Mission Statement · JWPA · Est. 2008

To empower women
in medicine — and to build
the community that
lifts every one of them.

Founded by Dr. Sudha Nahar in 2008, JWPA exists because women in medicine are stronger together. Every program, every event, and every connection we create traces back to this belief.

Join JWPA Meet the Founder

Active Members

250⁺

Across all NJ specialties

Years Established

7⁺

Founded November 2008

Flagship Program

TWS

Teens With Stethoscopes

Statewide Reach

All 21 counties

Our Mission

What we set out to do — every single day

JWPA's mission is to empower women physicians across New Jersey through community, mentorship, leadership development, and advocacy — and to extend that mission to the next generation through programs that introduce students to careers in medicine.

We do this by connecting women across specialties and career stages, creating structured opportunities to grow as leaders, and building a statewide network strong enough to lift every woman in medicine who walks through our door.

From a resident navigating her first year to an attending stepping into an executive role, JWPA is built to meet women where they are — and help them get where they're going.

Our Vision

"A New Jersey where women lead at every level of medicine — from the bedside to the boardroom."

Equal representation in leadership

Women holding leadership roles across NJ hospitals, academic institutions, and health systems — not as exceptions, but as the norm.

A clear pipeline from student to physician

Built on mentorship and access — so that no young woman loses interest in medicine simply because she's never seen a physician who looks like her.

A culture of mutual support

A statewide community where women physicians champion each other across every specialty, every career stage, and every challenge.

Core Values

What guides every decision we make

Four principles underpin everything JWPA does — from the programs we design to the community we cultivate. They are not aspirations. They are operating standards.

Community

We believe women in medicine are stronger together. A statewide, connected network is the foundation of everything JWPA builds — and the reason we exist.

Advocacy

We actively promote gender equity in healthcare leadership and policy — raising the visibility of women physicians at every level of the system, without apology.

Education

From pre-med students to senior attendings, we create meaningful learning opportunities at every stage of a medical career — because growth never stops.

Leadership

We develop and champion women who step into leadership roles — in the clinic, in academia, on hospital boards, and in policy — and we give them the tools to thrive there.

Replace src="YOUR-TWS-IMAGE.jpg"

Mission in Action · Flagship Program

The mission starts
before medical school

Teens With Stethoscopes is where JWPA's mission becomes visible. A one-day immersive experience for NJ high school students — hands-on clinical simulations, panels with women physicians, and real mentorship conversations. Every student who attends is one step closer to becoming the next generation of women physicians that JWPA was built to support.

Learn About TWS Apply Now

One-day immersive experience

Hands-on clinical simulations and specialty stations

Women physician mentors

Panels, Q&A, and one-on-one conversations

Open to NJ high school students

Statewide reach across all 21 counties

Our Commitments

How we live the mission

A mission statement is only as meaningful as the commitments behind it. These are the specific, concrete ways JWPA puts its mission into practice — for its members, its partners, and the community it serves.

More about JWPA

We create space for every stage

From pre-med students to senior attendings, JWPA programs meet women where they are in their career — not just at the top.

We connect across specialties

Surgeons, gastroenterologists, pediatricians, and primary care physicians — JWPA brings them together because the challenges women face cut across all specialties.

We build the pipeline

Through TWS, we invest in inspiring the next generation of women physicians — introducing high school students to medicine long before they apply to medical school.

We advocate without apology

JWPA takes an active role in promoting gender equity in healthcare leadership — at the hospital level, in academic medicine, and across New Jersey.

We lead by example

Our founder Dr. Sudha Nahar serves on the Medical Executive Committee at RWJ University Hospital. JWPA's leadership reflects the standard we hold for every member.

We grow the community intentionally

Membership in JWPA is not passive. We foster genuine relationships through mentorship circles, events, and programs that make the network stronger with every person who joins.

This mission only works with you in it

Open to women physicians across New Jersey — join the community.

Join JWPA Support Our Work

Done!

To empower women in medicine — and to build the community that lifts every one of them.