MAMCOAANA

Thank you for your vote of confidence in me to lead MAMCOAANA this year as your president and host for our next convention coming up in July 2024.

We are recovering from the pandemic as it had led to cancellations of our annual conventions for 2020 and 2021. Subsequently the 2022 convention was hosted by Dr.Rajesh Malik and Dr. Pooja Malik in Atlantic City, New Jersey and then Drs Ashish and Monica Dua in Pittsburgh in 2023. The evening, dinners and dancing was very enjoyable in each of these meetings: We all will remember the river cruise and the lovely music in downtown Pittsburgh. The CME lectures, as always, were lively and thought-provoking.

I myself, owe a lot to this organization and its members. From interviewing for residency positions, traveling to different hospitals and staying with them, I am indebted to my friends from MAMC . Even professionally as a Nephrologist it has been very satisfying to stay connected with MAMC colleagues.

Friends, the Harvard study on health and aging states that “Good genes are nice, but joy is better”. We know that strong friendships, and relationships are crucial for good health and life. At MAMCOAANA we are a family and not
only do we have a shared Alma mater, but we have a shared cultural heritage, and a strong sense of belonging.

Many years ago I had attended the MAMCOAANA convention after becoming a lifetime member. Every time I attend, I feel reconnecting to my roots. The DNA gets rejuvenated and I find the meeting very uplifting. Every MAMCOAANA convention is just pure pleasure to attend.

Therefore, it is very important to take a few days off for the meeting to recharge and go back healthier and stronger to take care of our families and patients. Indeed, it is remarkable how many of us are doing amazing things. From leading institutions, departments and training residency and fellowship programs to running successful practices and companies while helping so many communities and human beings get healthier as well as helping their families.

It is heartening to see, MAMC graduates staying connected with each other through the various vigorous WhatsApp groups. The annual convention is a culmination of everybody’s efforts to stay connected. I would urge
everyone to make every effort to attend the 2024 annual convention.

I want MAMCOAANA to be a thriving organization which would exist in perpetuity.

One of the initiatives I would like to increase the social media outreach of the MAMCOAANA. This is crucial as we need to engage with MAMC graduates within the last 20 years. While we do have social media handles it would be wonderful to have our savvy younger colleagues come forward to take charge of our social media presence for their like minded generation.

We would also like to continue our philanthropic efforts to help our Alma mater MAMC and its graduates who are coming to North America as they are the future of this organization.

Additional details regarding the 38th annual convention for July 2024 in Philadelphia/Wilmington are on our Annual Meeting page. Please save the date for August 8-11 and apply for your vacation. Our strength is in numbers and we hope to see everybody there. Also, graduates of LHMC and UCMS are welcome to attend. Please spread the word.

Best wishes,
Manish Garg, MD, FASN, FACP

Fellow Maulanians,

The new year has started and we are moving quickly through the cold winter months. Looking forward to an early spring and a bright summer in the city of Pittsburgh, the venue for our annual MAMCOAANA meeting.

We, the Pittsburgh planning committee has made it our mission to assemble you together under one roof. There has been plenty of activity on our WhatsApp groups and it would be fitting to carry on these riveting discussions in person.
It also would be an opportunity to discern what the city of Pittsburgh has to offer.

Our venue Sheraton hotel is in the heart of iconic station square Station Square.

It sits across from the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and the Ohio rivers. Our Friday evening will be spent on the Gateway Clipper cruising blissfully across these three rivers. There are plenty of local attractions from our venue.

Indulge yourself in riding one of the original 1877 cable cars on a 400 foot incline to the top of mount Washington with majestic views of the city. Duquesne Incline.

Hop across the river to the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers at the old Heinz field or take the kids to the world famous Carnegie science center.

Up ahead to the right across the Mon river are the corporate headquarters of the two health care giants. UPMC and Highmark are the tallest buildings in the downtown area.

The surrounding area has been revamped with some of the finest restaurants and premier shops. The area boasts of some of the exceptional centers of performing arts. Heinz hall owned by the Pittsburgh symphony and The Benedum center.

The world-famous Carnegie museums belong to the city of Pittsburgh including The Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Museum of art, Carnegie Museum of natural history and the science center.

Oakland area of Pittsburgh houses the university of Pittsburgh and the eminent Carnegie Mellon university.

Cathedral of learning commissioned in 1921 by Pitt chancellor stands tall at 535 feet and is the second tallest academic building in the world. It houses classrooms for the students of Pitt and the world-renowned nationality rooms.

Phipps conservatory and botanical gardens is a Pittsburgh historic landmark listed in the national register of historic places built in 1893.

For those who would like to venture out east of Pittsburgh, there is the famous Fallingwater house designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 in the Laurel Highlands of southwest Pennsylvania built partly over a waterfall.

Clearly Pittsburgh has a lot to offer and sightseeing aside , opportunity to meet some old friends and make new ones will be treasured forever

It will be an honor to host you at our 37th annual MAMCOAANA convention from July 27-30th, 2023.

Sincerely
Pittsburgh MAMCOAANA committee

Dear fellow Maulanians,

It gives me great pleasure to host the 37th annual MAMCOAANA convention in Pittsburgh next year.

Dr. Rajesh and Pooja Malik had organized a wonderful convention at the Hard Rock Cafe and hotel, Atlantic City in July 2022. The opportunity to meet everybody after the hiatus of 2 years can only be described as pure joy and relief. The CME lectures by our distinguished MAMC alumni were invigorating and thought provoking. The Evenings were fun filled with a Bollywood themed party on Friday and foot tapping music and dance on Saturday. We even had Yoga and exciting salsa lessons. The after party went into the wee hours of the morning just like the good old days.

We are inspired to recreate this magic next year and build new memories.

We are fortunate to have a large MAMC family in our region and it gave us great pleasure to get together recently. This was a Mini MAMCOAANA event and all of us are looking forward to welcoming you to Pittsburgh next year.

We will be updating the website with news, brochures and planned CME programs over the coming months.

Looking forward to seeing you next year!

Venue and dates:
Sheraton Station Square
Pittsburgh
July 27-30th 2023

Sincerely,
Aashish Dua (88 batch)

Dear Maulanians in North America

I am humbled by the trusted vote of confidence from all of you, to lead MAMCOAANA as your president again for the year 2021-2022. We share a common goal to remain connected and involved in mutual growth at personal and organizational level and I hope to further that for us, and our families.

Last two years have been very stressful by all means for every human being in this world with a pandemic of this magnitude. We all have lost a lot in these two long years. As you may recall, in 2020 the Atlantic City annual convention had to be cancelled. And then, again this year in 2021, the Pittsburgh annual convention being arranged by Dr. Ashish Dua had to be cancelled as well. As we can see hope of some normalcy coming into our lives in the next few months, we start preparations for our annual convention 2022, to be held at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City.

The value of family, friends and colleagues have been revitalized in these trying times. We all shall continue to meet and support each other in these times, and beyond.

Talking about the MAMCOAANA family, I still vividly recall the month of November/December 1996, when I landed in JFK for my interviews for residency. I had no place to go in NY, and had no idea how I would manage once I landed at the airport. Alone and rather short on ideas and money, I was helped that day by a Maulanian who had come to the airport to pick up some other person. Thereafter I met many Maulanians during the course of my residency who helped me at every step. After my residency, I had to go back to India because I couldn’t find a J1-waiver in time, and again I was subsequently rescued by a Maulanian in processing my subsequent visa and work status to be in the United States. A senior Maulanian from Melbourne, Florida was one such instrumental in my journey to work and live in this land of dreams called the USA. I am sure many of us can relate to my struggles, experiences. And it is to you – the Maulanians out there – that I owe some of my story and achievements. Thank you!

After coming back to the USA in October 2002, like so many of us, I got busy with just living my life, finding my place to place my roots, build a home, have a family and start a private practice.

I recall attending my very first MAMCOAANA in Philadelphia 2011, hosted by Dr. Vikas Khurana, and his wife Dr. Ritu Khurana. Being able to meet so many people we knew and then a lot more who I met for the first time was indescribable. It gave a sense of friendship, home and warmth that nothing can equal. Over the years it now feels like a family reunion that I love attending with my wife and daughters every year.

Becoming a lifetime member of MAMCOAANA seemed to seal this connection of family and friendship – a commitment from me to my MAMC brotherhood, and a commitment from MAMCOAANA to me for forever warmth.

I urge each one of you to consider becoming life members of MAMCOAANA. Your membership fee allows the organization to stay alive for future Maulanians so they may find a similar platform for themselves when they are ready to re-establish the bonds they left behind in their alma mater. As in the past few years, we are reducing life membership rates until the end of 2021 again.

I personally invite all Maulanians, with family, to the 38th annual convention in Hard Rock Hotel, Atlantic City from July 28 to 31, 2022. Cyber connections via social media aside, there is nothing quite like the old fashioned, yet never out of fashion, face to face interaction. We have come a long way from where we started 38 years ago as an organization, and with the hard work done by our predecessors; we have a sound framework to be able to enjoy the exceptional CME, great entertainment and the priceless ‘gupshup’ that is forever rejuvenating like nothing else is.

Life membership enrollments are open already. Stay tuned for updates and convention registrations for Atlantic City, NJ 2022, on mamcoaana.org

Sincerely

Rajesh Malik, MD ( batch of 1990)