Christian Jenski MD
AAEM, ACEP, ABEM, ABOIM, IFMCP
Christian Jenski MD
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, and he has practiced Emergency Medicine off and on since 2003. His interest in functional and integrative 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 he felt increasingly unwell. He had grown more fatigued beyond what he thought should be expected for new parenthood. He became frustrated with conventional care and thought there had to be more than taking prescriptions and being labeled with diseases. He had forgotten about self-care and, through the arduous years practicing medicine in the Emergency Department, was eventually diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, heavy metal toxicity, and chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) secondary to mold toxins.
In his search for answers, he discovered The Institute for Functional Medicine and immediately felt hope and a rekindled passion for medicine and healthy living. He was accepted into the certification pathway and shortly thereafter joined a two-year fellowship through 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 functional and integrative medicine should be the cornerstone of his practice for the rest of his career.
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 eight raised beds in their vegetable garden and are novice organic farmers. They also have a bountiful herb garden and a growing number of fruit trees.
Dr. Jenski is dual board certified in Integrative and Holistic Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and certified through the Institute for Functional Medicine.
Medical Biography
1997 – 2018
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. Dr. Jenski earned his MD in 2003 and completed his residency program in 2006, both at VCU’s School of Medicine. He then became a Diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine and still currently holds Board Certification.
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 then joined Emergency Physicians Medical Group and worked at various locations throughout the Midwest including southern Illinois and western Indiana from 2011 – 2012.
It was during this time that Dr. Jenski and Jody rediscovered each other through a serendipitous spam email after not being in touch for nine years. They were married in 2012 and decided to move back to Richmond, VA where they had originally met.
From late 2012 – 2016, he worked as a clinician in urgent care. It was during this time that he realized something was missing in his life. He had grown increasingly unwell and was not satisfied with the answers that conventional medicine had provided. He also had concerns about his daughter’s health. Again, questions were met with frustrating replies. He knew that something more needed to be done. So began the painstaking search to find the answers he was seeking.
He discovered functional and integrative medicine and 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 through 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 chronic disease, diagnose his daughter Eden with Celiac Disease years before significant symptoms ensued, and normalize her antibodies. 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. He currently still works clinically in one of the local Emergency Departments. Dr. Jenski became certified in functional medicine in November 2018 and board certified in Integrative and Holistic Medicine in May 2019.
Dr. Jenski’s other interests include soccer, music, art, travel, gardening, cooking, and spending time with his family. He practices meditation and enjoys being outdoors whenever he gets the chance. He is proficient in Spanish and has visited over 15 different countries during his travels including a six-week backpacking trip through Europe while in medical school.
Dr. Jenski is happily married to Jody Jenski who holds a Master’s in Teaching. They have two beautiful children, Eden and Gabriel.