About Us
Canadian Women in Medicine (CWIM) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to connecting and supporting Canadian women physicians, including women+, non-binary and two-spirit colleagues, in all aspects of their lives.
Founded in 2018, our mission is to help women+ thrive both professionally and personally. Through advocacy, mentorship and recognition we strive to achieve our goals of increasing the number of women in medical leadership roles and achieving a work environment that is safe and equitable.
With a growing community of over 1,400 partners, our vision is to create a connected force of female physicians that advocate for, elevate, and celebrate one another.
Our Story
In early 2017, Dr. Caitlin Schwartz and Dr. Setareh Ziai had the idea of creating a Canadian Women in Medicine “get together” of sorts. This would be a place where all women physicians from across Canada could come together and connect, learn and support one another. In June 2018, the first CWIM Conference was held in Ottawa, Ontario.
In planning this conference it became apparent that just one gathering would not suffice and with the guidance, love and support of Dr. Chandi Chandrasena, Dr. Sandra Landolt, Dr. Nicole Shadbolt & Dr. Tonja Stothart, CWIM Organization was created. With much perseverance and passion, this truly grassroots national organization came to be.
CWIM was created to act as a beacon for all women physicians. A place to go, to fight for what is right, to connect in times of difficulty and times of joy, to teach us ways to improve our lives and ourselves.
Board of Directors
Coming together from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, our Board of Directors are the backbone of Canadian Women in Medicine.
President
Dr. Chetana Kulkarni
Past President
Dr. Tina Whitty
President Elect
Dr. Naminder Sandhu
Chair of the Board
Dr. Renée-Pier Fortin-Boudreault
Board Director
Dr. Gina Colbourne
Board Director
Dr. Liana Hwang
Founding Member
Dr. Caitlin Schwartz
Founding Member
Dr. Setareh Ziai
Leadership Council
CWIM's Leadership Council is compromised of five committees dedicated to various aspects of our organization’s mission. The committees are Award, Advocacy, Social, Partner Engagement & Communications. All CWIM Partners are invited to apply for Leadership Council.