About Us

Burma, also known as Myanmar, is a country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Thailand, Laos, and China to the east, and by India and Bangladesh to the west.

Beginning in the 1960s, physicians who had completed their medical education in Burma began migrating to the United States to pursue postgraduate training. At that time, opportunities for connection were limited, and these physicians met one another only sporadically at social gatherings. As their numbers grew, so too did the recognition of a shared need for a structured and enduring organization—one that could facilitate regular interaction, preserve professional and personal connections, and provide a platform for the exchange of information, experiences, and mutual support as members navigated medical training, professional practice, and settlement within their respective communities.

In 1982, Dr. Michael Ko Lay Maung, together with a group of colleagues, initiated the formation of the Burmese-American Physicians Association (BAPA) as an informal professional network among Burmese physicians in the United States. The association served as an important forum for connection, collaboration, and mutual support during a period when such professional linkages were limited.

In 1988, under the leadership of then-President Dr. Desmond Chiang, BAPA was formally incorporated and registered with the State as a nonprofit mutual benefit corporation under Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code. This official establishment provided a legal and organizational framework that strengthened the association’s ability to convene members, coordinate activities, and promote the exchange of medical knowledge and professional experience among Burmese international medical graduates.

A decade later, in 1998, Dr. Patrick Paik and Dr. Michael Wan led a pivotal transformation of the organization. Through amendments to the Articles of Incorporation, the association was renamed the Burmese American Medical Association of Southern California (BAMA). Concurrently, its organizational structure was redefined as a nonprofit public benefit corporation under Section 501(c)(3), reflecting an expanded humanitarian and educational mission. This transition enabled BAMA to provide scholarships to students and to deliver medical supplies, equipment, and professional medical expertise through the volunteer efforts of its members to underserved Burmese communities.

The following individuals have served as Presidents of BAMA, each contributing to the growth and continuity of the organization’s mission and values.