TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS AGO, SHIRAZ UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (SUSMA) WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES. WE STARTED WITH A MODEST GOAL TO ORGANIZE OUR FELLOW GRADUATES TO PROMOTE OUR CULTURE AND COMMON GOALS. AS A MINORITY IN THIS COUNTRY, WE THOUGHT THE STRENGTH OF OUR ORGANIZATION WOULD HELP US ESTABLISH OURSELVES HERE, AS WELL AS DISPLAY OUR RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR CHILDREN. TODAY WE CAN PROUDLY STATE THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED AND EVEN SURPASSED THE GOALS WE SET TWENTY YEARS AGO. THROUGH HARD WORK AND DEDICATION, OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN SOCIETY ARE RECOGNIZED AND OUR CONTRIBUTIONS LAUDED. WE HAVE ALSO MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES AS A SCIENTIFIC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. OUR YEARLY SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE HAS BECOME A HALLMARK IN ADVANCING THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY'S UNDERSTANDING OF MANY ILLNESSES. WE HAVE MAINTAINED THE HIGHEST STANDARDS FOR PRESENTING THE LATEST EVIDENCE FOR THE ISSUES DISCUSSED. MANY OF OUR COLLEAGUES HAVE REMARKED THAT OUR SEMINARS RIVAL ANY OTHER OFFERED BY MAJOR TEACHING INSTITUTIONS.