Nowruz is a day of joy and happiness; a day for forgiveness, visiting each other, family reunions, and remembering our cultural roots. It is a yearly reminder of the circle of life and of our national pride. That unique day of celebration, which has been observed for hundreds of years in Iran, is now a symbol of our independence and pride. Happy Nowruz from the Iranian-American Medical Association (IAMA) to all of you! Wherever you are: here in the United States, in Iran, or anywhere else in the world, we hope that you will celebrate this wonderful day — a day of joy and happiness — and show your nationality. In 2010, the United Nations declared Nowruz to be a national holiday for Iranians worldwide. That great commemoration occurred so recently because we as Iranians have now become united as one voice. We have campaigned hard. We have shown the world that our observances of this day symbolize our heritage and pride, and we are proud that Nowruz has been recognized by the members of the United Nations. We accomplished this hand in hand and with unity. I believe that the worldwide recognition of Nowruz marks the beginning of a new era in our community. We have learned the power of working together. We have learned the importance of sharing a common goal and the value of success conferred by helping each other until our goals are achieved. Now I would like ask my great friends and colleagues, Iranians in the field of medicine, to become united as a single body in the IAMA and to help us achieve our collective goals. A Farsi proverb states, "There is no power in hundreds of thousands of single strings, but if they are woven together, even Hercules cannot break that fabric.” In the United States and in Iran, we know that consensus wields power. Many goals that none of us could achieve as individuals can be realized when we act as one, in unity. We in the IAMA have tried our best to achieve true fellowship, and we know that the success of that endeavor depends on your continuing active participation and membership in this organization. Thank you.

Thus far, the IAMA has achieved many of its goals. We have been struggling to establish the IAMA Web site for several years, and we have been searching for an expert to take an active role and develop that site to its full potential. Shahriar Bozorgzad, MD took charge and did so, in spite of the many demands of his daily practice. We thank you for your excellent accomplishments, Dr. Bozorgzad! Three years ago, Katayoon Hashemi, MD then president of the IAMA in Texas, introduced me to a young Iranian physician and computer expert, Omid Zad, MD who just had arrived from Iran and was willing to manage the IAMA Web site. In spite of his very busy schedule as a second-year medical resident, he developed that Web site alone. We are very grateful for his assistance, and now, if you visit www.IAMA.org, you will see that it is one of the most advanced Web sites on the Internet. Thank you, Dr. Zad.

Since the publication of the original IAMA bulletin was discontinued, we have been searching for someone knowledgeable about computers and publishing to manage IAMA publications on line. Fortunately, in 2009 at the annual meeting of the IAMA, Ali Alizadeh Sovari, MD, a cardiology fellow in Chicago, introduced himself to me, mentioned his extensive publishing experience, and offered his help. In a remarkably brief period, he developed the online version of the IAMA bulletin with the help of other members of the IAMA-Javaan. He also developed and launched the new IAMA Medical Journal at the suggestion of a few members of the IAMA and as a result of his own interest in that scientific publication, which will be in the catalog of the Library of Congress and will be indexed in search engines. Those great achievements were possible because of the active participation of IAMA-Javaan members, including Omid Zad, MD, the IAMA Web master; M. Shokouhamiri, MD, past president of the IAMA-Javaan; Afshin Ashkan, MD, current president of the IAMA-Javaan; and many other members and nonmembers of the IAMA. Many thanks to all of you for your constructive participation in those very important projects, and thanks also to the many academic members of the IAMA Medical Journal Editorial Committee.

At 16ht Annual Meeting of the IAMA in Boston, Massachusetts, I witnessed the election of the IAMA-Javaan board of directors. After 2 years of the hard work and great success of M. Shokouhamiri, MD, and his colleagues, we elected Ashkan Afshin, MD, as president of the IAMA-Javaan. He and his colleagues will govern and lead that new and enthusiastic section of the IAMA. In the first 9 months of his presidency, Dr. Ashkan, with the close cooperation and support of other members of the board of directors, accomplished tremendous achievements that were revealed at the 4th Annual Meeting of the IAMA-Javaan in January 2010 in Los Angeles, California. During that meeting, I could hardly believe what I was hearing and seeing. The IAMA presentation, which was organized and professional, consisted of several exhibition booths sponsored by various medical and educational companies. The result was a great scientific meeting with well-known speakers and excellent social events. The registration desk was very organized and helpful. Ali Alizadeh Sovari, MD, chairman of the IAMA-Javaan Scientific Committee, served as moderator of the scientific presentations and did an outstanding job. The authors of the 2 best papers received $600 award, and plaques of recognition and a trophy were awarded to second and third best oral and poster presentations. The gala dinner dance, which was very well organized, was delightful in every respect. Firooz Naderi, MD, was the special guest of that evening. Persian food was served, and great entertainment was provided by Mr. Michael. Let me confess that after having attended IAMA functions for 17 years, this event was the only one in which I simply sat back and enjoyed the entire evening. Ashkan Afshin, MD, should be applauded for his excellent management of those activities. (It is rumored that he slept only 1 hour on the night of the gala dinner dance!) Another significant contributor to the success of that evening was Maryam Haghnegahdar, MD, the conference coordinator, who worked hard all evening with a smile. I know that there were many board members and nonboard members of the IAMA-Javaan who were working hard behind the scenes for that event, and I ask their forgiveness for not having mentioned their names in this report. However, they have my deepest gratitude for the significant role they had in the success of that event.

The IAMA-Javaan also received wonderful publicity in the Los Angeles media. IAMA-Javaan also invited the directors of the AMA-IMG section, the Kaplan Institute, and other organizations that sponsored booths or offered scholarships and discounted course fees to members of the IAMA-Javaan. Numerous other companies and organizations were represented at that meeting, and many of them also had a booth there. It is worthwhile to mention that for students, the cost of the gala dinner was discounted by 40%. For more information on the most recent IAMA-Javaan annual meeting please see the IAMA-Javaan section on the IAMA Web site (www.IAMA.org).

The chapters of the IAMA are active. For more information about their activities, please refer to their respective sections on the IAMA Web site (www.IAMA.org). It is my pleasure to announce that the ninth chapter of the IAMA has been established in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Many thanks to Nasser Parsa, MD, at the National Institutes of Health; to Siamak Moghadam-Kia, MD; and to their colleagues at those locations.

On behalf of the IAMA, I must also thank all the presidents and the board members of the various IAMA chapters for their tireless efforts to ensure the progress of the IAMA. Under the direction of H. Shoukouhamiri, MD, professor of liver and pancreatic transplant surgery at the Louisiana State University, and Ali Moshirfar, MD, director of robotic surgery at Johns Hopkins Medical School, the Continuing Medical Education (CME) Committee of the IAMA has done an excellent job for you. I am sure that members who participated in the CME program of the IAMA in 2009 in Boston, Massachusetts, will bear witness to that statement.

Under the leadership of Barry Sadegi, MD, current president of the IAMA, the members of the IAMA board of directors have been working hard to achieve their goals. In addition to managing several IAMA activities this year, they have arranged the coming Annual Meeting of the IAMA in Las Vegas, Nevada, which will include CME options, movies, a gala dinner, a dance, a performance of Persian music by the celebrated musician, and more.

Now, on behalf of you, the members of the IAMA and the IAMA board of trustees, I must thank Barry Sadegi, MD, for his dedication, hard work, and leadership, which ensured the progress of the IAMA during his 2-year presidency. Please refer to the report of the IAMA board of directors in this issue of the bulletin to obtain more information.

Regarding the activities of the various committees under the board of trustees, I have already mentioned the work of the publication and CME committees. There was no trip to Iran last year, but we hope that one will be possible this year. We have been informed that construction of the IAMA Medical Center in Bam, Iran, is almost complete. Now, our assistance is needed regarding the donation of medical equipment. Please help. I must thank J. Tavasoli, MD, for the donation of a portable anesthesia machine, surgical equipment, and many additional medical supplies.

Last year at the 16th Annual Meeting of the IAMA, the decision to change the process of the election of the board of directors from a state to a national election was made. The Bylaws Committee has been working hard in that regard and has been implementing other necessary changes in the bylaws, a summary of which will be sent to you shortly.

I must also thank our members for their dedication and participation in IAMA activities. Without their loyalty and input, none of the achievements that have been made would have been possible. Thank you, members of the IAMA, for your ongoing support. Please continue to renew your membership, and encourage your friends to join the IAMA.

There are many more topics of interest to be mentioned here, but because I have already exceeded the maximum number of pages for this report, I must stop. For additional information regarding the activities of the IAMA, please go to the IAMA Web site (www.IAMA.org) and review them in detail.

As you know, this year the 17th Annual Meeting of the IAMA will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will offer a very informative CME program, excellent entertainment, and other activities. You will meet old friends and make new ones. Let’s make that event the largest gathering of Iranians in the field of medicine!

Respectfully yours,

Amir Ganchi, M.D.