A Close Network of Female Physicians on the Coastal Bend
Female Doctors Association of Corpus Christi
By Jody Joseph Marmel
The Female Doctors Association of Corpus Christi, FDACC, is a group of professional physicians who have several things in common. First and foremost, they are exemplary physicians in the Coastal Bend Region in Texas. Most of them are spouses and mothers. They are involved in hectic professional careers and balancing both professional and personal lives.
Dr. Jacqueline Phillips started The Female Doctors Association as a way to network with other women physicians in the area. She quickly gathered a core group of seven highly talented physicians whose idea was to meet, in spite of their hectic schedules, on a regular basis to socialize, share meals and discuss professional and personal anecdotes from their personal lives.
Instrumental in coordinating for these physicians, Dr. Phillips recalls, “During our first night out in 2013, we had an instant bond.” As the group became better known, other female physicians in the area joined. This friendly, welcoming, and nurturing circle of female doctors always keep the doors open and welcome others to attend the meetings and become part of the FDACC.
“We celebrate each other and lift each other up while sharing the stories of our lives, our marriages, our kids, and our medical school experiences, and when venting our problems we come up with solutions for each other. It is amazing to have these female friendships within our profession. The FDACC began with the ‘original’ seven doctors and grew to 30 women over time. Physicians come out of this meeting refreshed and looking forward to the next one,” says Dr. Phillips.
“It was not easy to agree on a time that would work for all of us because our profession is so demanding. We had to work around being on call as well as finding a time that would suit our personal lives. But during our first night out in 2013, we had an instant bond.”
We celebrate each other and lift each other up while sharing the stories of our lives.
The seven female doctors were having a wonderful night out, and their laughter could be heard by all. Before departing, they asked Dr. Phillips when their next meeting would be – and the rest is history. To think that this all started over dinner and a glass of wine makes their celebration of one another a simple, yet beautiful story.
At one of their meetings, the doctors began to discuss the need to have a name for their group. FDA – Female Doctors Association was born, and while it is not an “official” group, the FDA is a close network of female doctors on the Coastal Bend. “After word spread about the FDA, I was approached by other women in the field who wanted to be a part of the group.
Dr. Phillips describes the group with immense positivity and she is certainly proud of what they have accomplished as a team. “It’s amazing to have these female friendships within our profession. The FDA began with the ‘original’ seven doctors and grew to 30 women over time. Monthly meetings are well attended, however, being on call and doing late rounds causes many to miss out on the camaraderie.
Looking ahead, Dr. Phillips would like to open up the group to females in the medical residency program. “This is sure to get them excited about other women in the medical field and about knowing they have a support system.”
Dr. Phillips elaborates on the ‘original’ seven female doctors that formed the FDA, “While I am the youngest in the group, they have helped me be a better person and they continue to encourage me. How can I be as thorough and detailed as they are? I aspire to be like all of these women, who are my role models. All of the female doctors who are part of the FDA have finesse, style, and are unbelievably awesome.”
Dr. Jacqueline Phillips
Dr. Jacqueline Phillips
Dr. Jacqueline Phillips is the Associate Program Director for the Corpus Christi Medical Center Bay Area Internal Medicine Residency and is an Internal Medicine Physician at Amistad Community Health Center. She provides primary care to the underserved community of Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas. Dr. Phillips treats the primary disease states including, but not limited to, hypertension, diabetes, congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, thyroid disease, cirrhosis, and hepatitis. She is also in charge of the oversight of the Advanced Nurse Practitioners.
Dr. Phillips attended Seton Hall University for a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. She was awarded a certificate for completing the University Honors Program. Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine was her next stop and there Dr. Phillips received her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Degree. She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and attended Jersey Shore University Medical Center for her Residency in Internal Medicine.
She is a member of the American Academy of HIV Medicine, the American College of Physicians, the American Osteopathic Association, the Continuing Education Advisory Committee for Texas A&M Health Science Center, the Nueces County Medical Society and the Young Business Professionals of Corpus Christi.
Dr. Amber Kaldas
Dr. Amber Kaldas
Dr. Amber Kaldas is the Medical Director of the U.S. Renal Care dialysis unit in Corpus Christi. She is a nephrologist and has been in private practice since July 2013. With privileges in eight hospitals (three separate hospital systems) Dr. Kaldas makes daily rounds all over the Coastal Bend. She holds an office clinic twice a week to follow up with her hospital patients.
Dr. Kaldas attended the Assiut University School of Medicine in Assiut, Egypt. She received her Medical Degree followed by a doctorate degree. Landing in California, Dr. Kaldas completed her Residency in Internal Medicine at Alameda County Medical Center/University of California, San Francisco, Highland Hospital in Oakland, California. She then went to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock and received her Nephrology Fellowship.
Dr. Kaldas is a member of The American College of Physicians, the American Society of Nephrology, the National Kidney Foundation and the Renal Physicians Association.
Dr. Shamim Badruddin- Mawji
Dr. Shamin Badruddin
Shamim Badruddin Mawji, M.D. is a non-interventional cardiologist. Dr. Mawji is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Echocardiology, and Nuclear Cardiology.
She attended medical school at Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan and graduated with honors. Dr. Mawji then completed her Internal Medicine Residency at Baylor College of Medicine and was the Chief Medical Resident at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Houston, Texas. She also completed her Cardiology Fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine with a special interest in Cardiovascular Imaging.
Dr. Mawji is a partner at Coastal Cardiology Association and the Medical Director for the Echocardiography Advisory Committee at Del Mar College. She is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Associate Member of the AMA, a member of the Texas Medical Association, and a member of the American College of Physicians.
Dr. Mawji is married to Dr. Srikanth Damaraju. They have two children, —Sarita, who attends Harvard University, and Aneel, who attends Rice University. Her interests include teaching, hiking, and traveling.
Dr. Delia Quisenberry
Dr. Delia Quisenberry
Dr. Delia Quisenberry is Chief Hospitalist at Corpus Christi Hospitalists, PLLC. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Western Kentucky University. Dr. Quisenberry then received her Medical Degree and completed her Residency in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics at University of Louisville School of Medicine in Louisville, Kentucky.
Dr. Quisenberry is on the Board of Directors at Corpus Christi Medical Center. She is also on the Internal Medicine Program Evaluation Committee as well as the Orthopedic Surgery Joint Replacement Certification Committee. She has a passion for Hospice Medicine and has been involved in hospice care since 2007. She is certified in the EssentiALZ Plus Dementia Care program through the Alzheimer’s Association.
Dr. Delia Quisenberry has been married to Larry Quisenberry, PHD for 29 years. Their son Thomas is a medical doctor and their daughter Lauren is a fourth-year medical student.
Dr. Adriana Maria Pop-Moody
Dr. Adrianna Pop Moody
Since 2005, Dr. Adriana Maria Pop-Moody has been practicing at the Adriana Pop-Moody Clinic Pennsylvania in Corpus Christi. She is a Rheumatology Specialist. Her practice utilizes a fully integrated Electronic Medical Records, EMR, to maximize staff efficiency and deliver quality care leading to positive outcomes and a high level of patient satisfaction. Dr. Pop-Moody is also an Adjunct Clinical Professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine.
She attended the University of Timisoara Institute of Medicine in Timisoara, Romania for her Medical Degree and her Residency in Internal Medicine. Upon arriving
to the United States, Dr. Pop-Moody attended Michigan State University for her Residency in Internal Medicine and then went to Sinai Hospital, Detroit Medical Center for her Fellowship in Rheumatology. She is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Medical Association, the Nueces County Medical Society and the Texas Medical Association.
Dr. Tara Hahn
Dr. Tara Hahn
Tara Hahn M.D. received her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Purdue University in Indiana. She then continued her studies at Indiana University School of Medicine and in 1995 was presented to her Doctor of Medicine degree. In 2001, Dr. Hahn completed the General Surgery Residency Program at the Indiana University School of Medicine. She then traveled to New York and in 2002 completed the Colon and Rectal Surgery Residency Program at the State University of New York at Buffalo — Buffalo General Hospital.
Dr. Hahn has been a practicing physician at The Colon and Rectal Associates of South Texas in Corpus Christi for more than twelve years and is board certified in
colon and rectal surgery. She enjoys the practice and the medical community on the Coastal Bend. Dr. Hahn is a member of the Texas Surgical Society, the Texas Medical Association, Nueces County Medical Society, and a fellow of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Dr. Hahn enjoys reading, kayaking, and cooking for family and friends.
Dr. Fariba Zarinetchi
Dr. Fariba Zarinetchi
Dr. Fariba Zarinetchi received her Bachelor of Science degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her medical degree at Tufts University School of Medicine in 1989. She then went to Georgetown University Medical Center for an internship and residency in internal medicine. She completed her fellowship in Renal Diseases and Hypertension at the University of Colorado Health Science Center. From September 1996 to the present, Dr. Zarinetchi has had a private practice, – Kidney Specialists of South Texas Pennsylvania – in Corpus Christi.
She has been an active member of several committees on the Coastal Bend. Dr. Zarinetchi is a clinical instructor for the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Corpus Christi Medical Center, the Medical Director of DaVita Corpus Christi Dialysis, and the President of the Dialysis Access Center in Corpus Christi. She is a member of the National Kidney Foundation, the American Society of Nephrology, the American College of Physicians, and the Nueces County Medical Society.
Photographer: Paul Marshall
Recent Comments