Today, Cooper joins our colleagues across the country in celebrating National Women Physicians Day, which is the birthday of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States in 1849.

Women represent nearly half of all medical school graduates and assistant professors at academic institutions. Here at Cooper, 44% of our physicians are women. In recognition of the compassionate, quality care they provide and the many accomplishments they have achieved, Cooper’s Women In Medicine group are proud to share the work of some of our women physicians with you.

This year, we’re spotlighting four of these remarkable physicians: Carolyn Bekes, MD; Jocelyn Mitchell-Williams, MD, PhD; Annette Reboli, MD, and Andrea M. Russo, MD. To read more about the contributions of some of our other exceptional women physicians at Cooper, click here.

---

Jocelyn Mitchell-Williams, MD, PhD

is an associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN) and the associate dean for diversity and community affairs at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU). She also serves as a senior advisor to the executive leadership team at Cooper University Health Care (CUHC) on matters relating to diversity, equity and inclusion. She leads CMSRU’s efforts in establishing joint initiatives with hospitals, educational institutions, and community organizations to improve the health outreach and educational opportunities in Camden and surrounding communities. She directs several workforce diversity programs including the Premedical Urban Leadership Summer Enrichment (PULSE) Program and oversees more than 25 service learning projects for medical students.

A graduate of Rutgers University, College of Engineering and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), she earned doctoral degrees in biomedical engineering and medicine. She completed her OB-GYN residency at CUHC.

Dr. Mitchell-Williams served as assistant dean for multicultural affairs at RWJMS-Camden Campus from 2008-10 before becoming the associate dean for diversity and community affairs at CMSRU. She remains an active member of the Cooper University Health Care clinical staff. Her research interest is in the area of diversity and elimination of health disparities, especially in pregnant women.

She has served the Camden community for the past 23 years and has been involved in program development for underrepresented and financially disadvantaged students in the areas of engineering, science and medicine for over 30 years. Dr. Mitchell-Williams is a Fellow of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG), member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), and a graduate of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) program.

Dr. Mitchell-Williams resides in Moorestown, New Jersey with her husband, Rick. She is the proud mother of four children and enjoys reading, going to the theater and being active in her community.