NASMDA North American Sikh Medical & Dental Association
North American Sikh Medical and Dental Association an organization of Sikh Medical and Dental Professionals in the North America.
Started in the summer of 1992 at Poconos, Pennsylvania, NASMDA has grown to an organization of over 1000 Sikh medical and dental professionals spread across North America. NASMDA strives to provide a platform for Sikh medical and dental professionals to network and interact with each other while promoting the ideals and the mission of Guru Nanak. The members of NASMDA have been actively involved with helping out and supporting various Sikh organizations, young medical students and physicians. Every year an Annual Conference is held to bring all the members of NASMDA together to share and hear from prominent members from the healthcare world about research and advances in medical sciences. This conference also provides the opportunity to network, share and build a sense of community and belonging.
2012 NASMDA annual meeting will be held in Las Vegas, NV. Meeting details and registration forms are posted in the annual meeting/CME section. The meeting will take place at the Alexis Park Resort, an all-suite resort, from Thursday, October 4th 2012, to Sunday, Oct. 7th 2012 (Columbus Day Weekend).
Our decision to host our meeting at the Alexis Park Resort in Las Vegas this year was influenced by a number of factors. Extensive input was taken from members, and the major criteria that were considered included; proximity to a major airport, proximity to attractions, meeting facilities, ability to cater Indian food, and a non-gaming property. Las Vegas as whole provides a great setting as it will help attract the younger crowd, and also access to ample entertainment activities.
The meeting will kick-off on Thursday evening with a reception at 7pm. The location for the reception will be off-site and has not yet been determined but will be posted as soon as details are finalized. Following this, on Friday, the 5th, we will start bright and early with executive committee meeting at 7:30 am, and then the general membership meeting at 9:00am. The CME sessions will follow, coordinated by Dr. Mandeep Singh and Dr. Amarjit Singh. Our own multi talented and melodious, Dr Amarjit Nijjar will be hosting the Friday night cultural program after the dinner banquet. Saturday, we will again have our CME sessions in the morning, followed by the formal banquet in the evening. Entertainment by a singer that all generations will enjoy is being planned. Sikh interest groups will be presenting during the afternoons. On Sunday, we will host our golf tournament, along with other site-seeing trips and activities (based on demand).
Our major focus this year again is to attract young Sikh physicians and dentists .We are again offering travel assistance to medical /dental students, residents, and fellows to attend the meeting. If you know of any that may be interested please advise them to apply for the travel assistance via the registration form packet.
See You in Vegas, Amarjot Singh Narula, MD Secretary/Treasurer NASMDA
2011 NASMDA annual meeting was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Philadelphia from Oct 6-9, 2011. Full meeting summary is now posted in the Annual Meeting/CME section.
LIFE MEMBER LIST is up in the about us section. This list includes only the paid life members as of January 5, 2012.
Contact us at NASMDA@gmail.com
Visit our FACEBOOK page,"North American Sikh Medical and Dental Association" . Desh and Navdeep are the new administrators, and with more then three hundred active members, many interesting posts. Pictures from Philadelphia meeting are also posted here.
Philadelphia 2011. I hope everyone enjoyed the excellent meeting in Philadelphia. Meeting started with a superb reception and dinner at the Palace at the BEN. Lot of you missed this wonderful facility setup in one of the old Grand Hotels. The ambiance and food were excellent. Again it was wonderful to see so many new Sikh members, especially the younger members at the meeting. We had 30% of registration by younger members. I know it is hard for younger members because of studies,careers and children to attend, but many were able to make it. Mandeep Singh put together an excellent CME program. All the CME speakers gave great talks on their subjects. The Sikh SEVA groups brought us up to date on their continuing activities - this is truly an amazing service they do for all of us, and I hope we open our hearts generously to help them. Baljinder and Sagina amazed us with their talk on SEVA that they did in Thailand, Africa and Haiti. Actually they are ready to go for another 2 weeks to help flood victims in Thialand and are looking for volunteers. Sikhi talk on "MY GURU MY GRANTH" was a beautiful presentation. Amarjit Nijjer put together another exceptional Punjabi Mehfil, "For NASMDA, BY NASMDA" on friday night. Saturday night concert by Jaswinder Singh's group was amazing. He performed for four hours for a spellbound audience. There was such chemistry between performers and the audience that neither wanted it to end. I especially enjoyed the guitar. Many comments after the concert included "better then Jagjit Singh", "sign him up tonight for the next meeting", "phenomenal"........Some snippets of the Friday and Saturday night programs are posted on our Facebook page under "North American Sikh Medical and Dental Association". Pictures from the meeting are also posted here. NASMDA picked up many new life members. My thanks to all the new life members who have joined us in supporting this organisation.
New NASMDA Life Members:
Meeta K Ahuja MD Baldev S Brar MD Manjeet Kaur MD Gurpreet S Kochar MD Surinder S Sethi MD Jatinder K Sidhu MD Rajwant Singh MD Surender Singh MD Surinderpal S VohraMD Biren S Walia MD
Life Members are requested to send in their dues immediately.
Congratulations to our travel grant receipients for 2011:
Apwinder Kaur, MD, East Meadow, NY Amar Singh Mehta, Med Std, Pittsburg, PA Jasmeet Kaur, Med Std, Galveston, TX Kanwar Preet Singh, MD, Houston, TX Manpreet Kaur, MD, Albany, NY Sarav Paul Singh, MD, Atlanta, GA
I hope all the travel grant receipients spread the word about NASMDA and encourage many other younger sikhs to become members of our association.
Elections for the position of Secretary/Treasurer and members at large were also held. The newly elected executive committee and rest of the executive board for 2012 is as follows:
CME Directors Mandeep S Dhalla Amarjit Singh
Members at Large Kulwant S Modi Sangeeta Kaur Sirtaz S Sibia Navdeep S Nijher Maninder S Gujral
President Mohan Deep S Dhillon
Secretary/Treasurer Amarjot S Narula
Entertainment Amarjit S Nijjar
Executive Secretary Parminder K Dhillon
Past President Harcharan S Chann
Please support your new executive in all their endeavors. Dr. Amarjot Narula is the new Secretary/Treasurer and he will be now communicating with all of you. An organisation is only as successful as its members want it to be, so please get involved, support the NASMDA executive and lets make 2012 even better.
Wishing every one a Picturesque fall and Happy Thanksgiving!
Mohan Deep Singh Dhillon, MD, FAAAI, FRCP(C) President NASMDA
NASMDA goals from our bylaws:
1. To promote the interest of Sikh physicians and dentists who reside in United States, Canada and elsewhere. 2 . To support Sikh Physicians and Dentists, as well as other brilliant and deserving Sikh professionals pursuing their careers in those fields or any other fields. 3. To foster long-term associations and friendships among Sikh physicians and dentists, and to promote medical and dental institutions and improve the delivery of service in the above fields in their homeland. 4. To arrange for annual meetings of its members to exchange information, discuss policies, establish future course of action, and from time to time consider making amendments to the constitution. The Organization hold elections for the office bearers and consider other appropriate business at such meetings. 5. The organization will make efforts to have educational programs during these annual meetings presented by the members of the organization or its guests. 6. The organization will help medical and dental graduates to establish practices in different parts of the country as well as help them to obtain adequate postgraduate training in their fields of their choices.
NASMDA members have tired to implement some of these goals with varying levels of success. Please get involved and lets implement as many of these goals as we can. If there is a project that you feel you can start or contribute to, do not hesitate do get in touch with your executive committee. It is your association and where you take it is up to you.
Please send your email address to nasmda@gmail.com. This is very important for timely communication since all of it is by email only.
Thanks to all on the executive committee for sharing their ideas to further our goals. Lets work collectively to implement these ideas as well as suggestions from all the members.
Sincerely, Mohan Deep Singh Dhillon, MD, FAAAI, FRCP(C) President NASMDA