At-Large Candidate No. 3
1) Complete Name: Jennifer Shu, MD
2) Home: Decatur, Ga.
3) Specialty: Pediatrics
4) Type of Practice: Private Pediatrics Group Practice
5) Relevant Leadership Experience on Issues of Interest/Concern to Women in Medicine:
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) liaison to the WPC since 2005
- Involved with the development of the joint AAP/AMA-WPC “Explorations in Workplace Options” Web site
- Participated as an advisor for AAP’s Physician Re-entry into the Workplace Project, of which the AMA-WPC is a participant.
6) Endorsements
- American Academy of Pediatrics
7) Personal Statement: Most women physicians face the challenge of work-life balance, and I am no exception. To “conquer” these challenges I have worked part time, and took a two-year break from pediatric practice when I became a mother. I personally appreciate the need for flexibility in one’s career and the dilemmas associated with re-entry into the workforce. Additionally, attending AMA meetings for 17 years and serving in organized medicine at the local, state, and national levels has taught me how to balance parenting with medical practice and the impact that women in leadership positions can have on shaping a group’s agenda for everyone’s benefit.
Recently I decided to broaden my professional scope and ventured into the world of medical media while continuing to practice part-time general pediatrics. My breadth of experiences as a woman physician, parenting book author, medical journalist, radio host, blogger and mom would bring a unique perspective to the AMA-WPC Governing Council. Most notably, writing books and medical pieces for the public in a national online news forum have shown me the power of effective communication. I would similarly hope to communicate the concerns and priorities of women physicians to the rest of the profession and the public alike.
