Witzard Seide, MD, FAAP
Witzard Seide, MD FAAP
Deployment Medical Officer
Commissioned Corps Headquarters, Office of the Surgeon General
Dr. Witzard Seide is a Commander (CDR) in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHS) and currently works at the Office of the Surgeon General as a Deployment Medical Officer. She is the Chief Medical Officer tasked with managing the deployment health of the PHS, ensuring the management of operational medical readiness of over 5,000 active duty officers. CDR Seide has a passion for mentoring URM students and educating on topics related to minority health and health disparities. As a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Uniformed Services University, she trains future Military Physician and Healthcare Leaders at the graduate and undergraduate level. CDR Seide is the Faculty Advisor of the SNMA Chapter at USU and a founding member of the anti-Racism and Inclusion Action Team (RIAT) which has conducted research on experiences of URM medical students at USU and ways to create supportive learning environments. She has spearheaded many DEI initiatives at the University to include: training faculty on cross cultural mentorship, fostering recruitment of URM students/faculty, and addressing changes in the curriculum for early and sustained exposure to themes surrounding social determinants of health and racism in medicine.
CDR Witzard Seide graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology from SUNY- Buffalo and received her Doctor of Medicine degree from SUNY-Buffalo School of Medicine. CDR Seide is trained and Board Certified in Pediatrics. In 2012, she completed the National Capital Consortium Pediatrics Military residency program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Preceding her transfer to the USPHS Commissioned Corps in 2017, she served as an Army Pediatrician. Her assignments include serving as the Chief of Inpatient Pediatrics at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and as a Battalion Surgeon and U.S. senior medical officer while working in an international Role 2 during a 9-month deployment to Iraq. Most recently, CDR Seide served as the Assistant Commandant, and U. S. Public Health Service Company Commander at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences where she was responsible for providing military leadership and professional guidance to all uniformed medical students, graduate students and enlisted students.
CDR Seide remains very involved with several national organizations and has a leadership role in the National Medical Association as the Secretary for the Pediatrics Section. D Seide’s awards and decorations include one Meritorious Service Medal, PHS and Army Commendation Medals, and many other personal and unit awards. She was recognized by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs by being honored as one of the Military Health System Female Physicians of the Year and by the PHS Physician Professional Advisory Committee as the 2019 Junior Physician of the Year.
CDR Seide is of Haitian descent and originally from Far-Rockaway, NY. She has three children (Wilson, Brianna, Rochelle) and two step-children (Racine, Bryce) with her wonderful husband, Pierre. CDR Seide is a fitness enthusiast, loves the outdoors and enjoys spending time with her family and friends