Local doctor becomes president of medical society

BARSTOW •  A local doctor was recently elected president of a non-profit that advocates for the interest of public health and advancement of medical science in San Bernardino County.

Dr. Mohan Mallam — who is originally from India — is an internal medicine and geriatric medicine doctor who began his work with the San Bernardino County Medical Society in 1987 when he moved to Barstow. The medical society, which is over a century old, elected Mallam as its 119th president.

Mallam, 56, who began his own practice shortly after moving to Barstow, said he is glad he has this opportunity to serve as president. His goals for his one year term as president are to recruit new members for the medical society and the California Medical Association, to review the bylaws of the medical society, and achieve better communication of new medical information between similar societies.

“I started in the society from scratch as a member,” Mallam said. “I climbed the ladder gradually from position to position.”

According to Mallam, one of the struggles to get to his current position was the long drives and the time he had to put aside for all his meetings. He said he always had to make different trips to get to various hospitals where he works — Desert Valley Hospital in Victorville, Victor Valley Community Hospital in Victorville, and St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Apple Valley.

Jim Peterson, executive director of the medical society, said he is very excited to have Mallam as part of the medical society — who is a wonderful physician and a great leader.

“He will be a great leader for the medical society,” Peterson said. “And he worked himself up to get to this position.”

Mallam also mentioned that once he is done with his one year term with the medical society, he wants to continue his work with more committees for the CMA  and get more involved with the Institute of Medical Quality, who provides education, survey of medical facilities, and consultation services for all.

When asked what was his motivation to go into the field of medicine, Mallam said it was his background.

“Having come from a village in India, I saw people suffering from various illnesses and felt that somebody should help these people,”  Mallam said.
 
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(760) 256-4126 or fcasella@desertdispatch.com