In a landmark achievement, Dr. Bobby Mukkamala has taken charge as the 180th president of the American Medical Association (AMA), becoming the first physician of Indian descent to lead the esteemed body in its 178-year history.
Dr. Mukkamala, a specialist in otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat), was officially sworn in on Tuesday. His appointment is not only historic but also deeply personal, coming after he triumphed over a major health challenge an 8-centimeter brain tumor diagnosed last November. “A few months ago, I didn’t know if this night would even be possible,” he shared, reflecting on the journey.
A longtime contributor to the AMA, Dr. Mukkamala has been involved with the association since his residency. He currently chairs its Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force. He has also been a strong advocate for public health, particularly in Flint, Michigan his hometown where he was deeply involved in addressing the city’s water crisis.
Born to immigrant physician parents who moved to Flint from India in the early 1970s, Dr. Mukkamala was inspired to serve the very community that had embraced his family decades earlier. He also led the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, championing projects to reduce lead exposure in children.
Over the years, Dr. Mukkamala has earned several honors, including the AMA Foundation’s “Excellence in Medicine” Leadership Award. He was elected to the AMA Council on Science and Public Health in 2009, later serving as its chair from 2016 to 2017. He then joined the AMA Board of Trustees in 2017 and was re-elected in 2021.
An alumnus of the University of Michigan Medical School, he completed his residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. Dr. Mukkamala practices alongside his wife, Dr. Nita Kulkarni, an OB-GYN. In 2012, the couple established the Endowed Health Professions Scholarships at the University of Michigan-Flint. They have two adult sons: Nikhil, a biomedical engineer, and Deven, a PhD student in political science.
