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AKMG New Jersey: 47th Annual Convention: Update from Dr.Elizabeth Mammen Prasad

Some of the highlights of 47 th AKMG Convention at Hyatt, Jersey city, NJ from August 6- 8th, 2026. A quick summary . We started the convention a Cruise on Majesty along the Hudson River celebrating 250 years of US Independence. It was nice to see the statue of Liberty up close for a photo op. It was 2 and half days of fun, connecting, networking, excellent 11 CME hours , literary forum, Womens forum on wellness, yoga, bolly wood dance workshop, arts and crafts, myil mystic fashion show to name a few of the activities . We were honored to have AMA president Dr.Bobby Mukumaala as a keynote speaker and his talk on the role of IMG s in US health care was timely in light of physician shortages to be felt by 2030. Dr.Chetan Shah president of NJ board of medical examiners and ENT specialists talked about why private practice matters , and mayor of Trivandrum , Kerala Adv V V Rajesh gave his felicitations. This list and pictures are by no means complete. It was truly my honor a...
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WOMEN'S FORUM, AKMG ANNUAL CONVENTION

Swasthya at AKMG On the afternoon of Saturday, August 8, nearly 40 physicians and their families gathered in a quiet room at the American Association of Kerala Medical Graduates convention in Jersey City. For one hour, the invitation was simple: slow down, breathe, and listen to what the body may have been trying to say. We called the workshop Swasthya , a Sanskrit word often understood as being established in oneself. Its subtitle, A Journey Through Breath, Presence, and Reconnection, became both our intention and our guide. The session brought together Dr. Shaija Kutty, pediatric gastroenterologist at Johns Hopkins and Director of the GIFT Program; Dr. Bansari Gujar, a rheumatologist practicing integrative rheumatology in Maryland; and Dr. Neena Thomas-Eapen, Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Kentucky. We were joined by Dr. Priya Duggal, a naturopathic doctor and Compassionate Inquiry practitioner trained in the approach developed by Dr. Gabor Maté. ...
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AKMG NEW JERSEY: DR. REKHA MENON, CONVENTION CHAIR

As we came to the conclusion of this wonderful 47th AKMG Convention, my heart is filled with gratitude. What we have experienced over these past few days did not happen because of one person. It happened because of an extraordinary AKMG family that came together with commitment, friendship, generosity, and teamwork. As Convention Chair, it is my privilege to recognize the many people who worked behind the scenes to make this convention possible. First, I would like to thank Dr. Iyer and the entire Souvenir Committee for their tremendous effort in putting together our beautiful convention souvenir. A special thank-you also to everyone who contributed articles, messages, advertisements, and memories to make it so meaningful. To Dr. Neena Kumar, Smitha Haridas, and the entire Entertainment Committee, along with Dr.Nasim,Judith and Dr.Manju as Emcees,and Dr. Thompson leading Anthakshari ,thank you for bringing energy, excitement, music, and celebration to our convention. You helped c...
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Book Review: Dr. Khaleel Ashraf

I just finished Arundhati Roy’s "Mother Mary Comes To Me", and what a remarkable book it is! I have always admired her writing - loved both The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, but this may be her finest work, and it is not even fiction. Her real life seems more compelling and dramatic than anything she could have invented, although her fiction has clearly been shaped by many of these experiences. The book is a testament to the extraordinary power of human language. At a time when we are increasingly anxious about artificial intelligence taking over language and creative expression, it is refreshing to encounter writing of such emotional depth and originality. In my case, I listened to the audiobook on Audible, narrated by author herself, which made the experience even more intimate and powerful. The book contains countless unforgettable lines. Two have stayed with me. She describes her deeply complicated relationship with her mother, a woman s...
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Words, Wisdom, and Wellness: Dr. Asha Menon on Leading the AKMG 2026 Literary Committee

Thank you Dr.Elizabeth Mammen Prasad, Dr.Joseph Prasad, Dr.Rekha Menon, Dr.Liza Protasis and Dr.Bikram Kabir for making the AKMG New Jersey convention a memorable one after all the heart aches of planning and getting it off the ground. I want to thank all the writers, with a propensity to express themselves a big thank you for making the literary forum a big success. Thank you to the audience for the wonderful feedback that we at the literary forum received. Truly a place where medicine and minds meet, a place where art and science meet. Thank you Dr Venkat Iyer who is one of the founders of AKMG for your valuable input. His book on Lifestyle medicine is an eyeopener. This important topic was never taught to us during our residency or fellowship. So thank you for your book. Dr. Thomas Payapilli spoke from his book about Healthy Habits for lifelong wellness and explained how he came off the BP medicines with time restricted eating and many other habits. Dr. Charl...
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AKMG NIAGARA

Dear AKMG Family, What a wonderful few days in New Jersey by the Hudson! A huge THANK YOU and congratulations to the entire AKMG 2026 New Jersey team for putting together such a memorable convention. The warmth, camaraderie, entertainment, academic programs, food, and above all, the spirit of friendship and togetherness made it truly special. To our New Jersey team — THANK YOU for giving us a wonderful AKMG 2026 and for setting the bar high! And as we say goodbye to New Jersey, the journey now continues to... AKMG 2027 – NIAGARA! We hope to carry that same energy, friendship and enthusiasm forward as we welcome the entire AKMG family to Niagara in 2027! New Jersey → Niagara! We were delighted by the tremendous enthusiasm for AKMG 2027 Niagara during the convention! Our special Early Bird registration of just $599 was originally available only during AKMG 2026. However, BY POPULAR DEMAND, WE ARE EXTENDING THE $599 EARLY BIRD RATE THROUGH THIS FRIDAY!...
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MESSAGE FROM DR. ELIZABETH MAMMEN PRASAD

Hello AKMG family, I have to make a very special mention. Last night, after I got home from the convention, literally exhausted, I got a message from Dr. M.P. Ravindra Nathan, who was unable to attend the convention due to health reasons and had just been discharged from the hospital, was following us through chats on how our convention was going, he was genuinely happy to see the immages and videos and it lifted his spirits. He really wished he could have been there.He already supported our convention tremendously by donating in several ways without even asking. But last night he sent an additional $1000 to cover the costs of convention. I was deeply moved and literally in tears for the love and affection he showed us through this selfless act of support for the AKMG NJ convention. We really missed Dr. Nathan at our convention, as he was to be honored as a past president of AKMG and co chair of the souvenir committee. I am literally lost for words because of his g...
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