INAUGURAL RMCAANA RETREAT 2025

The Inaugural Retreat of the Rawalpindi Medical College Alumni Association of North America (RMCAANA) was held on August 31, 2025, at the Pak Havely Grill Banquet Hall in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. This event served as a defining institutional milestone, bringing together over 200 attendees, including more than 100 Rawalian alumni and their families from across North America.

The primary goal of the retreat was to strengthen alumni bonds, introduce RMCAANA to the Canadian community, and establish a foundation for long-term institutional engagement.

The retreat was conceived as a values-driven convening with several key objectives:

• Canadian Outreach

• Community Building

• Institutional Identity

• Philanthropy

The event featured a balanced program that integrated intellectual discourse with cultural celebration and ethical reflection.

Social and Cultural Engagement

To foster a warm and inclusive atmosphere, the program included:

• Networking: Structured and informal opportunities for reconnection.

• Entertainment: Segments highlighting Rawalian talent, including singing and artistic performances.

Humanitarian Reflection

A dedicated segment focused on moral engagement and global responsibility:

• Gaza Service Segment: Dr. Talal Ali Khan and Dr. Saif Ullah shared sobering accounts of their medical service in Gaza.

• Global Responsibility: Their reflections grounded the retreat in the ethical responsibilities of the medical profession during humanitarian crises

Organized with a commitment to fiscal responsibility and transparency, the retreat ensured broad accessibility.

• Financial Accessibility

• Philanthropy

The success of the retreat was a result of collective efforts led by the organizing committee:

• Chief Organizer: Dr. Ammar Rashid (MD, MHPE, CCFP).

• Advisory Support: Dr. Mahboub Siddiqui.

• Execution: The Ontario Rawalians team and various volunteers.

• Special Guests: Senior leadership from the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA)

This inaugural gathering successfully established a framework for future alumni retreats. It served as a turning point for Canadian engagement, positioning RMCAANA as a visible and inclusive organization across North America. This event now stands as a lasting institutional tradition for the Rawalian community.