Babar Rao, MD
President APPNA 2026
I am thankful to and humbled by APPNA members for trusting me to be the president for 2026. I am a graduate of Rawalpindi Medical College and a board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist. I serve as a Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and as an Associate Clinical Professor at Weill Cornell Medical College. I am also the Founder and Medical Director of Rao Dermatology, which operates multiple practices across New York, New Jersey, and California.
My goal is to strengthen APPNA through impact, purposeful outreach, and strategic expansion. I am committed to shaping APPNA into a connected, transparent, and forward-thinking organization—one that not only serves its members but also uplifts the community we represent. We will achieve this by creating functional work groups, enhancing communication, revitalizing our media presence, and fostering active engagement through open town halls and dynamic social platforms.
My focus is on achieving tangible impact by reorganizing and expanding APPNA’s charitable, educational and advocacy initiatives.
I will continue to advance education—tailoring our efforts to meet the unique needs of early-career physicians, IMGs, and North American graduates by providing mentorship, resources, improved YPC operations, and ADHOC programs focusing on loans, and career counseling.
I envision thoughtful expansion that builds sustainable growth: new offices, clinics, rentals, and student rotation opportunities, as well as an APPNA Pakistan Office to bridge our global mission with local impact. With each step forward, I aim to strengthen our foundation, broaden our outreach, and stay true to our shared purpose.
I am dedicated to transforming our meetings into spaces of innovation, recognition, and unity. Through initiatives like APPNA Idol, APPNA Scholar, and APPNA Hero, we will celebrate excellence within our community. I will modernize registration and ticketing systems and ensure that our meetings focus solely on advancing APPNA’s projects—eliminating redundant traditions and maximizing value for our members.
Together, I believe we can build a stronger, smarter, and more connected APPNA—one that impacts through outreach, empowers through education, and expands with purpose.
