CHICAGO : The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) is an organization born of the need of the hour and its success over three decades rests on the fact that its founders realized that the power to fight for their rights would come only from a united front.

In the 1970s, when physicians from India first started moving to the United States, they found themselves facing instances of overt, as well as subtle, discrimination in residency recruitment and license reciprocacy. Over time, physicians in several states got together to fight what they perceived as unfair treatment.

The Michigan Association of Physicians from India (MAPI) was formed in 1976. Several others like the India Association of Illinois and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) of New England were founded around the same time.

In the winter of 1981, in the backdrop of articles appearing in the media expressing concern over the quality of training of foreign medical graduates, a group of concerned physicians decided that there was need to form an umbrella organization of physicians of Indian origin, comprising the various local associations.

A steering committee was formed in August 1982, with Ujamlal C. Kothari as chairman and Jagan Kakarala, Ratnakar Kini, Bimsen Rao and Bhanu Shah as members.

The first national meeting was held at Dearborn, Mich., hosted by MAPI. The organizations present included the Alabama Association of Indian Physicians, Association of Indian Urologists, IMA of New England and the Indian Physicians Club of Houston. A constitution and bylaws were drafted, approved, and AAPI was born. In the two decades since, the organization has moved from strength to strength, gathering more and more members and corresponding clout along the way.

Over the years, it has succeeded in fighting discrimination, run continuing medical education courses, lobbied successfully for the rights of practitioners and patients in Congress and carried out major philanthropic work in the U.S. and India, besides conducting studies on community health issues, like the ongoing one on diabetes among South Asians.

The AAPI prides itself on being a vital and democratic body, with members voicing their opinions freely at annual conventions on its current activities and plans for the future.