About
FOUNDING OF THE ARMENIAN MEDICAL INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE (AMIC)
The idea of an international body creating links between Armenian Health Care Professionals throughout the world was originally proposed in 1974 in Beirut during the First Armenian Medical World Congress. In the seventies, Armenian Medical Organizations started functioning in various diasporan communities, without however, any structural link uniting them. Eleven years later in Montreal, at the closing of the 3rd Congress, the idea was brought forth again and carried a step forward by the election of a small committee to study its feasibility.
The desire of creating such a diasporan structure grew and at each Armenian Medical World Congress following Beirut (Venice in 1980, and Montreal in 1984), tangible steps were taken. Four years later, in Los Angeles, during the 4th Armenian Medical World Congress, the committee presided by Dr. Vahaken Tachdjian (Philadelphia) decided to hold a special meeting in Montreal in 1990 devoted solely to the creation of such a body.
In May 1990, representatives from France, U.S.A. and Canada gathered in Montreal to lay the foundation of the Armenian Medical International Committee or “Comité International Medical Arménien”. AMIC/CIMA is now a non-profit organization incorporated in Quebec (Canada), with its main office established in Montreal.
AMIC Presidents
Dr. Vahaken Tachdjian, AMIC Honorary President
Dr. Edouard Naltchayan, 1992-1999
Dr. Antranik Benohanian, 1999-2001
Dr. Jean Arakelian, 2001-2007
Dr. Avedis Bogosyan, 2007-2012
Dr. Jerry Manoukian, 2012 – Present, Interim President
Dr. Vicken Sepilian, 2017 – Present
The Armenian Medical Word Congress is the official quadrennial medical meeting supported by the AMIC with a four-decades long history summarized below.
First Congress | Beirut, Lebanon | 1974 | Dr. Hagop Kirkiacharian (Chairman) |
Second Congress | Venice, Italy | 1980 | Dr. Michel Arslan (Chairman) |
Third Congress | Montreal, Canada | 1984 | Dr. Arto Demirjian (Chairman) |
Fourth Congress | Los Angeles, CA, USA | 1988 | Dr. John Kassabian (Chairman) |
Fifth Congress | Paris, France | 1992 | Dr. Serge Simonian (Chairman) |
Sixth Congress | Boston, MA, USA | 1995 | Dr. Richard Babayan (Chairman) |
Seventh Congress | Lyon, France | 1998 | Dr. Jean-Pierre Basmadjian (Chairman) |
Eighth Congress | Toronto, Canada | 2001 | Dr. Avedis Bogosyan (Chairman) |
Ninth Congress | San Francisco, CA, USA | 2005 | Dr. Jerry Manoukian (Chairman) |
Tenth Congress | New York City, NY, USA | 2009 | Dr. Lawrence Najarian (Co-chair), Dr. Vicken Pamoukian (Co-chair) |
Eleventh Congress | Los Angeles, CA, USA | 2013 | Dr. Vicken Sepilian (Chairman) |
Twelfth Congress | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 2017 | Dr. Daniel Stamboulian (Chairman) |
Thirteenth Congress (Virtual) | Los Angeles, CA, USA | 2021 | Dr. Vicken Sepilian (Chairman) |