Who is Anna Yap?

Campaign Platform
Vision & Priorities

Strengthen governance
The House of Delegates should be a place where every voice is heard and respected. As Vice Speaker, I will ensure our process is clear, fair, and efficient, so debate is meaningful and decisions are made with purpose.

Empower leaders
CMA must grow from within. I will ensure CMA is member-powered by encouraging meaningful engagement with CMA, helping to identify and mentor emerging leaders, expanding participation across delegations, and building a pipeline that reflects the diversity and strength of California physicians.

Elevate our voice
Policy only matters if it is heard and understood. I will use my background in marketing, advocacy, and organizing to help CMA speak more clearly with members, policymakers, and the public, ensuring our ideas have a real impact.

Lead with courage
California is being looked to as a national leader in defending democracy, science, evidence-based care, academic freedom, physician autonomy, and so much more. CMA has extraordinary power in these conversations. I am committed to helping us use that power strategically, boldly, and always in service of our patients and our profession.

About Anna Yap

I am Dr. Anna Yap, an emergency physician in Sacramento and a candidate for CMA Vice Speaker. I work as an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis, where I direct our Administration and Health Policy Fellowship and teach residents and medical students. Mentorship is one of the greatest joys of my work, and I was honored to recently receive the EM Excellence Award, voted on by residents for faculty who have made a meaningful impact in their training.

My story begins with my parents, who immigrated to the United States chasing the American dream. My mom arrived at 19 with just twenty dollars in her pocket and a visa issued by clerical error. She worked nights as a nurse assistant, held multiple jobs, and sacrificed her own education so she could put my dad and her brother through school. That grit shaped me. I grew up in a tight-knit Malaysian Chinese church community where I learned to lead—directing Vacation Bible School, playing violin, and giving my first speeches. Justice has always been at my core. Even as a kindergartener, I stood up to bullies, and as I grew older, I found my voice in new ways: through music, advocacy, and eventually medicine.

At UC Berkeley, I studied both Music and Integrative Biology, worked in food marketing, and volunteered on Navajo Nation land advocating for water access and environmental justice. I went on to earn my MD at Loma Linda, trained in emergency medicine at UCLA-Olive View, and completed a fellowship in Administration and Health Equity. As an intern, I helped form one of the nation’s larger resident physician unions, served on its inaugural bargaining committee, and eventually served on CIR’s national board, learning how power works and how to shift it.

Along the way, I found a home in organized medicine. I have served as Speaker of both the AMA Medical Student and Resident Sections, on the CMA Board of Trustees, and now as Chair of CMA’s Early Career Physicians Section and Vice Chair of the Council on Medical Services. I have authored more than 40 AMA and CMA policies, testified at the Capitol, served on numerous state and national councils and boards, and worked to protect both physicians and patients.

I also want to speak to the procedural side of this role. I have served as Speaker for both the AMA Medical Student and Resident Sections, and I understand how critical it is for the Speaker to be clear, fair, and efficient. The AMA Medical Student Section, representing roughly 200 delegates, is one of the most dynamic and complex parliamentary environments. It was truly trial by fire. At our meeting in Hawai‘i, we handled 100 items of business in two days with time to spare. That experience sharpened my ability to manage high-volume meetings with grace, clarity, and respect for all voices, a skill I would bring with me to CMA.

My leadership style is rooted in service but never passive. I believe in listening deeply, asking thoughtful questions, building coalitions, and empowering others. I also believe in decisive action, strategic clarity, and bold advocacy when it is needed. Because CMA needs leaders who can both hold the mic and make the call.

This work is not something I added to my career. It is why I chose this path. I have built my career around systems change and physician empowerment, and I am fortunate to be in a position to bring the time, structure, and energy this role deserves.

Outside of medicine, I am a game-night ringleader and puzzle-solver who loves bringing people together through play. I also find joy in creating art and beauty, whether through crochet, crafting, or curating meaningful spaces. My husband and I recently celebrated our wedding in Penang, Malaysia, my mother’s hometown, a joyful reminder of my family’s immigrant roots and the communities that have shaped me.

I believe deeply in the power of the House of Delegates. It is not just where we pass policy. It is where physicians become engaged, inspired, and find their voice. It is where I found mine. And it is why I am ready to serve as Vice Speaker: grounded in service, focused on impact, and ready to lead with purpose.

Download my full CV here

Leadership & Experience

Anna brings over a decade of leadership in organized medicine, policy, and education. Experienced, resilient, and ready, she has built a record of procedural fluency, policy impact, and a deep commitment to fairness. The highlights below are only a select glimpse of her work. For a full record of service, please see her CV.

Leadership in Organized Medicine

• Speaker of the AMA Medical Student Section and AMA Resident and Fellow Section, known for making even the most complex parliamentary environments clear, fair, and engaging, helping delegates feel both empowered and heard

• Current Chair of CMA’s Early Career Physicians Section, Vice Chair of the CMA Council on Medical Services, and Chair-Elect of the AMA Young Physicians Section

• Past member of the CMA Board of Trustees, multiple CMA councils

• Delegate or Alternate Delegate to the CMA House of Delegates and AMA House of Delegates for 10 years, representing various sections
  
  

Policy & Advocacy

• Authored close to 40 AMA and CMA policies and have championed numerous other policies advancing physician protections, equity, and patient care

• Testified before the California Legislature on bills ranging from resident due process to reproductive health and physician autonomy

• Helped form one of the nation’s largest resident physician unions, served on its inaugural bargaining committee, and served on the national board of the Committee of Interns and Residents

• Creative Design Lead and Leadership Council member for #ThisIsOurShot, a grassroots campaign that partnered with organizations including the WNBA and the Oscars to promote vaccine confidence and combat misinformation
  
  

Academic & Mentorship

• Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis

• Director of the UC Davis Administration and Health Policy Fellowship, training the next generation of physician leaders

• Recipient of the 2025 EM Excellence Award, voted on by residents for outstanding mentorship and teaching

• Frequent lecturer and facilitator, encouraging medical students, residents, and physicians to find their “why” and engage in organized medicine

Organized Medicine Roles

• Policy & Advocacy: Over 40 AMA/CMA policies authored; testified at the Capitol multiple times

• Policy Impact: Key authored policies, legislative testimony, advocacy campaigns.