Dear Colleague, As-salaam Alaikum,
We are contacting you on behalf of the North American Medical Alumni (NAMA, www.appnanama.org)
of APPNA and the Association of Physicians of Pakistani-descent of Caribbean Medical Schools
(APPCMS).
North American and Caribbean medical school alumni of APPNA have had an increasingly active role in
APPNA (www.appna.org), the largest medical professional organization of the Pakistani diaspora. We
have participated in APPNA relief projects, medical mission trips, volunteer medical clinics, and CME
programs both here and abroad.
Caribbean and NAMA members have ascended APPNA local chapter and national leadership, including
Dr. Tayyib Rana (West Virginia University School of Medicine), who is currently a member of the APPNA
Board of Directors. We are chairs, co-chairs, and members of the APPNA Membership, CABL, and
Medical Corp committees, among others.
In speaking to many of our colleagues, we realize that, for some, your interest in APPNA has waned due
to a combination of many factors, including the ever-present focus on work, family, and other pursuits.
Many NAMA/Caribbean Lifetime members have stopped attending APPNA national meetings.
Others are unsure of what APPNA has to offer and so have not really considered joining APPNA or our
respective alumni organizations.
We are here to reassure you that our experience with APPNA has been remarkably rewarding. We have
collaborated on noteworthy projects together:
• Pakistan Flood Relief Fundraising
• Mission Trips to Muzaffarabad (Azad Kashmir) and Nowshera (KPK)
• Skill Transfer Courses in Pakistani Medical Schools
• Monthly Zoom Grand Rounds in Pakistan (i.e., Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital)
• APPNA Cornea Transplant Tissue Donation Project
• Revision of the APPNA Bylaws
• Advocating for APPNA Grant Writing
• Guidance and Observership Support for Medical Students
• APPNA National & International Meetings and Annual Conventions
• APPNA International Trips to all parts of the world
The expertise of Caribbean and NAMA alumni remains largely untapped. As more of you join APPNA as
active members, we are able to elevate the professionalism of APPNA and make substantive networks of
academicians, entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors.
Regardless of what medical school you are from, we encourage you to connect via the Caribbean/NAMA
WhatsApp group and register on the NAMA website (https://www.appnanama.org/membership-levels/)
so we can update you on opportunities for professional growth and partnership.
We will have more information regarding the NAMA/Caribbean Alumni programs at the APPNA Summer
Convention in Dallas July 5 th thru July 9 th (https://appna.org/appna-46th-annual-summer-convention-
2023/), including an excursion on Thursday, the Friday Alumni Dinner, and the Saturday Symposium. A
sneak peek of one of the Symposium topics is deciding between a private practice or academics track as
one embarks on their medical career.
Thank you in advance for your interest. We look forward to personally speaking and meeting with you.
Please feel free to share this information with your North American and Caribbean medical school
colleagues of Pakistani descent.
Sincerely,
The Executive Committees of
APPCMS 2023
NAMA 2023