Christian Jenski MD
AAEM, ACEP, ABEM, ABOIM, FAAMFM, IFMCP
Dr. Jenski’s Story
Dr. Jenski has dreamed of practicing medicine for as long as he can remember. His career in medicine began in the Emergency Department where he practiced for almost 20 years. His interest in Integrative and Functional Medicine began with a personal twist and a bit of serendipity.
After getting married to his wife, Jody, and with the births of their children, Eden and Gabriel, Dr. Jenski slowly came to realize that many aspects of his health felt “off.” He had grown more fatigued beyond what he thought should be expected for new parenthood. He became frustrated with the explanations that conventional care had to offer. He thought that there had to be more than just taking prescriptions and being labeled with diseases. He had forgotten about self-care, grew increasingly more unwell (weight gain, brain fog, eczema/allergies) and was eventually diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, heavy metal toxicity, and chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) secondary to biotoxins.
In his search for answers, he discovered The Institute for Functional Medicine and immediately felt hope and a restored passion for medicine and healthier lifestyle choices. He was accepted into the certification pathway and shortly thereafter joined a two-year fellowship with the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine. Through his education, lifestyle modifications, and implementation of the knowledge he acquired, he was able to reverse his chronic disease processes and grow in health and wellness. This sparked the realization that Integrative and Functional Medicine should be the cornerstone of his practice for the rest of his career. His hunger for knowledge and intellectual curiosity were rekindled and that flame still burns brightly.
When his daughter, Eden, was three and a half years old, he diagnosed her with Celiac Disease. Through Integrative and Functional Medicine, he was able to detect her early, subtle signs and symptoms. His family has since adopted a gluten-free diet, and she is healthy and active.
Dr. Jenski and his family have a lifestyle supported by nutrition, creativity, healthy choices, and love. They have a small but luscious organic garden. They also have a bountiful herb garden and a growing number of fruit trees.
Dr. Jenski is triple board certified in Functional Medicine, Integrative & Holistic Medicine, Emergency Medicine, as well as Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine.
Medical Biography
1997 – 2006
Dr. Jenski graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from the College of William & Mary in 1997. He then went on to complete a Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Certificate Program in Anatomy from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in 1999. He earned his MD in 2003 and completed his residency program in 2006, both from VCU’s School of Medicine. He then became a Diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine and still currently holds Board Certification.
2006 – 2012
After the completion of residency, Dr. Jenski relocated to Chicago and worked clinically in the Emergency Department at both RUSH University Medical Center and Saint Anthony Hospital from 2006 – 2010.
He joined Emergency Physicians Medical Group and worked at various locations throughout the Midwest including southern Illinois and Western Indiana from 2011 – 2012.
2012 – 2018
In 2012, Dr. Jenski married and returned to Richmond, VA. From late 2012 – 2016, he worked as a clinician in urgent care. It was during this time that he researched and discovered Integrative and Functional Medicine. In April 2016, he was accepted as a Candidate for Certification through the Institute for Functional Medicine. In February of 2017, he was accepted into a two-year Fellowship with the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine.
Through the knowledge that he acquired, the skills that he developed, and the motivation to never stop asking “why?”, Dr. Jenski was able to reverse his own chronic disease, diagnose his daughter Eden with Celiac Disease years before significant symptoms ensued, and normalize her autoantibodies. He knew that this was more than a career shift. It was personal, a lifestyle, and the only way that he could ever see himself practicing medicine again.
While pursuing his academic interests, he worked clinically as a traveling physician (locum tenens) in the Emergency Departments at Kent General Hospital in Dover, DE, and Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, VA.
2018 – 2023
In October of 2018, Dr. Jenski joined Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine. He became certified in Functional Medicine in November 2018; then board certified in Integrative and Holistic Medicine in May 2019.
In October 2023, Dr. Jenski completed his third board certification in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine.