Willie Underwood III, M.D., MSc, M.P.H., a urologic surgeon based in Buffalo, N.Y., was sworn in this week as the 181st president of the American Medical Association (AMA), the nation’s largest and most influential physician organization.
Assuming the presidency at a pivotal moment for American healthcare, Dr. Underwood pledged during his inaugural address at AMA Annual Meeting to unite physicians across specialties to advance patient care, strengthen the physician workforce, and ensure that physicians’ clinical expertise helps shape the policies affecting health outcomes nationwide.
“We are living through a defining moment in American healthcare, one that demands leadership grounded both in clinical experience and in a commitment to equity,” said Dr. Underwood. “As president, I will focus on bringing physicians together to close the gaps in access, outcomes and opportunity so that every patient, in every community, receives the care they deserve. We must build a system that works, not only for some of us, but for the sum of us.”
A surgeon, educator and advocate, Dr. Underwood has spent his career fostering collaboration among physicians to address complex health challenges. As only the second urologist and third Black physician overall to serve as AMA president, he is committed to advancing patient-centered care and addressing longstanding health disparities through improved access, prevention and coordinated care.
“Progress in healthcare is never the work of one individual; it is the product of collaboration, trust and a shared commitment to our patients,” Dr. Underwood said. “At the same time, we must recognize that advocating for patients also means advocating for the physicians who care for them, ensuring they have the support, resources and environment needed to meet the growing demands of this moment.”
Dr. Underwood brings more than 25 years of urologic surgery experience to the role, including 15 years specializing in robotic urologic oncology procedures. He was first elected to the AMA Board of Trustees in 2019 and served as board chair from 2023 to 2024.
Dr. Underwood is a graduate of Morehouse College and the State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University. He earned master’s degrees from SUNY Upstate Medical University and University of Michigan School of Public Health. He completed medical training in general surgery and urologic surgery at the University of Connecticut Health Center and was one of the first five urologists to be admitted into the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program.
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