As a woman, an athlete, and a mother, Dr. Jaclyn Bonder understands the unique challenges her female patients face at different stages of life.
“I like being able to connect with my patients in a way that makes them feel they aren’t alone in what they are going through,” says Dr. Bonder, a physiatrist and medical director of Women’s Health Rehabilitation at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Dr. Bonder grew up on Long Island with a love for athletics, including soccer and gymnastics, and she initially imagined a career in physical therapy.
She was intrigued by sports medicine but “I was overwhelmed by all the knowledge I would need to have,” to become a physician, she recalls.
Then, in college, she volunteered at the
@nyphospital burn unit and learned that patient care is a team effort, and that doctors have resources to guide them.
“That’s when I decided I was going to become a doctor,” she says.
In medical school, she became interested in physiatry, also known as physical and rehabilitation medicine, and women’s health and obstetrics and gynecology. In residency, she figured out how to blend those passions.
At the time, treating women with muscle, bone, and joint issues during and after pregnancy, with a focus on pelvic floor pain, was an emerging subspeciality.
“I enjoy working with women patients, and I saw a way to carve my own niche,” says Dr. Bonder, also the mom of two.
Since then, the field has evolved and grown, thanks in part to social media giving women a platform to talk about pelvic health and their body changes throughout life.
While awareness of women’s pelvic health has increased, “one of my goals is to create more teamwork within the field of women’s health,” she says. “Sometimes patients don’t know a doctor like me exists. I want patients to have an understanding of what’s available to them.”
Dr. Bonder frequently sees women who are relieved to have finally found her after dealing with persistent pain following childbirth.
“I will sit down with them and listen and say, ‘We will figure out a plan,’” Dr. Bonder says. “What’s most fulfilling is creating a sense of hope for patients who’ve maybe been suffering for months or years.”
