Dear Members of APPNA-PUN,

It is my pleasure to welcome the new Executive Council (EC) of APPNA-PUN 2025. I am honored to serve as the President of this wonderful chapter of APPNA for this year. As we look forward to the new year, we recognize the extraordinary efforts of EC 2024 in putting together memorable events throughout the year. We celebrate the members and volunteers dedicating their efforts for this association to make it successful despite strenuous demands on their time. Many thanks to you for your participation and enthusiasm.

To give some background on the origins of this chapter. Many years ago, a few of us during our casual discussions over friendly gatherings, talked about having a local platform for people of Pakistani origin which would give them space to foster cultural growth and build community. We created this chapter of APPNA (Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America) and called it APPNA-PUN to describe the New Jersey, Upper Delaware, PA location, the first meeting of which was held at our humble abode. It is wonderful to see how it has evolved over the years. I am proud to be an integral part of this association from its inception to this day and hope to continue to contribute to its growth and development.

We strive to create opportunities for medical students and physicians of Pakistani origin to get further training and education in the US, as they work towards becoming successful physicians in the US and integrate in mainstream healthcare. Our cultural events create opportunity to meet, socialize and network with friends and colleagues locally and from around the country. With free medical fairs and other welfare events, we give back to the communities.

This year we hope to continue to improve the membership of this chapter for physicians of Pakistani origin and create opportunities for other professionals to join as well. These efforts are well worth it and will continue to contribute to sense of identity and belonging for our current generation and those to come.