit provided valuable insights on career development and how best to utilize available resources to help the next generation of physicians of Indian origin achieve their goals.

The panel of judges at the Medical Summit consisted of Dr. Kathula, Hematology-Oncology; Dr. Sunil Kaza, Interventional Cardiology; Dr. Raj Bhayani, Otolaryngology; Dr. Arunabh Talwar; Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine; Dr. Sumul Raval, Neuro-oncology; Dr. Zeeshan Mansuri, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; and Dr. Kinjal Solanki, Infectious Diseases.

Reflecting on the summit’s success, Dr. Uppal remarked, “Our summit is genuinely one of a kind, bringing together South Asian high schoolers, undergraduates, medical students, residents, fellows…” adding the summit offered unique networking opportunities, allowing trainees to connect with and learn from colleagues across different specialties and career stages. She also expressed gratitude to AAPI for its support and optimism for hosting the next summit.

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