Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Dr. Vivek Murthy attend gala.
By The American Bazaar Staff
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: The 32nd annual convention of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) attended by nearly 2,000 delegates from across the nation, concluded at the Grand Hyatt Henry Gonzalez Convention Center here, on Sunday.
The outgoing president Dr. Jayesh Shah administered the oath of office to Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar, the new president of AAPI during the Presidential Gala on Saturday. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, India’s health minister, attended the meet. Also present at the gala was Dr. Vivek Murthy, President Barack Obama’s nominee for US Surgeon General.
In his speech, Jahagirdar said his vision for AAPI will focus on five vital areas: Education, Community/Charitable service, Member Support Programs, Mentorship and the Mantle, and Legislative Action.
“AAPI must not forget and should assist those amongst us who have suffered injustice. Mentoring the younger AAPI member and officer is critical for our sustenance,” he said, adding, “AAPI should continue its traditional efforts, as well as work with other organizations for causes of mutual interest.”
Earlier, Nina Davuluri, the reigning Miss America, was the keynote speaker at an inspiring Women’s Forum Session.
Davuluri recounted her own personal story of how she stayed focused and worked hard to achieve her childhood dream to win the coveted title, sometimes even when her family did not encourage her. Davuluri urged participants to share “representative thoughts and stories about their experiences on how we as a nation can advance cultural awareness,” through social media.
“Today, we see so many successful women playing several roles being entrepreneurs and politicians. We are gathered here today to empower all these wonderful women. It is time to embark on a new journey of equal opportunity and acceptance,” Dr. Rajam Ramamurthy pointed out.
Highlights of the convention included healthy cooking session by Sanjay Thumma, a fashion show, with the models led by Nina Davuluri, and a live musical night by Kumar Sanu and Senthil Ramamurthy.
During the first of its kind, a formal concluding ceremony was held on Sunday where the Convention Chair passed on the “light” to the next Convention Chair, Dr. Amish Parikh, who will be coordinating the next convention in Orlando, Florida, from June 17th to 21st, 2015.