Captain Pothula retired in February 2019 as Chief Medical Officer at Defence Intelligence Agency in Washington, DC., and relocated to Jamaica. In May 2019, he joined AAIMS in the capacity of President, to oversee all administrative and educational activities of the institution and enhance the critical mission of the institution.
Born in India, Captain Pothula graduated from Andhra Medical College there in 1980. Taking advantage of a common medical legacy based on the British system, he worked in Montego Bay, Jamaica as a physician and surgical resident for six years. Seeking addition- al challenge, he completed a general surgery resi- dency in 1993 in New York City. He then completed Colon and Rectal Surgery fellowship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1994. He entered private practice in New Haven, CT, five years prior to his commissioning into the U.S. Navy Medical Corps in 1999. He served as Department Head and staff gen- eral surgeon at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, holding additional positions as Chairman of Tumor Board and Credentials Committee. He deployed twice during his tenure at NH Lejeune where his first assignment took him to Bahrain in 2001. He staffed a stand-by surgical team after the USS Cole was bombed and operated at the American Mission Hospital in Manama. His second deployment was in 2003 for Operation Iraqi Freedom,staffing a forward surgical hospital during the opening engagements. From 2004-2008 CAPT Pothula served as staff sur- geon to include General Surgery Department Head shortly after reporting, and eventually taking over as Director of Surgical Services. During his tour, he or- ganized the annual Multinational Military Medicine Conference for three successive years, enhancing interoperability between the U.S. and its allies in the Far East. He also directed the Advanced Trauma Life Support course at NH Yokosuka, educating both Amer- ican and Japanese medical staff.
In 2008-2010 CAPT Pothula assumed responsibili- ties as ship’s surgeon on board USS George Wash- ington, CVN 73, permanently forward deployed to Yo- kosuka, Japan. It was here that he became Surface Warfare Medical Department (SWMDO) qualified, and also completed the Joint Professional Military Educa- tion-Phase One via the United States Naval War Col- lege-Distance Learning Center. He reported to the Unit- ed States Naval War College, Newport, RI in 2010 to complete Joint Professional Military Education-Phase Two, and received a Masters of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies in June 2011. He then assumed responsibilities of Expedi- tionary Strike Group 3 Surgeon in San Diego in July 2011. Later, he reported to 7th FLEET as Fleet Sur- geon in March 2012 and served until September 2014. Subsequently, he served as Colon Rectal Staff Surgeon at Naval Medical Center, San Diego un- til 2016. He then served as Chief Medical Officer at Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington, DC till February 2019.
CAPT Pothula has published over a dozen articles in highly respected, and peer-reviewed medical journals. He is also a sought-after speaker as a result of his sur- gical and operational experiences. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), Navy & Ma- rine Corps Commendation Medal (2 awards), GWOT Expeditionary Medal, Presidential Unit Citation and others unit medals. He also holds a Masters in Busi- ness Administration.
He is married to Sandra Pothula, Jamaican by birth, a Family Nurse Practitioner and is currently engaged in community health in St. Elizabeth Parish. They have two sons, Neil and Jay: one is U.S. Navy diver and the other one is U.S Air Force pilot.