In a landmark moment, Indian-origin doctor Dr. Bobby Mukkamala was sworn in as the AMA’s 180th president on June 11, 2025, becoming the first Indian-American to head the powerful group. Mukkamala, who has just recovered from surgery for an 8-cm brain tumor, attributed his success to his immigrant parents and his upbringing in Flint, Michigan, during an emotional inaugural speech.
“When I was recovering from brain surgery at the Mayo Clinic, this recognition was a far cry,” Mukkamala said in his address to AMA members, recalling his recovery from a potentially lethal condition. The Flint-based ENT specialist, who was born to Indian immigrant physicians Apparao and Sumathi Mukkamala, was very clear about highlighting his parents’ sacrifices. “I stand here on the shoulders of my parents, who believed America offered opportunities not possible in India,” he said. Mukkamala, who earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan and completed residency at Loyola University in Chicago, practices alongside his wife, Dr. Nita Kulkarni, an obstetrician-gynecologist. They have two sons, Nikhil, a biomedical engineer, and Deven, a PhD candidate in political science.
Please join us in celebrating the inauguration of Bobby Mukkamala, MD, the 180th president of . Dr. Mukkamala is an accomplished otolaryngologist based in Flint, Michigan, with over two decades of dynamic leadership in organized medicine and public health. He is also the…
— AMA (@AmerMedicalAssn)
Mukkamala has been a leading AMA voice, serving as chair of the Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force to address the overdose epidemic through evidence-based policy. Public service includes leading the Community Foundation of Greater Flint through the city’s water crisis to address mitigating lead exposure in children. In his remarks, he emphasized health disparities in under-served communities such as Flint, where life expectancy is almost six years lower than the national standard, according to CDC statistics. “My wife and I have seen these disparities up close,” he said, citing the increasing shortage of physicians and economic pressures driving doctors out of private practice.
Mukkamala urged prompt reforms to eliminate gaps in the US healthcare system. Struggling for proper health coverage and a sustainable, equitable model of healthcare is vital,” he urged, cautioning that patients are prevented from seeing them as physicians wrestle. He recounted a patient’s devotion after surgery, waiting six weeks for his return, in order to emphasise trust in physicians. As AMA president, Mukkamala will seek to promote accessible, affordable care and greater government funding for research and for public health. “Our patients, physicians, and country deserve better,” he stated.
The nomination has widely resonated, with X users such as @HealthEquityNow commending Mukkamala’s emphasis on underserved communities. His background of perseverance and immigrant achievement has lifted many, with tweets referring to him as a “trailblazer for Indian Americans.” As he starts his term, Mukkamala’s leadership is set to influence U.S. healthcare policy under urgent challenges.
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