Women Physicians & Dentists in Christ - Women Physicians & Dentists in Christ

"Encouraging and Supporting Women Physicians & Dentists Through Connecting, Inspiring and Equipping."

Women Physicians & Dentists in Christ (WPDC) is an outreach ministry to provide resources for Christian women physicians and dentists to integrate their personal, professional and spiritual lives. We encourage and support Christian women and physicians as we share the unique challenges of our multiple roles. To learn more about our ministry and stay abreast of events, subscribe to our monthly newsletter, the PULSE. And be sure to plan to attend our annual conferences and virtual conferences.

Our Commission

WPDC Dental Ministries

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Our Mission

Women Physicians & Dentists in Christ provides a ministry of true belonging, support and equipping to address the unique challenges of women physicians and dentists desiring to glorify God.

Our Vision

Women physicians and dentists complete in Christ ministering through medicine.

Core Values

Biblical Authority - 2 Tim 3:16, All scripture is inspired

Integrity - Titus 2:7, Colossians 4-6

Authentic Friendships - John 15:12-13, Love one another

Grace-filled Haven - Hebrews 4:16, Grace in time of need, Women physicians complete in Christ, thriving in service

EVENTS & HAPPENINGS

Registration Coming Soon!

This monthly e-newsletter from WPDC is designed to encourage women in medicine and dentistry as they face the unique challenges of women in healthcare, serving as a key resource for women in integrating their personal, professional and spiritual lives. Each month, the WPDC Pulse includes a note from the WPDC Chair, information about upcoming events and a short devotional.

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COMMISSION MEMBERS

Introducing the WPDC Leadership Team:

Past | Present | Future Commission Chairs

Chair

Sarah Rahkola, MD

Sarah's Biography

Dr. Sarah Rahkola is an internist and clinic medical director at Providence Medical Group, Newberg, Oregon. She is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (ACP) and serves as the chair of the finance committee of the Oregon chapter. Her clinical interests are in geriatric medicine, substance use disorder, and team-based primary care. Her husband Rauha and three children Thomas, James and Miriam join her in loving music, reading, traveling, and exploring the outdoors. She has a passion for classical Christian education and for teaching her Sunday school students how to read and interpret scripture.

Vice Chair

Nancy Mabe, MD

Nancy's Biography

Nancy Mabe is a 1994 graduate of the University of Missouri school of Medicine. She joined CMDA during her first year of medical school. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in 1997. She joined a private practice in Arlington Heights, IL. In 2001, she moved to Wentzville, Mo, also practicing community medicine and in 2015 she joined the faculty of the University of Missouri. She has been an active member of the WPDC since 1998. Nancy is a fellow of the American College of Physician's and serves on the Missouri ACP Governor's Council. She and her husband Dan have 3 girls: Kaitlyn, Christa, and Allison.

Secretary/Treasurer

Elisa M. Ghezzi, DDS, PhD

Elisa's Biography

Elisa M. Ghezzi, DDS, PhD has practiced geriatric dentistry for 25 years, providing dental care for residents of assisted living facilities in southeastern Michigan. She graduated from and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Michigan (UM) School of Dentistry and holds a PhD in Epidemiology from UM School of Public Health. Elisa has been married for 24 years to Steve, a pediatric dentist. They have six children: Elena, Joseph, Luke, Natalie, Dominic, and Michael. Elisa has been a member of CMDA since 1991 and has served as Resident Trustee, on the Dental Ad Hoc Committee, and on the Women in Medicine and Dentistry Commission (2001-2005).

Past Chair

Connie Hahn, DO

Connie's Biography

Connie Hahn, DO, is a family medicine physician in group practice at Bozeman Deaconess Health Group in Bozeman, Montana. After spending the first part of her career life in the airline industry and as a ski instructor in Lake Tahoe, Connie decided to return to her education in her 40s. Her husband Chris was her main source of encouragement as she found herself applying to medical school later in life. Connie was an officer in her CMDA chapter while attending Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine and later became involved, as a new physician, with what is now Women Physicians and Dentists in Christ. She is currently the chair of this CMDA commission. Dr. Hahn attended UC Davis family medicine residency in Merced, California and was treated for cancer during that time. As a survivor, and experiencing the dual role of being a patient and physician, Dr Hahn witnessed God at work in a very big way. This helped shape her practice and her compassion for her patients. As grateful as she was for God's work in the midst of pain and suffering, as well as his "delegates" who surrounded her, she came to realize that "You may not ever be able to give back enough, but you can always pass it forward." Dr. Hahn started out as a full spectrum Family Medicine Physician delivering babies, following her patients in the hospital, and seeing unassigned patients in the ER while on call nights. She incorporates her faith into her practice and gives public lectures on this subject as well as behavioral health. Dr Hahn enjoys participating in short term missions once a year. Dr. Hahn and her husband Chris, who is a corporate consultant, have two grown children, one living in Maine and another in Lake Tahoe. They are avid skiers, hikers, and have three golden retrievers!

Commission Member

Holly B. Austin, MD

Holly's Biography

Holly B. Austin, MD, is a Pediatrician in Urgent Care at Children's Mercy Hospital in Overland Park, Kansas. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she attended college at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois and then went to Medical School at University of Missouri-Columbia. She did her Pediatric Residency at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO. She is one of 5 doctors in a Pediatric practice that has been together for 22 years. Married with four dogs and one cat, Holly loves bicycling, skiing and music and is involved in church and community activities. She has a handicapped sister born when she was 9 years old, and has extensive experience with handicapped children in both private practice and on a personal level. She was chosen as one of the top three pediatricians in the greater Kansas City area (pop. 1.5 million with over 270 pediatricians) by a poll of physicians published in Squire Magazine in 2000 and 2003. (poll was completed every two years but magazine is no longer published).

Commission Member

Andrea Braun, MD, PhD

Andrea's Biography

Dr. Andrea Braun received her MD and PhD degrees from the University of Heidelberg in Germany. After medical school, she trained in England for a brief period of time, then in Germany in nephrology, then moved to the US for an internal medicine residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a nephrology fellowship at Harvard in Boston, MA, and a critical care fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Critical Care Medicine and currently practices as an Intensivist (doctor for critically ill patients) at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in Houston, TX. She is an Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, in Houston, TX and Associate Program Director for the Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program. Dr. Braun has an interest in theology and holds a Graduate Diploma of Christian Studies from Regent College, Vancouver, BC, Canada. She enjoys serving in short-term medical missions and in the local CMDA Houston chapter. In her free time, she likes to travel, go hiking, read theology books, and recently took up running as a new hobby.

Commission Member

Mike Chupp, MD, FACS

Mike's Biography

Mike Chupp, MD, FACS, was drawn to the orthopedic surgery service as Tenwek had no long-term bone surgeon. He was also named Medical Director in mid-1997. Tenwek grew remarkably during Mike's tenure as surgeon and medical director to a clinical staff of over 80 physicians and clinical officers and more than 700 total staff. Training programs for interns, family medicine, general surgery and orthopedics were also developed and launched during those years.

Mike and Pam left for Kenya in August 1996 with two small children and added two more while at Tenwek Hospital: Steven, Melody, Kayla and Ashley.

In 2015, Dr. David Stevens invited Mike to consider returning to the U.S. to assume the role of CMDA Executive Vice President. After seven months of prayer and seeking counsel from mission leaders, mentors and close friends, Pam and Mike decided to leave their Kenya home and mission life of 20 years and moved to Bristol, Tennessee in July 2016. Mike has counted it an amazing privilege to serve alongside David Stevens and Gene Rudd and all the national CMDA staff for nearly three years. In September 2018, after an eight-month CEO search process, the Board of Trustees asked Mike to become the next CEO of CMDA, beginning September 1, 2019, when Dr. Stevens steps down. Mike's life verses are from 2 Timothy 1:6-7: "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (ESV).

Commission Member

Urania Davis

Urania's Biography

Urania Davis, is a Board Certified OB/GYN at Nile Women’s Health Care in Roswell and Johns Creek Georgia. Originally from Dominica (West Indies) and raised in St. Croix USVI, Dr. Davis received both a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and a Master of Biomedical Science from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Georgia. She then completed her residency in Miami, Florida, where she served as the chief administrative resident. In her current role, she is also an attending physician to medical students and residents at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital. Dr. Davis has also served as a committee member for the Maternal Morbidity and Mortality committee at Emory Johns Creek Hospital. Discipleship and mentorship are core areas of ministry for which she is passionate about and this is played out in almost every area of her life. Her previous experiences in women’s care includes mentoring young ladies at her local church and serving as a counselor at Harbor Oaks Boarding School (now Wolf Creek Academy). Dr. Davis is also a wife and mother. She has been married to her husband, Dwayne Davis, for 16 years. They have three children, ages 13y, 11y, and 7y. In addition to being active members of their local church (Eagles Nest Church), she and her husband serve as Life Group leaders for married couples. Her involvement with CMDA started during medical school under the leadership of Bill Rheichart. CMDA served as a source of support during those difficult years and a way to see examples of other physicians practicing faith-based medicine. As an attending, she is involved with WHPC in Atlanta and the CMDA Atlanta chapter. She has also volunteered with GHO on mission trips to the Dominican Republic and Thailand. It was during her first WPDC conference she felt that WPDC was an organization she wanted to serve with and be a part of. Being a part of the commissioning board provides an opportunity to combine three things she loves and is very passionate about - faith, women, and medicine. As a WPDC commission member, she seeks to be a servant and to serve in whatever capacity is needed that will ultimately further the Kingdom.

Commission Member

Sara Bowen, MD, FAAP

Sara's Biography

Sara Bowen, MD, FAAP is a Pediatrician at Roseville Pediatrics, Lancaster General Health, Penn Medicine in Lancaster, PA. She lives with her family in Lititz, PA, the coolest small town in America. Sara grew up in Wellsboro, PA which is home to the beautiful Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. She received her B.S. in Biology from Juniata College in 2001 and her M.D. from the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine in 2005. She completed her residency in Pediatrics at Dayton Children's Medical Center, Boonshoft School of Medicine in 2008. She is a member of CMDA, WPDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Pennsylvania Medical Society. Sara met her husband, Michael (a Psychiatrist), through CMDA in medical school. They have two sons, Joel and Aaron. Her family also has two dogs, Annie a golden doodle and Oscar, a miniature dachshund. They enjoy camping, hiking, playing board games, being outdoors, reading, and exploring National Parks. Sara is a part of a weekly Zoom Bible Study formed out of the CMDA’s Courage in the Crisis Connection Room that met at the start of the COVID pandemic. She and three other WPDC members have met weekly since June 2020 and studied over 16 books together.

Commission Member

Martha Courtright, MD

Martha's Biography

Martha Grace Courtwright is a Family Medicine physician in Hayward, Wisconsin where she practices full spectrum medicine. She is originally from Monroe, Louisiana. Her parents are both Family Medicine physicians and members of CMDA. She attended Wheaton College where she majored in Theology and attended Medical College of Wisconsin- Green Bay for medical school. She is married to Kyle and has two kids, Isabelle and Liam. She enjoys hiking, camping, reading, crafting, and playing board games. She previously served as the resident representative and now continues to work with the student/resident ministry as a member of the WPDC Commission.

Commission Member

Jordan Immel, DMD

Jordan's Biography

Jordan Immel, DMD, is a general dentist at a community health center in central Missouri. She attended AT Still University, graduating in 2020. Jordan became involved in CMDA while in her second year of training and served as the vice president of her chapter for a year. Following graduation, she became involved in the Women in Medicine and Dentistry Commission, serving as a member of the Dental Task Force since early 2021. Having graduated herself during the pandemic, Jordan has a passion for helping new graduates through their transition from school into their medical profession. She hopes that God may use her in this endeavor while serving as a member of the WPDC commission.

Dental Student Representative

Christina Spencer

Christina's Biography

Christina Spencer is a dental student at the University of Iowa, DDS pending 2026. She is originally from TX, but enjoys the cooler weather in Iowa that makes it easier to be active outdoors. She is very involved with her local dental chapter of CMDA, including helping to plan a dental mission trip with CMDA. She also loves being able to connect nationally with other women through WPDC. Her next steps include strongly considering a pediatric dentistry residency and future work in a Federally Qualified Health Center.

Commission Member

Marilyn Whitney, MD

Marilyn's Biography

Medical Student Representative

Faith Brown

Connect with a Local Bible Study

GET INVOLVED WITH WPDC

WPDC Conferences

An annual four-day conference for Women Physicians & Dentists in Christ providing opportunities for fellowship, continuing education, networking and spiritual growth & refreshment. The conference offers This conference offers educational opportunities each year. Online registration and the downloadable form are available using the button below.

GPS Retreats

Grasping Power through Surrender (GPS)

If you are interested in having a GPS retreat in your area, get together two or three interested graduate physician colleagues and let us know by emailing us at wpdc@cmda.org. WPDC will provide the facilitator, support and advertising to bring together 6-8 female physicians for a Thursday-Sunday GPS retreat. Or if you would like to attend a future retreat in a different area, please email us.

EMAIL for INFO

Mentoring

Mentoring is a great way to get involved and share what the Lord has taught you, or to learn from those who have gone before you. Through Mentoring relationships, we follow Christ's commission of making disciples!

Mentoring Download

Marriage Enrichment Weekends

A weekend conference provided by CMDA's Marriage Commission specifically for WPDC members and their spouses. Save the date for the next WPDC MEW February 23-25, 2024 in Monterrey, California which will offer an opportunity for participants to grow and nurture their marital relationship. Details TBA.

MORE INFORMATION

WPDC Conference Speaking

Would you like to get involved with WPDC by volunteering to be a conference speaker? If you have a topic you would like to present at a future conference, we’d love to hear from you! This link will take you to our speaker paperwork form to complete and email in Word format. We plan in advance, so the deadlines are submission by December 20^th for CE talks at the following year’s conference; and January 20th for non-CE talks for the current conference year. Let us know what’s on your heart by completing the form, and we’ll be happy to work with you!

Speaker Paperwork

WPDC Dental Ministries

The treasure we have in WPDC is our relationships with other Christian women professionals who can help us to grow in our faith and support us through our lives and challenges. We value staying connected to one another.

MORE INFORMATION

2008 - GHO trip to Cuenca, Ecuador
2011-2018 - GHO trips to House of Hope, Managua, Nicaragua
2019 - GHO trip to Women of Hope, Honduras
2020 - Team trip to House of Hope, Managua, Nicaragua
2023 - WPDC trip with Go International to House of Hope, Managua, Nicaragua

For the last 12 years WPDC has brought mission teams to House of Hope Nicaragua, where we are known in the brothels as ‘angels in white coats’. Unfortunately, our team was denied entry to the country this year, and we will not be able to continue to serve there. Although many of us are very sad and heartbroken over this, we are trusting God to provide new opportunities to serve, in new ways and locations, and we plan to offer several different opportunities including options to teach, to work with other CMDA ministries, and continue to work with GO Intl as they would love to have Healthcare people on every one of their teams Stay tuned, and we hope to present some opportunities in the next several months!

Donations

WPDC is supported by people like YOU! Donations help us with providing our student scholarships, our conference and venue costs, special programs and mailings, print materials, and all operational costs for our growing ministries.

Donate to WPDC

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Our History

Read the About WPDC Article from "CMDA Today Summer 2024"

In April 1992, Rev. Marti Ensign became the first director of this outreach, which provided resources directed toward women physicians and dentists, conferences to meet their specific needs and a close-knit network to help them share and grow in Christ. In 1993, members of the (newly formed) WIMD Commission attended the American Medical Women's Association meeting, where many expressed an interest in CMDS. In April 1994, the first CMDS/WIMD national convention was held in Philadelphia.

In 2000, Rev. Marti Ensign retired from the leadership of WIMD and Harriet Askew became the new director. She worked on behalf of the ministry from 2000-2002. Since 2002, WIMD has created a monthly e-newsletter that is sent out to thousands of women. With the e-newsletter, WIMD can reach women all over the world and in return receives many responses including prayer requests, needs and useful suggestions.

In 2002, the Commission members realized their desire to personally minister to the women professionals of CMDA, and therefore, the ministry paradigm was restructured. The WIMD Commission hired its first administrative assistant in the fall of 2002 and its first full-time administrator in January 2014. WIMD now has yearly conferences in different regions of the United States to minister to the growing number of women physicians, dentists and medical and dental students.

In 2021, the name was changed to Women Physicians & Dentists in Christ (WPDC) in order to reflect the heart of the organization, Jesus Christ. The mission of this commission has not changed-the ministry continues to be focused on Christian women physicians, dentists and the students in these professions.

wpdc@cmda.org

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