Dinner with Docs: Paths in Family Medicine (Tuesday, 10/6/26)

Have lunch, connect with other students, and meet a variety of family docs at Dinner with Docs: Paths in Family Medicine in celebration of Primary Care Month 2026! This event is intended to give you a casual setting to ask all your questions about careers, scope of care, residency, and more! See below for details on the physicians in attendance (folks will be added as they confirm their attendance).

Who’s invited?

– All UW School of Medicine students regardless of year or specialty interests. RSVP coming soon.

– Family medicine physicians (both attendings and residents)

Event details:
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Time: 5:45 – 7:00 PM
Place: TBA, Seattle campus

Dinner will include vegan and gluten-free options.

This event is hosted by the Family Medicine Interest Group. We thank our generous financial sponsor, the Washington Academy of Family Physicians (WAFP).

Physicians in attendance:

Taneev Escamilla, MD, MPH

Optum – Madison
Seattle, WA

Taneev Escamilla (she/ella) is a bilingual (Spanish-English) family physician. She completed her residency at UW Family Medicine Residency. She specializes in women’s health, public health, adolescents and teens, and LGBTQ+ care.

Christina Frederick, MD, MPH

Carolyn Downs Family Medical Center
Seattle, WA

Christina Frederick (she/ella) is originally from North Carolina. She practices full-scope family medicine, including outpatient, inpatient, OB, and procedures. Dr. Frederick also has an interest in global public health.

Emily Godfrey, MD, MPH, FAAFP, DiplABLM

UW Primary Care Clinic – Northgate
Seattle, WA

Dr. Emily Godfrey (she/her) is a Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington and a core faculty member of the University of Washington Family Medicine Research Section. She is affiliated with the UW Osher Center for Integrative Health. She is board-certified in both Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine. She is the faculty advisor for the UW Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group.

Sophia Takemi Kawamoto, MD

King County Downtown Pubic Health
Seattle, WA

Takemi Kawamoto, MD (she/her) is currently a third year resident at Swedish First Hill Family Medicine Residency and has a continuity clinic at the Downtown Public Health Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). She feels lucky to care for many recently immigrated and housing insecure families, help uninsured patients navigate the increasingly complex healthcare system, and treat people with substance use disorder. In addition to general primary care she is passionate about pregnancy care and reproductive healthcare. She is planning to pursue an OB fellowship next year.

Esta Lai, MD

UW Primary Care Kent-Des Moines
Kent, WA

Esta Lai, MD (she/her) was born in Canada and immigrated to the United States when she was 12. She graduated from medical school at the University of Hawaii and finished residency at the UW Family Medicine Residency. She works with a wide variety of patients: from Medicaid/Medicare, non-English speaking, refugees/ asylum seekers, and on private insurance. She currently practices at the Kent-Des Moines clinic because she wanted to work with a diverse population and be able to give back to underserved communities.

Pam Pentin, MD

UW Primary Care Northgate
Seattle, WA

Pam Pentin, MD (she/her) is a family physician and Associate Professor at the UWSOM in Seattle. She’s a graduate of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and completed her residency at the University of Vermont where she served as chief resident. She’s board certified in family medicine and addiction medicine. Her field of scholarly interest is the intersection between substance use disorders and chronic pain management.

Julian Perez, MD

Sea Mar, White Center
Seattle, WA

Dr. Julian Perez (he/him) completed his residency in Family Medicine in 2007 and his Sports Medicine Fellowship in 2016 with Swedish Family Medicine at Cherry Hill, Seattle. He is board certified in Family Medicine, Sports Medicine, and Musculoskeletal Ultrasonography. He is also passionate about minimally invasive surgeries and social justice.

Grace Shih, MD, MAS

UW Primary Care Northgate
Seattle, WA

Grace Shih (she/her) is a Professor in the Department of Family Medicine. She is Director of the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho (WWAMI) Family Medicine Residency Network, Co-Director of the UW Reproductive Health Advocacy Project (RHAP) Fellowship, and Co-Director of Vasectomy Services at Planned Parenthood Greater Northwest. Her particular areas of clinical interest include family planning and contraception (IUD/implant, medication and aspiration abortion, uterine aspiration for miscarriage management, vasectomy), reproductive health (in/fertility counseling, colposcopy), transgender care, and menopause care.

Dominic Tapia, MD

UW Primary Care Northgate
Seattle, WA

Dominic Tapia (they/he) was born and raised in rural Arizona, but they relocated to the Pacific Northwest nearly a decade ago. After college, they gained seven years of experience working in environmental public health before they entered the medical field and attended medical school at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. Their special interests in medicine include hospice, mental health, queer health, and chronic disease management. Dominic is currently a resident at the UW Family Medicine Residency in Northgate.

Lara Wilson, MD

HealthPoint Auburn North
Auburn, WA

Lara Wilson (she/her) a Spanish-speaking Family Physician with Obstetrics and faculty at the HealthPoint Family Medicine Residency, with particular interests in mental health and refugee health. She had a previous career in Global Health policy. She attended UWSOM and then residency at the Downtown Family Medicine Center (King County Public Health’s clinic for the urban underserved) as part of the Swedish First Hill Family Medicine residency.