Michelle Dankwah is an experienced Women's Health Nurse Practitioner with 6 years of NP experience and over 10 years of overall nursing experience. Michelle first received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2013. She then began her nursing career as a registered nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. It was there that she developed her skills in empathy and therapeutic communication. After years of caring for the sickest little ones in the CHOP NICU, Michelle chose to further her education, enrolling in the Women's Health/Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Pennsylvania. Graduating from Penn's rigorous NP program, Michelle passed her boards in 2017, becoming a board-certified Women's Health Nurse Practitioner.
Her first role as an NP was at Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania. At Planned Parenthood, Michelle provided routine gynecologic and sexual health services, contraceptive counseling, and gender affirming hormone therapy to a diverse
population in Philadelphia. After her tenure at Planned Parenthood, Michelle then began a position at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, providing full-spectrum women's health care in their OBGYN clinic. It was in this fast-paced environment that Michelle truly honed her skill and expertise in caring for complex adult patients with multiple health concerns.
Although she found her work at the hospital extremely rewarding, she became increasingly frustrated with the business of health care. Rushed appointment times, long hours, and endless paperwork! These were all factors that detracted from why Michelle became a nurse in the first place - to truly help people. And not just to help people when they are ill but to help them stay well. This is how Michelle developed her interest in functional medicine and found herself in her current role working alongside Dr. Peters at the Center for Anti-Aging Medicine and Hormone Wellness. Michelle is passionate about helping motivated patients take charge of their health and find a path to wellness. So far, she has completed the Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine's BHRT symposium and is on the path to pursuing their ABAAHP board certification.
In her free time, Michelle is interested in fitness and nutrition. And although her small frame may not reflect it, she was once a competitive bodybuilder. Michelle also loves to cook, and as a vegan, has fun experimenting with new plant-based recipes. She is an expert at sneaking lentils into everything. Michelle is also a Sims afficionado and has been playing with the Sims franchise for over 20 years. Feel free to ask her about her Sims movies! Lastly, one cannot describe Michelle without mentioning her obsession with Taylor Swift - she may be her number one fan. Michelle currently lives at home with her partner, dog Zoey, and cats Lucy and Ethel. Michelle is excited to help you on your journey to wellness!