Residents
R1
Sonia Abraham, DO (She/Her) |
Hi everyone, I am so excited to be moving to Seattle!! I am a Colorado native and went to the University of Colorado Boulder where I studied Neuroscience and Spanish. In college, I worked in a dementia care unit as a CNA and volunteered in underserved clinics and classrooms. I loved the longitudinal relationships I created with the residents, patients, and students which inspired my interest in Family Medicine. In medical school, I got involved in leadership for public health initiatives, collaborated with a community organizer and local public health departments, participated in vaccine coalitions, and organized community health fairs. I became one of the chairs for the American Medical Association’s Minority Issues Committee, where I fell in love with the impact of health policy as a means to improve health outcomes and advocate for marginalized communities. My special interests in medicine include community health, health policy, full-spectrum reproductive care, and refugee/immigrant health care. In my free time, I enjoy lakeside hikes, listening to audiobooks, walking my cat, and planning surprise parties.
Tate Atkinson, MD (He/Him) |
Hello! My name is Tate Atkinson (he/him) and I am excited to be joining the University of Washington Family Medicine Residency and to call the beautiful PNW my new home. I was born and raised in the Oklahoma City Metro and attended undergrad at the University of Central Oklahoma where I majored in Biology. My interest in health policy and the social determinants of health led me to obtain a Masters in Public Health at the University of Oklahoma. While there I worked for non-profit’s advocating for social policy change, the state department of health on pandemic relief, and helped lead our campuses student led clinic. I attended the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center for medical school. Here I continued my work in health policy and community health. My hopes are to combine my interests in primary care, public health, and health policy to nurture the health of my community. My clinical interests include full-spectrum family medicine, palliative care, and medical education. Outside of medicine I love hiking and climbing in the Cascades, spending time with friends and family, biking, playing board games, cooking a great meal, and having a slow morning with a cup of coffee and a book.
Emmanuel Garcia, MD (He/Him) |
Bio coming soon!
Monisha Gonzales, MD (She/Her) |
Hey everyone! My name is Monisha Gonzales (she/her), and I’m from Bellingham, WA – a place I’m always happy to recommend for hikes, yummy food, and fun activities. I studied Biochemistry and Psychology at the University of Southern California before returning to Washington for medical school. I took a gap year working for AmeriCorps, supporting underrepresented community college students in STEM. I later attended the University of Washington School of Medicine, where I explored my passions for family medicine, mentorship, and community service. And now I’m beyond excited to stay on as a Double Dawg for residency! I was drawn to family medicine because of its focus on building long-term, generational relationships with patients and its wide scope of care. I’m especially passionate about behavioral health, pediatrics, and patient advocacy. I care deeply about helping people navigate the healthcare system and supporting them in taking charge of their health. I also love mentoring students at every stage of their careers and hope to continue that work throughout residency. Outside of medicine, you can find me baking sourdough bread, playing racket sports, singing karaoke, or out adventuring with my partner and our dog.
Blake Hopkin, MD (He/Him) |
Howdy! My name is Blake. I’m from a small town in Wyoming, where I grew up helping on my family’s farm and ranch. I went to BYU for undergrad and studied physiology, business, and Portuguese before deciding on a career in medicine. I attended medical school at the University of Washington, where I had the privilege of learning alongside incredible peers, working with outstanding physicians, and gaining invaluable experience in both rural and urban communities. I’m excited to be sticking around to join the UW Family Medicine Residency and to continue exploring my interests in wellness and preventive care, sports medicine, and rural medicine. When I’m not working, you’ll find me outdoors—mountain biking, climbing, skiing, hiking, or camping.
Maggie Lai, DO (She/Her) |
My name is Maggie Lai, and I am thrilled to be joining the UW Family Medicine Residency community. I grew up in Taipei, Taiwan and immigrated to California at the age of fourteen, witnessing firsthand the challenges my family faced navigating an unfamiliar healthcare system and language barrier. While getting my degree in Human Biology at the University of Southern California, I became involved in community efforts to improve access to healthcare and screenings for immigrant and underserved populations. I attended medical school at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, WA, where I engaged with the LGBTQIA+ community, APAMSA, and local school mentorships, while discovering my passion for family medicine. I am drawn to opportunities to build long-term relationships with patients and families from diverse backgrounds. My clinical interests include immigrant health, reproductive justice, gender-affirming care, and advocacy. In my spare time, you can find me watching Mariners games, exploring new restaurants, playing board games, and traveling to warm places.
Jaret Nishikawa, MD (He/Him) |
Hello everyone! My name is Jaret Nishikawa and I grew up in Fresno, California. I graduated from UCLA, where I worked as a sports medicine athletic trainer with the baseball and soccer teams. That experience sparked my passion for injury prevention, rehab, and showed me how staying active can play a vital role in long-term health. I attended medical school at Drexel University College of Medicine, where I served as student body President and had the privilege of representing and advocating for my peers. In that role, I learned the value of elevating the voices of others, building community, and driving change, lessons that I carry with me into my approach to medicine. I returned to California for my clinical years through Drexel’s Kaiser Bay Area affiliate hospitals, where I discovered that family medicine gave me the chance to combine my interest in continuity of care with my passion for advocacy. I’m drawn to the full-spectrum nature of family medicine and its emphasis on long-term relationships, preventive care, and meeting patients where they are. I hope to integrate sports medicine into my practice, helping individuals of all ages stay active, functional, and healthy. Outside of medicine, I love the outdoors whether I’m golfing, snowboarding, slacklining, hiking, or camping. I also enjoy spending time with my girlfriend and our Miniature Schnauzer, Monti. I’m incredibly excited to be joining the University of Washington Family Medicine community and look forward to growing alongside others who are passionate about primary care and community health.
Beck Regan, MD (They/Them) |
Hello, PNW! While I was raised in Foxboro, Massachusetts and attended medical school at VCU in Richmond, VA, I fell in love with rural medicine and the unique west coast flavor of family medicine. The moving distance was long, but the decision to head west is not as surprising as it initially sounds…
Prior to medical school, I worked as a healthcare coordinator in a rural, western Massachusetts primary care group; this is where I started to realize the unique challenges and joys of rural medicine. Then, I was accepted into VCU and the wonderful fmSTAT program, which provides family medicine-interested students additional career advising and pro-FM guidance to counteract the prominent anti-FM (and anti-primary care) messaging plaguing medical education. I was lucky enough to be able to complete my FM and IM rotations in South Hill, VA and my inpatient FM AI in Front Royal, VA. Seeing the effect of inpatient-outpatient FMs on rural community health was powerful – and quite frankly, I haven’t looked back. When ERAS rolled around, and I kept hearing “Rural FM? Try the west coast!!” (even from a plastic surgeon, if you can believe it!), I had a feeling I’d end up with many of my friends in the PNW.
Lo and behold – Washington and the Chelan RTT!
Huge Fan Of: Community organizing, harm reduction, LGBTQAI+ care, neurodivergent care, my cats Space Heater and Little Green Man (LGM), comics, coffee, and bad art
Huge Hater Of: Charcoal as an art medium, empty pens, and MDROs (because they scare me)
Andrew Suscha, MD (He/Him) |
Hello! My name is Andrew Suscha, and I’m excited to join the UWFMR team at the Northgate clinic. I grew up in the “Malibu of the Midwest” (Sheboygan, WI) and studied Biochemistry and Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where I helped organize two health equity symposiums, created the partnership division for Wisconsin HOSA, and conducted diabetic retinopathy research. I stayed at the University of Wisconsin for medical school as part of the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine (WARM), which allowed me to rotate with community clinics across Eastern Wisconsin and gain firsthand experience delivering holistic, patient-centered care tailored to community-specific barriers. I’m passionate about health justice and believe Family Medicine is uniquely positioned to push back against systemic inequities through its blend of evidence-based medicine, community health, continuity of care, and empathy. My interests within Family Medicine include integrative medicine, health advocacy, LGBTQIA+ health, addiction medicine, and palliative care. Outside of medicine, I enjoy hiking with my partner (between her midwifery shifts) and our five-year-old Australian Shepherd, road trips to national parks, playing tennis and pickleball, and cooking. I’m excited to explore the Pacific Northwest and to grow as a physician as part of the UWFMR team!
Daniel Tolstrup, MD (He/Him) |
Hi! I’m Daniel (he/him). I am from Oregon City, Oregon and have lived for the last decade in Seattle. I am thrilled to continue my training at UWFMR. During medical school at the University of Washington, I was drawn to Family Medicine as it’s a field that focuses on longitudinal, comprehensive care for people of all ages and all backgrounds. My extracurricular interests during this time included research on unhealthy substance use and volunteering with a free mobile health clinic serving patients experiencing housing instability. My specific clinical interests include working with patients with unhealthy substance use and with LGBTQ+ folks, along with practicing full spectrum family medicine. I aim to collaborate together with patients to reach their health goals with a nonjudgmental, patient-centered approach. Outside of the clinic and the hospital, you will find me tending to my plants, spending time with family and friends, eating good food, traveling, or running around Green Lake or on the Burke-Gilman.
R2s
Theo Eldore, MD (He/Him) |
Hello everyone! I’m delighted and honored to be able to return to the beautiful Pacific Northwest for residency. I was born and raised in Spokane and eventually made my (first!) cross-country move to attend Mount Holyoke College. During college, I studied politics and English and spent several summers interning with Planned Parenthood Votes and the Washington Bus, where I got my first taste of the joy and power inherent in community activism. After graduation, I moved to Las Vegas, where I taught high school science and mentored transgender and gender-nonconforming youth. During medical school at UMass Chan, I was active in education and research devoted to queer health and co-led our Narratives in Medicine elective. I find myself drawn to family medicine due to its longstanding focus on relationships, community, and advocacy, and the specialty’s counterculture roots are particularly resonant for me. Some of my interests in medicine include gender-affirming care, addiction medicine, reproductive justice, harm reduction, and palliative care, and I look forward to discovering many more in residency! Outside of medicine, I enjoy trivia, tabletop RPGs, thrifting, weightlifting, live music and theatre, and hanging out with my cat; I’m also a buffet connoisseur, and welcome recommendations! .
Brenda Fleshman, MD (She/Her) |
Greetings! My name is Brenda Fleshman, and I am so excited and grateful to be a part of the UWFM Chelan RTT program. I grew up on a cattle ranch in eastern Washington, just outside of Othello. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Washington with a major in Neuroscience. During my undergraduate years, I had the opportunity to shadow healthcare workers in rural areas across Washington. It was through this experience that I discovered my interest in medicine, and I was particularly drawn to the unique aspects of caring for people in rural underserved communities. These interests lead me to attend medical school at the University of Washington and participate in the Targeted Rural Underserved Track. This allowed me to learn longitudinally from providers and patients in Chelan, WA, and I am so excited to be continuing my training in Chelan in the next couple of years! My goal is to provide rural full-spectrum family medicine with interests in reproductive health, LGBTQ+ health, and addiction medicine. Outside of medicine I like to spend my time reading, listening to music, spending time with family, crafting, and exploring the outdoors.
Megan Kerstein, MD (She/Her) |
Hi Everyone! My name is Megan Kerstein (she/her), and I’m so excited to join the UW Family Medicine Residency! I was raised in Chicago where my family still resides and attended undergrad at Washington University in St. Louis where I studied Anthropology: Global Health and the Environment. I completed a Masters in Medical Sciences at Boston University and then headed across the country to Seattle where I spent two years working in clinical research. While living in Seattle, I spent many days exploring all the beautiful parks, paddling on Lake Union in my inflatable kayak, and discovering new coffee shops every weekend. I headed back to the East Coast for medical school at Drexel University. Drexel has a clinical partnership with Kaiser in the San Francisco Bay Area, so I made yet another cross country move to Oakland, CA for my third and fourth years of medical school and completed all my clinical rotations in the Bay Area. I fell in love with family medicine for its emphasis on preventative health, being able to work closely with my community to listen to and advocate for their needs, and being able to treat patients of all ages. My interests within family medicine include gender-affirming care, trauma-informed care, and reproductive justice. Outside of medicine, you can find me hiking, backpacking in the mountains (my closet has become a mini REI with all my camping and hiking gear taking over), taking long walks to explore different neighborhoods, doing public transit and LGBTQ+ advocacy work, and sipping tea while reading a book next to my adorable cat, Atlas.
Laynee Laube, DO (She/Her) |
Hi everyone! My name is Laynee and I am so excited to join theUniversity of Washington community! I grew up in Seattle, WA and attended college at Claremont McKenna College where I majored in neuroscience and played soccer. After college, I worked in clinical research on autoimmune diseases, and am excited to continue scholarly activity throughout my career. I then attended medical school at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences. During medical school, I realized my passion for full spectrum family medicine with a particular focus on preventative and lifestyle medicine. My special interests include women’s health, addiction medicine and palliative care. Outside of medicine, I enjoy spending time outside with family and friends, playing sports and spending time with my husband and our cat and dog!
Muriel Lavallee MD, MPA (she/her) |
Hi Ev
eryone! My name is Muriel (she/her) and I am so excited to be joining UWFMR. I was born in Laval, Canada and grew up for the most part in the Boston Area. I went to college in Vermont at Middlebury College where I studied Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. After college I spent a year working as a barista (I love all things coffee, coffee shops, and latte art!). I continued my journey as a medical student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine where I was involved in projects about climate health and palliative care, served as a peer mentor and educator, and co-lead our Free Clinic. My passion for affordable healthcare access for all and health equity led me to pursue a Masters of Public Administration with a focus in Health Policy Analysis at NYU in-between my 3rd and 4th year of medical school. There I was able to learn more about health systems, the health insurance landscape, and how policy decisions impact the provision of care. Some of my areas of interest within family medicine include comprehensive reproductive healthcare, LGBTQIA+ health, addiction medicine, palliative care, integrative medicine, and musculoskeletal medicine. Outside of medicine I love to rock-climb, play volleyball, knit (I have about 3 projects going on right now), do trivia and game nights, and most importantly spend time with friends and loved ones (usually with food!).
Elsie Piper, MD (She/Her) |
I’m 
so excited to join the UW Family Medicine Residency as part of the Chelan rural training track! I was born in Sonoma County and grew up in an agricultural region of Northern California. I went to UC Davis on a water polo scholarship and majored in Genetics & Genomics. After college, I moved to Southeast Alaska in search of a new adventure. I ended up falling in love (first with the beauty & community of the area, and then with my now-husband) and have been based out of Alaska ever since. While in Haines, I worked as the education coordinator for a local museum, as a tasting room host at a distillery, and as the morning news host for our public radio station. I attended medical school as part of the University of Washington’s Alaska cohort and participated in the TRUST (targeted rural & underserved) program based in Soldotna, AK. I love listening to stories, people of all ages, and the ability to practice in different settings—all of which make family medicine the perfect fit for me! My family and I spent a month in Chelan during medical school and loved the beautiful setting, community, and outdoor opportunities. Paired with the academic backing of UW and the opportunity to practice broad-spectrum care at a community hospital and FQHC, we felt like this was the perfect residency for our family. My professional and academic interests include rural emergency care (including flight and disaster medicine), the doctor-patient relationship, genetics, One Health, and resource-limited palliative and hospice care. My husband Nathan and our two young boys can most often be found outside and are excited to explore more of Washington!
Akash Sharma, DO (He/Him) |
Hello! My
name is Akash Sharma (he/him) and I am excited to be joining the University of Washington Family Medicine Residency. My family and I immigrated to British Columbia, Canada, where I first had the opportunity to call the Pacific Northwest my home. I am thrilled to continue my medical training in this beautiful region of the PNW. I majored in Biology at the University of British Columbia (Go Thunderbirds!) after which I had the chance to become an entrepreneur within the logistics and supply chain industry. I attended the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences for Medical School in Yakima, Washington. Here I discovered a passion for health care systems, particularly with improving the access and affordability of primary care to underserved regions. My hopes are to combine my experience and passion for entrepreneurship, logistics, novel technologies, and primary care to forge a career path that helps to empower better healthcare delivery systems. I am excited to connect with like-minded ambitious individuals whom I can learn and grow with. My clinical interests are full-spectrum care, health equity, health information technologies, and environmental medicine. Outside of medicine, I love nature and hiking, playing on sports teams, having a fun board game filled evening, cooking tasty meals for friends, and anything else that has to do with food or coffee!
Dominic Tapia, MD (They/He) |
Hello there, m
y name is Dominic Tapia! I was born and raised in rural Arizona, but I relocated to the Pacific Northwest nearly a decade ago. After college, I gained seven years of experience working in environmental public health before I entered the medical field and attended medical school at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. As a longtime hospice volunteer, I appreciate what death has taught me about living more fully. I am passionate about family medicine because it allows me to support people’s health and well-being so that they can live fuller lives too. My biggest marker of success is people feeling supported and well cared for. My special interests in medicine include hospice, mental health, queer health, and advocacy for marginalized communities. Outside of work I strive to maintain close relationships with my family, friends and dog, Obi. I also enjoy making art, reading books, and hanging outside at parks with a strong preference for sunshine.
Madison Weigand, MD (She/Her) |
Hi! I’m Madis
on. I grew up in Claremont, California, and studied political science & communications at UT Austin as an undergraduate. There, I was part of a cycling team called Texas 4000 for Cancer, an experience which introduced me to healthcare and led me to view medicine as the best conduit for realizing my goal of a career grounded in connection, community, and service. After graduation, I spent a couple of years in Austin feeding my passion for urban agriculture with various urban farming & food access ventures while also learning about the healthcare industry as part of a health technology start-up advising team. I completed medical school at the University of Chicago, where I was involved in extracurricular activities related to medical humanities, healthcare delivery, and medical education. Learning the art of medicine on Chicago’s South Side underscored my desire to practice medicine through a lens of social change and to provide patient-centered, whole-person care. I am so excited to grow into my doctoring identity at UW, where I know I’ll be supported in developing my clinical interests in behavioral health, public health, and procedural care. Outside of the hospital, you’ll find me hiking, reading, gardening, and questing to find the best coffee shops in town!
Heami Yi, MD (She/Her) |
Hi there! My name is Heami Yi (she/her), and I am absolutely thrilled to be joining UW’s family medicine residency. I was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado and grew up with the joys and challenges of a Korean American experience, including witnessing the difficulties my immigrant parents came across when facing the health care system. I attended the University of Colorado Denver where I earned my degree in Public Health and developed a strong interest in community health and social justice. During this time, I found mentors and avenues that would allow me to grow my passion for reproductive health and justice, particularly in contraception and abortion accessibility. I became a student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine during the height of the pandemic which underscored for me how existing health disparities impacting marginalized communities could be exacerbated by a global emergency. I found ways to engage and advocate for these communities by volunteering at a student-run free clinic for underserved patients, leading our school’s APAMSA and MSFC chapters, and taking part in a campus group dedicated to addressing black maternal and infant mortality in the Denver area. I am so excited to become a family physician because I get to make long-lasting, meaningful relationships with patients, families, and entire communities. My clinical interests include full-spectrum reproductive care, climate change in medicine, community health, and adolescent medicine. On my days off, you can catch me investigating Seattle’s bustling food and drink scene, enjoying the beautiful outdoors of the Pacific Northwest, and napping with the TV on.
R3s
Sanna Alas, MD, MPhil (She/Her) |
Hi everyone! My name is Sanna Alas (she/her), and I am a second generation Syrian-Chechen-American born and raised in Southern California. I went to college not too far from home at UCLA where I studied Comparative Literature and Human Biology. My love of finding connections between seemingly disparate fields lead me across the ocean to the University of Cambridge where I completed an MPhil in the History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine. Along the way, I had the privilege to support environmental justice and community gardening efforts in South Los Angeles and explore untold stories as a videographer with UCLA’s Healthy Campus Initiative— experiences which ultimately lead me to the practice of medicine. I completed my medical training at Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in NYC and decided to pursue Family Medicine because of its ability to transcend generational, disciplinary, and institutional divides to provide care and advocate for the underserved. I am now thrilled to be starting my next chapter in the Harborview Family Medicine track at the University of Washington and am grateful for the opportunity to learn from the community here in Seattle. My clinical interests include adolescent medicine, global health, environmental and climate justice, reproductive health and obstetrics, immigrant/refugee health, culinary medicine, and the medical humanities. Outside the classroom/clinic, you can find me behind the pottery wheel making wobbly (but spirited) pots, coaxing veggies (mostly tomatoes) out of any available soil, and accompanying my sister on a perpetual quest for the ultimate snack.
Karime Bolivar, MD (She/Her) – Executive Resident |
I am so excited to join the UWFMR team! I was born in Maracay, Venezuela, but I have been blessed to call many places home, including Kansas and Arkansas. I’ve spent most of my life in Rogers, Arkansas, with my two younger brothers, a Yorkie named Brownie, and my parents. I attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where I studied Chemistry, and later attended the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. During medical school, I continued to develop my passion for serving underserved communities through LULAC and LMSA, where I learned about social determinants of health and how I could begin to address those as a student. Now I aim to develop into a physician who tackles the barriers in communication and culture that vulnerable patient populations encounter within the PNW. I’m excited to build my advocacy and mentorship skills while serving my community one step at a time. In my spare time outside of work, I enjoy reading – especially historical fiction and dystopian novels – and roller skating.
Trevor Carver, DO (He/Him) – Chelan Site Co-Lead |
Hi, my name is Trevor Carver and I was born and raised i
n Boulder, Colorado. I was fortunate enough to stay in Boulder for undergrad where I studied Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado. During my time there, I was also a member of the University of Colorado Football Team. Although we had tough years while I was there, the future is bright for Buffs Football! After undergrad I spent a few years in Colorado performing research with the University of Colorado Sports Medicine and Performance Center before starting medical school at Rocky Vista University in Parker, Colorado. During medical school I found my interests in medicine are broad which has led me to seek a career as a rural family medicine physician. I also have a special interest in sports medicine which I hope to make part of my practice in the future. Outside of academics, I am an avid outdoorsman partaking in sports such as skiing, fly fishing, mountain biking, camping, hiking, etc. If it’s outdoors, you’ll likely find me there! I am excited for the opportunity to train at the University of Washington and look forward to the years ahead within the rural training track.
Natalie Cooney, MD (she/her) |
My name is Natalie (she/her) and I am so excited to join the UWFMR community! I grew up in The Valley of the Sun (AKA Phoenix, Arizona) and completed a major in Human Biology at Pitzer College at The Claremont Colleges. After graduation, I spent a few years working as a science teacher, abroad in Galicia, Spain as a Fulbright Scholar, and stateside in Atlanta, Georgia. I continued on to the Medical College of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I was involved in inclusive sex education advocacy work, on leadership for White Coats 4 Black Lives and Wilderness Medical Society, and within the medical humanities department, as a storyteller and visual artist. My short time teaching affirmed my interest in accessible and inclusive health education, as well as working with and learning from young people. I’m also excited about the intersection of art and medicine, particularly creating zines and other illustrated resources for patients and fellow learners. My special interests within family medicine include adolescent medicine, addiction medicine, LGBTQ+ health, and health equity. Outside of clinic, I might be found playing soccer, baking bread, making art, bicycling with my partner and our sweet dog (E.T. style), or swimming in big lakes!
Robert Hall, MD (He/Him) |
As someone who 
grew up in Kent, WA and earned both my undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Washington, I am excited to continue my residency training here. I am Tlingit and dedicated to Indigenous healthcare justice. As an Indian Health Service scholar and lifelong teacher, my goal is to make primary care more equitable, accessible, and community-engaged. Before medical school, I served in the Peace Corps (Morocco) and learned how to speak terrible Arabic. Some of my favorite things to do include filmmaking and photography, video games, and traveling and exploring new places with my partner. In addition, I am passionate about water sovereignty.
Aishwarya Iyer, MD MPH (she/her) |
Hi, y’all! My name is Aishwarya Iyer (she/her) and I’m so excited to be joining UW Family Medicine. I am a child of immigrants and grew up in many places, from California to Illinois to Massachusetts, before settling in Texas. I’m thrilled to call the PNW home these next few years! I majored in Biology at the University of Texas at Dallas and did medical school at UT Southwestern, where I discovered a passion for public health conducting community-based participatory research on preferences for contraceptive care among patients seeking abortion. Between my third and fourth years of med school, I spent two years living and learning in Atlanta, where I graduated with a Master of Public Health from Emory University and had the opportunity to do qualitative, policy-focused research on the impact of the Global Gag Rule in Malawi. Both of these experiences really cemented my interest in making scholarly work an ongoing part of my career. I found myself gravitating towards family medicine based on my desire to see medicine through a public health and social justice lens, form lasting relationships with my patients, and provide holistic, patient-centered care. I also have many areas of interest (another reason I chose family medicine!), including reproductive health, abortion care, palliative care, advocacy, narrative medicine, research, and mentorship. Outside of medicine, I find joy in exploring new neighborhoods and visiting local coffee shops (so excited to explore this part of Seattle!), being a foodie, working out, existing by bodies of water, and reading novels.
Nick LeMire, MD (he/him) – Chelan Site Co-Lead |
Hel
lo! Nick LeMire here, and I am thrilled to be joining the UW community. I grew up in the better half of Michigan, the beautiful Upper Peninsula, and stayed to study at Northern Michigan University to obtain my undergrad degree in physiology. During my time there, I immersed myself in the humanities and was able to co-create a group aimed to dismantle gender stereotypes and toxic masculinity. Alongside this, I got acquainted with the health care system working as a care aide. I became aware of each individual role and gained an early understanding of how to care for our patients and their families as a team. From here, I went on to medical school at Michigan State University and was a part of their Rural Physician Program, which gave me the rich experience of serving a number of rural towns in the U.P. This, along with my global health experiences, helped me understand the skill set required to meet the needs of underserved and rural populations. Most importantly, I saw what a Family Medicine Physician can become and the impact they can have on a small community. I am grateful for being able to continue my rural journey toward becoming a full-spectrum Family Medicine Physician with the Chelan RTT family. My current interests within medicine include community medicine, lifestyle medicine, addiction medicine, global health, and advocacy. Outside of medicine, I enjoy hiking, camping, rock climbing, and learning the art of homesteading with my partner Alexis and our two cats, Peaches & Mango. Can’t wait to explore the PNW!
Khanh Luong, MD, MPH (she/they) – Executive Resident |
Hi
everyone! I’m Khanh Luong (she/they), and I was born in the bustling city of Saigon where I spent much of my time at my family’s pho restaurant. I moved to North Carolina during high school, and my family’s interactions as immigrants with the US healthcare system largely influenced my decision to study medicine with a focus on family and community health. While at Davidson College (where Steph Curry studied sociology), I had an incredible opportunity to research abortion care in my birth city. This experience returning to Vietnam, as well as spending time volunteering in Ecuador and Honduras, opened my eyes to the state of health and healthcare disparities around the world. During my time at UNC for medical school, I had the immense privilege of taking care of underserved patients across rural and urban settings. Coming to UW for residency, I plan to further my passions for full-spectrum family medicine, global primary care, refugee/immigrant health, integrative medicine, improving cultural and language-concordant care, and diversifying the medical workforce. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wonderful partner, cat, and loved ones. I look forward to exploring the incredible nature of the PNW, running, and sharing home cooked meals with new friends.
Kevin McCawley, MD, MBA (He/Him) |
Hello!! My name is Kevin McCawley a
nd I am so very grateful to find myself among the brilliant and welcoming community of UW’s Family Medicine Residency Program. Unsurprisingly, as one goes through medical training, the question of, “Why medicine?” comes up rather frequently. Despite the repetition, this dang question still catches me off guard. Medicine, I feel, is almost too intertwined of a concept (with art, nature, community, science, inequity, and justice, among other things) to possibly tease out as a singular concept. In my eyes, there is a bit of “medicine” in each facet of our lives. And so my answer to “why medicine” isn’t particularly succinct or sharply defined, but is rather a summation of my desire to listen and engage, to celebrate and comfort, to provide safety, create art and enact change within my community. I’m training at the University of Washington to become an everywhere-and-anywhere doctor. I plan to practice both locally in the PNW and globally in places where medical care is needed even more greatly: environs like refugee camps and equatorially as climate change elicits new health problems for those who have contributed to it least. I’m also fervently interested in the future of primary care. I hope to contribute to research and policy that heralds AI into the world of medicine, and that promotes skilled providers like NPs and PAs to increase the reach of primary, preventative healthcare for patients everywhere.
Cheers, until we meet!
Emily J. Smith, MD (She/Her) – Executive Resident |
Hello! 
My name is Emily, but you can call me EJ. I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and studied neuroscience at the University of Michigan. After undergrad, I worked as a case manager for families experiencing homelessness due to intimate partner violence and became passionate about providing empathetic care to trauma survivors. In my medical training at Central Michigan University, I led the Street Medicine program and coordinated free mobile healthcare for those living on the streets and in shelters and collaborated with the local health department and federally qualified health centers to provide wraparound, community-engaged care. My interest in community medicine and violence prevention also led me to initiate research related to sexual coercion and intimate partner homicide. Some of my clinical interests include public health, trauma and adverse childhood experiences, weight inclusive care, and reproductive justice. Outside of the hospital, you’ll find me painting while watching Bob Ross, searching for the best karaoke spot in town, and hiking. I couldn’t be more excited to start my journey in Seattle and explore the beautiful Pacific Northwest!
Joey Nelson, MD (Interim Program Director) (Core Faculty) |
Dr. Joseph Nelson (he/him) is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and is the inaugural Associate Program Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with the UW Family Medicine Residency. His passion for teaching has carried into his work combating racism and all forms of discrimination and oppression that occurs in patient care and the learning environment. Dr. Nelson continues to practice broad spectrum family medicine as an attending physician and provides support and oversight for family medicine residents in the hospital who provide care for adult, adolescent, obstetric, and newborn patients. He enjoys the outdoors and will often be found at a local restaurant, hiking the Cascades, or fishing in any body of water nearby.
Robert Bailey, PhD (Core Faculty) |
Dr. Rob Bailey (he/him) is a clinical psychologist and clinical assistant professor with the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington (UW). He earned his PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Bailey completed his internship at the UW School of Medicine in the Behavioral Medicine track and postdoctoral fellowship in primary care-mental health integration (PCMHI) at the Seattle VA. Prior to joining the UW faculty, he worked as a pain psychologist with Swedish Medical Center’s Pain Services clinic in Seattle and then rejoined the PCMHI team at the Seattle VA as a staff psychologist. His clinical interests include chronic pain, substance use disorders, and anxiety disorders. Prior to graduate school, he served for two years in Kyrgyzstan with the Peace Corps teaching English as a foreign language. Outside of work, Dr. Bailey enjoys bike riding, reading, working on home improvement projects, playing guitar, and spending time with his wife and daughter.
Chris Behrens, MD (Harborview Family Medicine Clinic Medical Director) |
Dr. Behrens is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine with joint appointments in the Departments of Global Health and Medicine/Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington. He has been providing HIV- and TB-focused technical assistance to multiple countries in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, South America and the Caribbean region.
Dr. Behrens obtained a BA in Political Science at Stanford University and his medical degree from the University of California – San Francisco. He is board certified in Family Medicine.
Natalie Cheung-Jones, MD (Core Faculty) |
Dr. Natalie Cheung-Jones, DO (she/her) is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine. She provides full spectrum family medicine care at the Northgate clinic and UW Medical Center Northwest on the Family Medicine obstetric service. She completed medical school at Pacific Northwest University in Yakima, Washington. Dr. Cheung-Jones attended family medicine residency at the University of Washington. After residency, she completed the Reproductive Health and Advocacy Fellowship through the University of Washington and the Reproductive Health Access Project. Dr. Cheung-Jones specializes in primary care of all ages, reproductive health care, and Obstetrics. Dr. Cheung-Jones is passionate about abortion care, transgender healthcare, mental health, outpatient procedures, residency education, and providing compassionate care through all aspects of a person’s reproductive and pregnancy journey. Outside of work, she loves gardening, eating delicious food in Seattle, and hanging with her dog and family.
Nelson Chiu, MD (UWMPC Northgate Medical Director) (Core Faculty) |
Dr. Nelson Chiu (he/him) is the Clinic Chief at the University of Washington (UW) Neighborhood Northgate Clinic as well as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the UW Department of Family Medicine. He completed residency at the UW and graduated from Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, where he was a Humanism Scholar, and Princeton University, where he studied public policy. He is particularly interested in medical administration, global health, and medical education. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, volunteering at church, music, hiking, and triathlons.
Allison Cole MD |
Dr. Allison Cole is Associate Professor in Family Medicine and Director of the WWAMI region Practice and Research Network (WPRN).The WPRN is a network of more than 80 primary care practices across the five-state WWAMI region that collaborate on research and quality improvement.Dr. Cole attended medical school at the University of Iowa School of Medicine and completed a residency in Family Medicine at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.She completed the National Research Service Award Primary Care Research Fellowship and received a Master’s in Public Health at the University of Washington.Her research program focuses on implementation of evidence-based interventions in primary care settings.She provides outpatient family medicine care at the Harborview Family Medicine Clinic.
Kimberly Collins, MD (Associate Program Director) (Core Faculty) |
Dr. Kimberly Collins (she/her) is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington. She cares for patients at the UW Neighborhood Northgate Clinic and on the Family Medicine inpatient service at the University of Washington Medical Center. She is involved in teaching family medicine residents in both the outpatient and inpatient settings. Her interests include pediatric care, women’s health, prenatal care and obstetrics, and care of the underserved.
Dr. Collins completed medical school at Harvard and family medicine residency at the University of Washington. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Washington, she practiced full spectrum family medicine at Community Health Center of Snohomish County. She joined the faculty in 2015.
She enjoys living in Seattle where she has the opportunity to hike, explore local parks, and travel internationally with her husband and children.
Maegan Ashworth Dirac, MD, PhD |
Dr. Maegan Dirac is a board-certified family physician who provides primary and prenatal care, general care for hospitalized patients, and maternity and newborn care. She believes in providing accurate and up-to-date scientific evidence, speaking frankly about areas of uncertainty, and providing respectful and empathetic support in applying this evidence to each patient’s unique set of values and life circumstances.
Her clinical areas of interest include evidence-based medicine, migrant health, outpatient gynecological procedures, the transition to parenthood, health-promoting behaviors for families with children, and complex care of patients living with more than one chronic condition. Dr. Dirac is an acting assistant professor in the Department of Health Metrics and Department of Family Medicine at UW School of Medicine. Personal Interests: In her free time, Dr. Dirac likes to run, practice yoga, watch superhero movies, and read books with her children.”
David Evans, MD |
Dr. David Evans joined the Department of Family Medicine in April 2012. Prior to coming to Seattle he spent 15 years practicing in central Oregon where, in addition to providing broad spectrum clinical care, he was active in his local community and with organized medicine. Viewing the marketing tactics of the pharmaceutical industry as a negative force on patient care, he guided his clinic through a process to become pharm-free. Dr. Evans is the former Residency Program Director and is now Associate Director of Programs for the WWAMI Family Medicine Residency Network. Dr. Evans is the Rosenblatt Family Endowed Professor of Rural Health. Dr. Evans’s research interests include rural medical education and the rural health workforce. Dr. Evans is the recipient of several community service and teaching awards and enjoys the big city with his wife, two children and dogs.
Joshua Fischer, MD, PhD (Core Faculty) |
Dr. Joshua Fischer (he/him) is a board-certified family physician with fellowship training and additional Board of Certification in Family Medicine Obstetrics with surgical qualification. Dr. Fischer received a B.A. in Chemistry from Northwestern College, Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Indiana University School of Medicine, and M.D. from University of Iowa. He completed Family Medicine residency at Georgetown and fellowship in surgical Family Medicine Obstetrics at Medicos Para la Familia in Memphis, TN. He has had fellowship and residency teaching and leadership roles since that time. Dr. Fischer’s clinical interests include preventive health for adults and children, obstetrics, pediatrics, and behavioral health.
Nikki Gentile, MD PhD |
Dr. Nikki Gentile is an Assistant Professor in the UW Departments of Family Medicine and Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and is the Primary Care Medical Director of the UW Post-COVID Rehabilitation and Recovery Clinic. She grew up in San Francisco and part-time in Hawaii. After earning her bachelor’s degree and PhD from the University of California, Davis, and her MD from Tulane University in New Orleans, she completed her Family Medicine residency and an additional chief resident year here at the University of Washington. Go Huskies! She currently practices both hospital and outpatient medicine. Her clinical interests include rheumatology, long COVID, hospital medicine, prenatal care, and complex chronic diseases. Nikki is passionate about residency education and mentoring future physician scientists. She is the developer and faculty lead for the Research Track and longitudinal Scholarship & Research curriculum in the UW Family Medicine Residency. Her research background is in sepsis, with a focus on bench and clinical validation testing of novel point-of-care (POC) tests for bacteremia. Her current research aims at advancing translational medicine on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, including examining (1) diagnostic/laboratory testing modalities and access, (2) impact of COVID on mental health and healthcare utilization, (3) health disparities related to COVID, (4) disease severity, associated symptoms, and comorbidities in long COVID, as well as performing clinical trials testing integrative medicine approaches to treat long COVID, including acupuncture and mindfulness. She is also passionate about translational medicine and research spanning direct clinical care and laboratory medicine. Outside of medicine, Nikki enjoys watching football (has had the same 4 fantasy football teams for 10+ years), skiing, paddleboarding, sailing, exploring breweries/wineries, and spending time with her family and husky pup!
Emily Godfrey, MD |
Dr. Emily M. 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.
Dr. Godfrey’s approach in her primary care practice is to use evidence-based lifestyle interventions to help patients with health promotion and addressing health problems. Dr. Godfrey’s patients are recommended to first set goals and make lifestyle changes before resorting quickly to prescription medicines. Dr. Godfrey takes a patient-centered approach to her practice, and seeks to have patients feel empowered to make behavioral health changes in their own life.
Dr. Godfrey is an accomplished researcher. To date she has published more than 70 peer-reviewed publications, and research focused on improving contraceptive method satisfaction, safety of contraception among women with cystic fibrosis, and the implementation of telehealth abortion in primary care. Current research includes how best to implement lifestyle medicine curricula into medical education.
Dr. Godfrey is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Society of Family Planning. She earned a certificate in Quality Improvement from the University of Washington’s Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety and in Motivational Interviewing from the University of Massachusetts. She is a three-time recipient of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Ambassador Scholarship Award. She received the University of Illinois Faculty Mentoring Award and the Linda K. Gunzburger Faculty Award for Excellence in Scholarship from the University of Illinois Department of Family Medicine. In 2006, she was recognized for her extraordinary contribution to the health and well-being of women by Sara Feigenholtz of the Illinois House of Representatives.
Interests:
She is a foodie at heart and life-long yoga practitioner. When she’s not working you will find her in the garden, walking with her husband, family, friends, and her adorable rescue dog in the local park or hiking trails.
Misbah Keen, MD |
Dr. Misbah Keen graduated from Government Medical College in Srinagar, India and subsequently completed a family medicine residency at Mercy Health Partners in Toledo, OH. He is currently pursuing masters degrees in Bio-Medical Informatics through Oregon Health and Sciences University and Public Health through Johns Hopkins University. Most recently, he has been practicing full spectrum of family medicine at Columbia Basin Health Association in Othello, Wash. He has interests in teaching and mentoring, patient safety & medical errors, and medical informatics. All this combined with his interest in exploring why golfers make better physicians leaves him with no free time…
Interests: Evidence based medicine. Medical Student Teaching. EMR Data acquisition and interpretation. Laboratory Medicine. Public Health.
Amanda Kost, MD (DFM Vice Chair of Education) |
Dr. Amanda Kost is Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington where she teaches, conducts medical education research, and cares for patients. She attended medical school at the University at Buffalo and completed a Masters of Education at the University of Washington with a focus on educational research and statistics. After finishing her residency in family medicine at the University of Washington, Dr. Kost practiced at a community health center for two years before joining the faculty. At UW, she has been active in the School of Medicine curriculum renewal process through the development and implementation of clinical immersion, intersessions and the themes curriculum. She teaches medical students through the College system, directs the Teaching Scholars faculty development certificate program, and is an associate director for the Center for Learning and Innovation in Medical Education. In the past, she has been Underserved Pathway faculty, directed family medicine medical student advising, developed a longitudinal family medicine preclinical preceptorship, advised the Community Health Advancement Program and co-directed the Community-focused Urban Scholars Program. Nationally, she has served on the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Committee on Medical Student Education, Research Committee, and was the conference chair for the 2020 STFM Medical Student Education Conference. She completed an editorial fellowship with the journal Family Medicine and is an associate editor of PRiMER (Peer-Reviewed Reports in Medical Education Research). She continues to practice full spectrum family medicine at Harborview Medical Center where she serves as the medical director.
Jack Mo, MD (Core Faculty) |
Dr. Jack Mo (he/him) is a Clinical Acting Instructor and core Residency Faculty Physician. Dr. Mo earned his medical degree from the University of Washington and completed his residency training in Family Medicine at the University of Washington Family Medicine Residency.
Pamela L. Pentin, JD, MD, FAAFP (Core Faculty) |
Dr. Pam Pentin (she/her) is a New Englander by birth. Dr. Pentin was an English major at the University of Pennsylvania, then earned a law degree and practiced as a corporate trial attorney before attending Jefferson Medical College on a U.S. Navy scholarship. After completing her Family Medicine residency at the University of Vermont she served on active duty as a Navy medical officer for 7 years before transferring to the Reserves where she still proudly serves and sometimes still travels the world. The Navy brought her to the Pacific Northwest and to the University of Washington.
Dr. Pentin is an Assistant Professor in the Residency Section and Site Coordinator for the 3rd year Medical Student Clerkship at UW Medicine at Northgate. She enjoys practicing and teaching the full spectrum of Family Medicine. In her time off Pam loves to spend time with her family, travel, cook, hunt for antiques and walk and swim at the beach.
Interests: chronic pain management, treatment of addiction, the interface between Corporate America and the medical profession.
Jackie Raetz, MD (Associate Program Director) (Core Faculty) |
Dr. Jackie Raetz (she/her) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington. She provides full-spectrum family medicine including inpatient and outpatient care, obstetrics, nursing home care and palliative care. She holds a certificate of added qualifications in geriatrics and palliative care. She attended medical school at Duke University, residency at the University of Washington and completed at geriatrics fellowship at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, Washington. She is a member of University of Washington Family Medicine Residency faculty and also holds clinical appointments in Long Term Care and Palliative Care.
Ashwin Rao, MD |
Dr. Ashwin Rao is board-certified in family medicine and sports medicine. He completed his undergraduate studies at Swarthmore College and his medical degree at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Rao completed his residency training in family medicine and his sports medicine fellowship at the University of Washington. In 2008, he assumed the role of clinical assistant professor in UW’s department of family medicine and the Hall Health Sports Medicine Clinic. Currently, Dr. Rao serves as a team physician for University of Washington Husky Athletics and the Seattle Seahawks. He works in both primary care and sports medicine settings. He is a member of the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine (AMSSM), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). He serves as the chair of the University of Washington ’s sports academic conference curriculum. He also serves on the Research Committee of AMSSM. Dr. Rao’s special interests include musculoskeletal ultrasound guided procedures, including tenotomy with platelet rich plasma and autologous blood injection, medical student and resident education, patient-centered care, injury care and prevention, and emergency preparedness.
Tomoko Sairenji, MD |
Dr. Tomoko Sairenji joined the Medical Student Education Section in 2015. She is Director of the FM Department Career Advising Program, and is faculty advisor of the Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG). She is also a College mentor at the UWSOM. She does clinical work at the Northgate Clinic and UWMC. Dr. Sairenji graduated from Okayama University Medical School in Japan, and did a 2-year junior residency at Aso-Iizuka Hospital in Fukuoka, Japan. She then came to the US where she completed her Family Medicine residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Shadyside, Pittsburgh, PA, where she also served as Chief Resident. Following residency, Dr. Sairenji did a two-year in Faculty Development Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, which included being a visiting scholar at the American Board of Family Medicine, Lexington, KY, and was awarded a Master of Science in Medical Education.
She enjoys baking and gardening in her free time.
Chris Sanford, MD MPH DTM&H |
Dr. Christopher Sanford is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Family Medicine and Global Health. He has practiced at the University of Washington since 2000; he joined UW’s Family Medicine Residency in 2009. In addition to serving as Director of the UW Dept. of Family Medicine Global Health Fellowship, he is Director of the Travel Clinic at the UW Neighborhood Northgate Clinic, which offers a full spectrum of pre- and post-travel services.
Every fall he travels to Uganda to teach in the Professional Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (East African Partnership), a three-month course in clinical tropical medicine for physicians from both Africa and the Global North. This course is coordinated by a consortium of five institutions (UW, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Makerere University [Uganda], and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center [Tanzania]).
He is Chair of a biennial CME course, Update, Travel Medicine & Global Health. During this two-and-a-half day conference experts speak on a variety of topics within travel and tropical medicine, and global health.
He is lead editor of Travel and Tropical Medicine Manual, Fifth Edition (Elsevier, 2016), and author of Staying Healthy Abroad: A Global Traveler’s Guide (University of Washington Press, 2018).
Interests: Tropical medicine, Travel Medicine, Global Health, Public Health, Disaster Medicine.
Grace Shih, MD MAS |
Dr. Grace Shih is Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at University of Washington. She is originally from Florida and completed her medical degree at University of Florida. Following medical school, Grace spent a year in Ecuador and Mexico, working with a non-profit family planning organization. She completed her family medicine residency at Brown University and her Family Planning Fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. She is the RHEDI Director for the UW Family Medicine Residency and Director of the WWAMI Family Medicine Residency Network. She has been involved in resident and faculty education for 10+ years. Her clinical and research interests focus on faculty development, vasectomy, self-managed abortion, and integration of abortion into primary care.
Dr. Grace Shih runs the Reproductive Health Clinic at the UWNC Northgate Clinic. Outside of work, Grace enjoys spending time with her family, fussing over her dog and indoor plants, cooking, and playing piano/guitar.
David Siebert, MD |
Dr. Dave Siebert is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, practicing and teaching Sports Medicine and Family Medicine. He is the Associate Director of the Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship and a team physician for the University of Washington (UW) Huskies and Seattle Seahawks. His other team physician experience includes sideline coverage for Seattle-area high school football since 2013 and UW’s ACHA Division II club hockey team from 2014-16.
Dr. Siebert received his medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine in 2013. He completed his Family Medicine residency training at the UW in 2016 and Primary care Sports Medicine fellowship training, also at UW, in 2017. He is a member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) and serves on the AMSSM Education and Research committees. His other memberships include the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society.
Dr. Siebert sees patients at the Sports Medicine Center at Husky Stadium and the Northgate branch of UW Neighborhood Clinics. Outside of his clinical roles, he is actively involved in resident education, the residency Sports Medicine Interest Group, and the Sports Medicine Area of Concentration. He is fellowship trained and privileged in diagnostic and procedural musculoskeletal ultrasound and oversees the residency’s longitudinal point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) curriculum. Regionally, he chairs the Seattle-area Sports Medicine Grand Rounds series.
Christopher Vincent, MD |
Dr. Vincent is an associate professor of family medicine. Dr. Vincent earned his Medical Degree at the Baylor College of Medicine and completed his residency training here at UW.
Dr. Vincent’s clinical interests include clinic-based primary care, office procedures, medical writing and the teaching and application of evidence-based medicine in primary care. Dr. Vincent is an active journal editor and reviewer. Dr. Vincent enjoys bicycling, swimming and computers. Dr. Vincent precepts residents at both the Harborview and Northgate clinic sites.
Emory Williams, MD (Core Faculty) |
Dr. Emory Williams (they/them) is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington. They provides full spectrum care and see patients at the Harborview clinic and at the UW Medical Center Northwest on the Family Medicine inpatient service. They completed medical school at Harvard University and family medicine residency at Swedish First Hill, Seattle. After residency, Dr. Williams completed the University of California San Francisco Health Equity Action and Leadership Initiative Global Health Fellowship. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Washington in 2022, they practiced full spectrum family medicine including inpatient Obstetrics. Their interests include pregnancy care, mental health, addiction medicine, gender affirming care, reproductive health, global health and resident education. In their free time, Emory likes to cook, travel, and see the world from above with their pilot license.
Megan Wilson, MD |
Dr. Megan Wilson (she/her) is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington. She provides full spectrum care and sees patients at the UW Northgate Clinic and at the UW Medical Center on the Family Medicine inpatient service. She completed medical school at the University of Virginia and family medicine residency at the University of Washington. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Washington in 2017, she practiced full spectrum family medicine at the Neighborcare 45th Street community health center in Seattle. Her interests include women’s health, caring for patients with developmental disabilities, mental health, addiction treatment, and resident education. In her free time, Megan volunteers at a horse rescue and enjoys horseback riding, cooking, gardening, and exploring the Pacific Northwest with her husband.
Mari Yamamoto, PhD (Director Behavioral Health Education) (Core Faculty) |
Dr. Mari Yamamoto (she/her) graduated with a B.A. in psychology from the University of Washington in 2007 and earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Seattle Pacific University in 2016. She completed her internship training at the VA Northern California Healthcare System in Martinez and Oakland, California and a postdoctoral fellowship at VA Puget Sound – Seattle Division in Primary Care Mental Health Integration. She has previously worked in Primary Care Behavioral Health Integration at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate, and Iora Primary Care in the Greater Seattle area, working in an integrated primary care clinic for older adults. She enjoys working in integrated care settings and has interests in behavioral medicine/health psychology (e.g., sleep, pain, chronic disease management), and integrated primary care program development and implementation.
Ying Zhang, MD, MPH (DFM Chief of Service — UWMC) (Core Faculty) |
Dr. Ying Zhang (she/her) is a family physician and faculty in the UW Family Medicine Residency since 2016. She completed her residency at the UW Family Medicine Residency and then completed a National Research Service Award Fellowship and Master of Public Health at UW prior to joining the faculty in the Department of Family Medicine at UW. Dr. Zhang is faculty at the Harborview Family Medicine Clinic and practices full spectrum family medicine, including outpatient, inpatient, and OB care. Her clinical and research interests focus on reproductive health and family planning among refugee and immigrant communities in the U.S. This curriculum focuses on developing clinical, advocacy, and leadership training in reproductive health among family medicine residents. In addition, Ying is the AAFP Liaison for the Washington Reproductive Health Access Project (RHAP) Cluster. Outside of work, Ying enjoys spending time with her family, outdoor adventures, and exploring new restaurants.
Nick Cheung, MHA (Associate Director of Education – Program Administrator) |
Nick Cheung has over a decade of medical education experience in various roles including graduate medical education, undergraduate medical education, and accreditation. He has been with the Department of Family Medicine since 2024 and is currently the Associate Director of Education for the UW Department of Family Medicine. In this role, he provides leadership and administrative oversight to the educational programs of the Department of Family Medicine, including the Family Medicine Residency, Medical Student Education (MSE) and Fellowship programs.
In a previous role, he has worked with the University of Washington School of Medicine in the Office of Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs on their curriculum and student affairs teams.
Seo Song (HMC Administrator – Program Operations) |
Seo graduated from the University of Washington and returned to the UW to join the Family Medicine Residency Program in 2015. She is currently one of our administrators and has been with Harborview for almost six years. She enjoys working with and supporting the amazing team of residents, staff, and faculty at UWFMR.
David Wells (Residency Curriculum Administrator) |
David joined Team Residency in early 2023. Previously he was the Chapter Executive for the King County Academy of Family Physicians for over 5 years. In that role, he exclusively supported family doctors at various points of their career whether that was before they decided on the Family Medicine specialty as medical students all the way through retiring into clinical practice. He has acquired a deep respect for and desire to support family doctors practicing in the current healthcare system(s) and is thrilled to be a part of the University of Washington’s Family Medicine Residency Program.
David has additional professional experiences through a variety of non-profit institutions including the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Pro-Choice Washington, Minnesota Public Interest Research Group, and Clean Water Action. He obtained a Master of Arts in Transformational Leadership from Seattle University (Seattle, Washington) and an undergraduate degree in Youth and Family Ministry from Augsburg University (Minneapolis, Minnesota). David self-describes himself as a collaborator, solution finder, & connector.