AAPI faces challenge of bringing in second generation leadership; says body's president

“Major challenges are to bring the next generation of leadership into the mainstream of AAPI,” Dr Ravi Kolli, the president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian-Origin (AAPI), told PTI in a recent interview.

Also Read:India's Cancer crisis: Padma Shri Indian American Oncologist offers 5-point 'Panchamrit' solution

Explaining the challenge, Kolli said that sometimes due to cultural and generational gap, the mainstream second-generation young physician tend to keep to themselves and are associated with their own small peer group, but don’t not looking at the big picture of joining a larger national ethnic organisation that can actually help promote their values of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Into its 41st year, AAPI represents over 120,000 Indian-American physicians and has over 130 local Chapters across the US.

Responding to a question, Dr Kolli acknowledged that the second generation of Indian-American doctors are not very enthusiastic in joining AAPI and take over the mantle of leading this prestigious organisation.

“Some of it is, constraints related to priorities in life: You are just coming out of medical school and training program, your priority will be economic security, supporting and having a life lifestyle, a work life balance. So those priorities take precedence. So we're trying to recruit medical student residents at a young stagee,” Dr Kolli said.

He said that AAPI is now trying to incentivise these young doctors by offering them leadership roles in every committee and promoting their leadership roles in every phase of the AAPI structure.

“The barriers are time constraints, priority constraints, and their own financial constrictions. And also culturally, sometimes they don't understand the process as well. It's a democratic process, so they need to participate. They just cannot be given a role without having been part of the structure,” the AAPI president said.

AAPI, he said, is now offering opportunities and incentives to the young generation of Indian American doctors.

Said to be one of the influential organisations of physicians, AAPI is holding its 41st annual convention in Philadelphia this summer – July 6 to 9.

To be attended by top Indian-American physicians, the three-day convention is likely to see some of the leading politicians and celebrities from the two countries addressing.

“I want to focus on all the aspects of well-being. My theme is total and true health is the well-being of mind, body, and spirit. We are going to focus on all aspects of wellbeing in a holistic way, in a person-centered way,” Dr Kolli said.

“We are going to have topics covering mental health and physical health, spiritual health and wellness, lifestyle medicine, as well as physician medicine,” he said.