CHICAGO — Physicians and medical students at the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Annual Meeting today elected Bobby Mukkamala, MD, an otolaryngologist from Flint, Mich., as the new president-elect of the nation's largest physician organization.

Dr. Mukkamala, who has been active in the AMA since residency, is chair of the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force, serving as a strong voice in advocating for evidence-based policies to end the nation’s overdose epidemic. He also played a central role in response to the Flint water crisis, serving as chair of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint with a focus on funding projects to mitigate the effects of lead in children. As an otolaryngologist, he sees patients at all stages of life and all phases of health - from newborns to senior citizens. He says the most important and rewarding part of his job is connecting with patients.

“It is a turbulent time to be a physician in this country,” said Dr. Mukkamala. “Challenges like an unsustainable Medicare payment system, excessive prior authorization, and physician burnout have put our health system in a precarious place. But the AMA is fighting these battles in Congress, in state capitals, and in our communities to achieve a better future where physicians can spend more time with their patients. I am honored to be chosen by my peers as the AMA’s president-elect and I am eager to continue fighting for better health care for all our communities.”

Dr. Mukkamala is a past recipient of the AMA Foundation’s “Excellence in Medicine” Leadership Award. He was elected to the AMA Council on Science and Public Health in 2009 and served as its chair from 2016 to 2017, before being elected to the AMA Board of Trustees in 2017 and 2021. He has served as a member of the Michigan State Medical Society Board of Directors since 2011, as board chair for two years, and as its president. He is also a past president of the Genesee County Medical Society (GCMS) and continues to serve on the GCMS Board of Directors.

The son of two immigrant physicians, Dr. Mukkamala was inspired to go into medicine and return to his hometown of Flint to serve the community that welcomed his family decades before.

Dr. Mukkamala graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed his residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. Today, he shares an office with his wife, Nita Kulkarni, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist. Together, they established the Endowed Health Professions Scholarships at the University of Michigan, Flint, in 2012. They have two adult children, Nikhil, a biomedical engineer, and Deven, a PhD candidate in political science.

Following a year-long term as president-elect, Dr. Mukkamala will be installed as AMA president in June 2025.