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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.

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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.

CWIM Organization + CWIM Gather

CWIM Gather is an organization that produces professional development events and courses designed for women physicians, by women physicians. CWIM Organization partners receive early access and special pricing on all CWIM Gather events and courses. 

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. Tina Whitty
Past President
Dr. Liana Hwang
President Elect
Dr. Chetana Kulkarni
Chair of the Board
Dr. Chetana Kulkarni
Board Director
Dr. Naminder Sandhu
Board Director
Dr. Renée-Pier Fortin-Boudreault
Board Director
Dr. Gina Colbourne
Founding Member
Dr. Caitlin Schwartz
Founding Member
Dr. Setareh Ziai

Leadership Council

CWIM's Leadership Council is compromised of four committees dedicated to various aspects of our organization’s mission. The committees are Mentorship, Advocacy, Awards & Nominations, and Events. All CWIM Partners are invited to apply for Leadership Council.

Advocacy
(Gina)
Events
(Tina & Chetana)
Mentorship
(Naminder)
Awards & Nominations
(Liana & Renée-Pier)
Christine Gibson
Stephanie Hart
Jessica Curran
Clara Leigh
Jane Charters
Sarah Massoud
Kelsey Mills
Heather Thompson
Susan Thouin
Shirley Schipper
Shayda Ziai
Aakriti Chawla
Shailla Viadya

Past Presidents

2018/2019
Dr. Setareh Ziai
2019
Dr. Caitlin Schwartz
2020
Dr. Sandra Landolt
2021
Dr. Tonja Stothart
2022
Dr. Deidre Young
2023
Dr. Liana Hwang
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