First-year residents
Daniel Lee, DO
Hometown: Federal Way, WA
Medical school: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University
Daniel was born in Tacoma and grew up in Federal Way with his three older sisters. Growing up he had plans to pursue a baseball career that even included an offer to play at a D1 college. This quickly changed after he attended a medical mission trip to Honduras. He was in awe at the toolbox of knowledge these physicians carried and the impact they made on the community. This led Daniel to focus on his premedical education and attend the University of Washington in Seattle. Throughout college Daniel worked as a lab technician at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center while earning his bachelorâs degree in physiology. After graduation, Daniel took a gap year working as a clinical assistant at Seattle Spine & Sports Medicine. During this time, he volunteered with Seattle Dance and Performing Arts Clinic and even helped with sport physicals for the Seattle Seawolves. Through these experiences he confirmed his dream was to pursue becoming a physician.
With the interest of providing compassionate care using a comprehensive approach, Daniel attended medical school at Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine. His clinical years shaped his desire to pursue a career in family medicine. He enjoyed the wide breadth of medical specialties in all his rotations and began to realize family medicine would fulfill his desire to obtain a full scope of training and provide the highest standard of care to patients. He is so excited to pursue a career in family medicine as he can maintain his broad base of medical knowledge while tailoring his future practice to the needs of his community. In his free time, Daniel enjoys spending time with his family, two Siberian huskies, trying new food, and being outside in the PNW.
Ryan McMonigle, PhD, MD
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Medical School: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern UniversityÂ
Ryan grew up in San Diego, CA, where he ran cross country and track in high school and community college. He completed his undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of California, Irvine. During his time at UCI, Ryan joined a cancer biology lab investigating novel therapeutics targeting cancer cell metabolism. After graduation he continued working as a lab manager before deciding to pursue an MD-PhD training program at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. He completed his PhD training in immunology, focusing on the differentiation pathway of CD4+ T cells responsible for generating antibody responses to infection. During his MD-PhD training, Ryan recognized that he is driven by caring for patients and decided to pursue family medicine residency training to become a full-spectrum primary care physician.
Ryan is excited to explore a new corner of the country at Tacoma Family Medicine and become a full spectrum family medicine physician. He is interested in obstetrics, pediatrics, evidence-based medicine, and serving his community. Ryan enjoys running and hiking, sports, board games, and hanging out with his wife, daughter, and 2 miniature dachshunds.
Naomi Nkinsi, MPH, MD
Home Town: Sammamish, WA
Medical School: University of Washington School of Medicine
The child of immigrants from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Naomi was born in YaoundĂ©, Cameroon and spent her early childhood there before her family immigrated to the United States. Her family initially immigrated to the Atlanta area before eventually settling to Sammamish, WA where she spent the remainder of her childhood. Naomi attended the University of Washington in Seattle where she graduated with double majors in cellular, molecular, and developmental biology and public health. During her time in undergrad, she conducted research with the genome sciences department on congenital contracture syndromes as well as with The Broad Institute where she studied molecular targets for non-small cell lung cancer and Boston Childrenâs Hospital where she worked to develop real-time tracking systems for the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak. Upon graduation, Naomi was a research technician at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, where she conducted genome wide CRISPR screens to identify potential drug targets to treat non-small-cell lung cancer. Throughout all these experiences, Naomi remained committed to her goal of advocating for minority students in STEM by serving as a research mentor for numerous pipeline programs.Â
Â
Naomi Nkinsi received her medical doctorate from the University of Washington School of Medicine and her masterâs in public health from the University of Washington School of Public Health. She is a nationally recognized advocate for service learning, diversifying medicine, centering anti-racism in medical education, and ending the use of race-based clinical algorithms. For the advancements she had led in health equity, Naomi was named a 2021 fellow of the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans and a 2022 Pisacano Leadership Foundation Fellow by the American Board of Family Medicine. Naomi is excited to continue her passion for full-spectrum, equity-focused primary care.
Â
Outside of medicine, Naomi enjoys going on walks and hikes, cooking, and spending time with loved ones.
Maggie O’Grady, MD
Hometown: Evergreen Park, IL
Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine – Peoria
Maggie was born and raised in Evergreen Park, a suburb on the south side of Chicago, in Illinois. Her mom is one of 12 children, and her dad is one of 8, so she grew up surrounded by a big, loving extended family. This supportive community played an important role in her decision to become a family doctor. She attended Saint Louis University in Missouri, where she majored in Biology and Spanish. After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked as a pharmacy technician in Chicago, IL. The community the pharmacy served was primarily Spanish speaking, and she provided customer service in both English and Spanish. Her experience in the pharmacy highlighted the unique barriers patients face when acquiring their medications. Maggie went on to the University of Illinois for medical school, where she was involved in research focusing on the socioeconomic factors influencing patientsâ adherence to diabetes treatment plans and their barriers to improved healthcare outcomes. Her clinical and research experiences encouraged her to focus on patient education and advocacy. She is especially passionate about reproductive health, behavioral health, and pediatrics. Maggie is excited to further her training in the pacific northwest region where she will train to become a full spectrum family physician. She moved to Tacoma with her partner Mitch and their dog, Rosie. In her free time, she loves to read, hike, do yoga and play outside with Rosie.
Isabella Park, MD
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Medical School: Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Isabella grew up by the coast, in the suburbs of Los Angeles, California with her four siblings and parents. She attended Stanford University as a college athlete in Synchronized Swimming, while also pursuing a degree in Human Biology and a minor in Creative Writing. It was after graduating college, that she returned to LA to work with the underserved as a doula, where she spent time with pregnant foster teens and unhoused women. Additionally, she spent time volunteering in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, and Paraguay, which provided her with a deep appreciation for an international perspective on how to medically and culturally care for one another. It was during these experiences that her interest and passion for primary care truly began to blossom. She then went on to Loyola Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago, IL, where she fell in love with Family Medicine, as it was a field that allowed her to be involved and care for the community. It was also during this time that she pursued her passion for environmental sustainability passion and helped to found GEMS, Group for Environmental and Medical Sustainability. This group helped to spread awareness and knowledge on taking action on sustainability, particularly within the medical field. Now she is excited to start her journey in Tacoma, WA at TFM where she will continue to concentrate on providing for the community, continuing her global health journeys, and taking action on environmental sustainability. She loves to bake cakes and cookies, explore the near and far hiking trails, and take day trips around the local towns and small cities with her partner.
Caitlin Parke, MD
Hometown: Palos Verdes, CA
Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix
Caitlin grew up in the beachside town of Palos Verdes, California. Unfortunately, she never mastered the art of surfing, however growing up near the ocean did instill a deep passion for wildlife and nature. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley with a double major in Integrative Biology and Anthropology. After graduating, Caitlin moved to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala where she studied Spanish for six months before returning to the US to live as a Colorado ski bum for a few years. In between hikes and ski days, Caitlin worked as an emergency department scribe, which ultimately solidified her plan to pursue a career in medicine. She then completed a Masters of Biomedical Sciences at Tufts University in Boston. While living in Boston, Caitlin also worked as a clinical research coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital, assisting with projects related to sepsis management.
Caitlin attended medical school at The University of Arizona College of Medicine â Phoenix, where she learned that the desert sun is unforgiving to redheads and that she wanted to pursue a career in broad-spectrum family medicine. Caitlin is a National Health Service Corps Scholar and in medical school, earned a Rural Health Certificate of Distinction for completing a capstone research project on rural health and focusing her third- and fourth-year clinical clerkships in rural areas.
Caitlin is beyond excited to join the TFM family and continue her training in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Her interests in medicine include comprehensive obstetric and pediatric care, lactation medicine and healthcare in low resource and rural settings. When not in the hospital or clinic, Caitlin can be found wandering beaches, mountains, forests and farmers markets with her cocker spaniel, Ellie.
Alexandra Smith, MD
Hometown: Everett, WA
Medical School: Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University
Alex grew up surrounded by the mountains, water, and evergreen trees in Everett, Washington alongside her parents, two younger sisters, and three Siberian Huskies. While shadowing a Family Medicine doctor for her high school senior project, she was inspired to become a physician after watching the positive  impact holistic care had on people of all ages and the community as a whole. Alex attended the University of Washington in Seattle where she earned her degree in Biology with a focus in Physiology. During her undergraduate years, she participated in programs which reaffirmed her interest in medicine including research in a Cardiology lab and shadowing healthcare professionals in a rural town during spring break.
After graduation, Alex worked as a medical scribe for several Family Medicine and Internal Medicine physicians across the Puget Sound region, and she volunteered in a Womenâs Imaging Center at Swedish Hospital in Ballard where she gained a deep appreciation for taking the time to provide compassionate care for patients, especially in stressful situations. Alex continued her adventure towards becoming a physician at the Frank H Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. While in medical school, she served in multiple leadership roles including President of the Family Medicine Interest Group and a Peer Support Coach which taught her the value of learning from and advocating for patients and her fellow healthcare colleagues. She also discovered her passion for serving under-served, under-resourced communities after spending her third year at Northern Maine Medical Center in the rural town of Fort Kent, Maine. As a physician, Alex seeks to be a combination of detective, guide, teacher, student, advocate, and sidekick on her mission to provide compassionate full-scope holistic care for all patients. Her other interests within medicine include obstetrics, reproductive care, womenâs health, LGBTQIA+/gender-affirming care, preventative care, and POCUS.
Alex is ecstatic to be joining the TFM family as well as returning to her Pacific Northwest roots to serve the communities that nurtured her passion for medicine. Outside of medicine, Alex loves playing games with family and friends, exploring the great outdoors, practicing with her musical instruments, dancing when no one is looking, and spending time with her boyfriend and his cat.
Ai-Vi Tran, MD
Hometown: Tacoma, WA
Medical School: Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
Aivi was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. After high school, she chose to stay local for college, attending Pacific Lutheran University, where she studied Biology and Religion. Her interest in medicine began early on in her childhood, as she was one of the primary caregivers for her paraplegic father. Growing up, she witnessed the time and care his team took to learn his story, his worries, and how he envisioned his life. She knew that, as a future physician, she wanted to be able to create lasting relationships with patients and their families, as they had with hers.
After graduating college, Aivi was fortunate to start medical school at Washington State Universityâs Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. Aivi came into medical school with a particular interest in primary care, and as she rotated through the core sub-specialties, her heart always found its way back to Family Medicine. As a first-generation college and medical student, Aivi was dedicated to providing mentorship to under-represented communities, joining mentorship programs that offered support to students at the junior high, high school, and college level. Throughout her medical training, she also developed her passions for healthy equity and patient advocacy as a leader in WSUâs Family Medicine Interest Group, Asian Pacific American Student Association, and Health Equity Circle.
She is so excited to be continuing the next stages of her medical training in the community (and hospital) where she was born! Her medical interests within family medicine include obstetrics and reproductive health, behavioral health, health equity, and urban underserved communities. Outside of medicine, she enjoys cooking, experimenting with new foods, rock climbing, and Zumba.
Second-year residents
Elena Dodge, MD
Hometown: Tacoma, WA
Medical School: University of Washington, School of Medicine
Elena was born and raised in Tacoma, where she spent her time exploring the Pacific Northwest with her parents and younger sister. After graduating from Wilson High School, she stayed in Tacoma to study Biology at the University of Puget Sound. Her interest in medicine began during an internship with the Pierce County Health Department. There, she assisted in the development of a mobile medical clinic and saw the profound impact that access to healthcare can have on an individualâs life.
After graduation, she joined Teach for America and moved to Homedale, Idaho, where she taught high school science and health. She loved empowering students to make their health a priority and building relationships within the community. In medical school at the University of Washington, she found the same enjoyment in the family medicine clinic. She was drawn to the broad scope of family medicine and the ability to incorporate education about health and wellness into every visit.
Elena is excited to return home to Tacoma and join the TFM family. Her medical interests include womenâs health, rural health, addiction medicine, and adolescent medicine. She is thrilled to be joining a residency program with such strong full-spectrum training to continue developing those interests. Outside of medicine, she enjoys getting outside with her husband and two dogs, hiking and biking in the PNW, trying to keep her garden alive, and cheering on the Seattle Sounders with her family.
Clinton Foriska, DO
Hometown: Macdoel, CA
Medical School: PNWU Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
Clinton grew up on a cattle ranch in rural Macdoel, CA. He spent his youth working for local ranchers and farmers until he joined the US Army right out of High School. After serving nearly 10 years in the infantry with a combat tour to Iraq, Clinton was medically retired from the Army. Clinton transitioned straight from military service to civilian life as a student. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology at University of Washington and attended medical school at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences.
Outside of medicine, Clinton loves to spend time with his family. He also enjoys archery, hunting, bodybuilding.
Daniel Guillory, MD
Hometown: Honolulu, HI / Bremerton, WA
Medical School: Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
The child of a Navy family, Daniel was born on the island of Oahu and spent several years there, before moving around and ending up in Bremerton, Washington. He loved the opportunities to see so much of the country and meet people from all walks of life. He eventually attended the University of Washington in Seattle. There he studied International Studies along with a smattering of other languages, hoping to see the world and learn from the experiences of the people in it. Following college, he spent a year abroad in Taiwan before returning to Seattle to work for a consulting firm and figure out his next steps. During this time, he volunteered at a local hospital. His work there helped him rediscover his love of the sciences and realize he wanted to spend every day making an impact like the one at the hospital. He attended a post-baccalaureate program at Temple University in Pennsylvania, where he went on to medical school. While at Temple, outside of his academic pursuits, he worked with student organizations doing practical skills training, community outreach clinics, and providing STI testing for the LGBTQ+ community in Philadelphia. He also had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Puerto Rico as well as Manipal, India to learn how physicians practice in other environments and what global medicine can look like. On his Family Medicine rotation in Lancaster, PA, he found his true passion in medicine; a specialty that gave him the opportunity to work with under-served communities, build long lasting relationships with patients, and help them with âFull Spectrumâ capabilities. He is ecstatic to be closer to his family and train at Tacoma Family Medicine. His time here will equip him with the skills to go out and serve any community effectively and compassionately. When not doctoring, he enjoys hikes with his pup Lulu, singing and writing songs on the guitar, and lively game nights with friends.
Morgan Julian, MD
Hometown: Billings, MT
Medical School: University of Washington, School of Medicine- Montana
Morgan was born and raised in Billings, Montana. In school, she was editor of her high school yearbook and at work learned how to make an excellent pizza. For her undergraduate degree, she attended Montana State University in Bozeman, MT where her passion for preventative medicine led her to a degree in Food & Nutrition. Throughout college, Morgan worked in a nutrition research lab where she investigated the relationship between diet and physical activity and how they impact a personâs health. As someone who loves working with people at all stages of life, she also worked with children at Boys and Girls Clubs of Yellowstone County and volunteered with hospice patients.
After graduation, Morgan was fortunate to start medical school at the University of Washington on their Montana campus. Morgan was the lead of the Family Medicine Interest Group and had the opportunity to organize events which exposed students interested in a variety of specialties to the scope of family medicine. She also volunteered at a Foot Care Clinic at a local warming center and participated in free HIV testing in the community. Morgan is thrilled to be starting her journey as a family medicine physician. She is drawn to patient-centered care and looks forward to building strong relationships with her patients. Her medical interests include working with under-served communities, geriatrics, womenâs health, mental health, and preventive medicine. She is also interested in learning more about addiction medicine and LGBTQ+ care to better serve rural communities where this care can be more difficult to access.
Outside of medicine, Morgan enjoys reading books, taking long walks, gardening, starting new crafting projects, and of course spending time with family and friends. She is excited to explore the Tacoma farmerâs markets and will be on the hunt for the best tea in town.
Alexander Mundell, MD
Hometown: West Hollywood, CA / Redmond, WA
Medical School: University of Washington, School of Medicine
Lex was born in West Hollywood, CA and grew up in Redmond, WA, and considers the Pacific Northwest his home. He was first inspired to become a physician after spending many summers in Newfoundland Canada with his grandparents who were small town physicians originally from India. After majoring in Chemistry and Spanish at Grinnell College in rural Iowa, he developed a love and passion for the closeness of rural communities and after graduation served two terms as an AmeriCorps VISTA service member in Prescott, AZ. There, he worked at a public health department on increasing access to healthy foods, HIV testing, and community health education. Through AmeriCorps, he decided he wanted to go to medical school and was excited to go back home and attend the University of Washington as a Rural and Underserved Pathway Scholar in Moses Lake, WA. It was a highlight of his medical school career getting to learn full spectrum family medicine longitudinally across three years in one community. He also was a leader of the Health Equity Circle, where he helped mobilize medical students in community organizing to support affordable housing.
He is honored and excited to continue his passion for rural full-spectrum family medicine and health equity at Tacoma Family Medicine. His interests within family medicine include rural medicine, obstetrics and reproductive health, and pediatrics, but is really excited about all there is to learn in family medicine.
Outside of medicine, he enjoys running, hiking and exploring the PNW, trying not to fall while skiing, spending time with his partner Maria and family and friends, finding new coffee shops and restaurants, cooking, and watching bad Netflix shows.
Athena Paarmann, MD
Hometown: Houston/San Antonio, TX
Medical School: University of Texas, School of Medicine
Athena was born in Houston, Texas but grew up in San Antonio, Texas. She attended The University of Texas in Dallas, where she studied neuroscience as her primary major. During her time in Dallas, she worked on a research project for psychology known as The Healthy Development project. Their research analyzed parent and child relationships to food and what could be done to better promote a healthy diet. This research also focused on the psychology of fat shaming and how this could produce eating disorders. Other notable accomplishments during her time in Dallas involve creating a capstone project for the honors college that was based on the leading theories of consciousness. Athena then pursued a medical degree through the University of Texas Medical branch located in Galveston where she focused her efforts on promoting health and well-being for gender and sexually diverse individuals. During her time there she was able to start a clinic with the help of clinical staff at St. Vincentâs. This clinic focused on getting hormone therapies for transgender and intersex people who did not have insurance. She was also involved in advancing pediatric care for intersex individuals that concentrated on respecting their autonomy and promoting their well-being. Athena is very enthusiastic about this type of work and is happy to begin residency training in Tacoma, Washington where she will continue her focus on those less fortunate with a specialization on gender and sexually diverse patient care.
Katelyn Schumacher, MD
Hometown: Hays, KS
Medical School: University of Kansas, School of Medicine-Wichita
Kate grew up right outside of Hays, Kansas a lovely town surrounded by wheat and sunflower fields. She witnessed the importance of primary care early on in her rural home and was inspired by the strong sense of community. Developing an early interest in medicine and science, she went on to pursue a degree in Microbiology from The University of Kansas where she was recruited to play outfield on the softball team. She continued her tenure as a Jayhawk at the KU School of Medicine, where she developed a love for under-served medicine and public health while volunteering at the student-run safety-net clinic, JayDoc. There, she served as the director of the womenâs health night and started a new specialty night providing gender-affirming care. These meaningful experiences led her to pursue a Master of Public Health between her second and third years of medical school, with her thesis focusing on contraception access in vulnerable populations. Her last medical school rotation was at the national hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, where she focused on improved access to prenatal care and cervical cancer screening.
Her clinical years took her back to rural Kansas for her Family Medicine rotation, where she experienced the true meaning of full-spectrum care. It was inspiring to observe the trusting relationships and the consideration of physical, mental, and spiritual health with each encounter. Family medicine is a field she knew would allow her to continue growing as a medical provider, teacher, advocate, and human being.
Kate is thrilled to move to the PNW and continue her journey at Tacoma Family Medicine, a program with excellent full-spectrum training and dedication to service. Her interests include womenâs health, public health, LGBTQIA+ care, healthcare for the under-served, and global health. Outside of medicine, Kate enjoys hanging out with her boyfriend and two little spaniels, trying new recipes, getting cozy with a good book, and exploring the outdoors. She canât wait to begin her new adventure in Tacoma.
Audrey Taylor, DO
Hometown: Roseburg, OR
Medical School: Western University of Osteopathic Medicine
Audrey Taylor is the daughter of a Navy family physician and spent her childhood moving throughout the east coast and even abroad in Italy. As her extended family reside throughout the pacific northwest the region has been a constant throughout her life, and she considers herself a PNW native after completing high school, college, and medical school in the region. She attended undergraduate at Willamette University in Salem, OR where she pursued her interests in both the sciences and humanities by majoring in Latin American Studies and Spanish and minoring in chemistry. Upon graduating she spent one year working as a medical scribe at a federally qualified health center in rural Oregon before completing a year of service as a case manager at a menâs emergency shelter in Albuquerque, NM.
Interested in understanding and caring for the whole person, she pursued osteopathic medical education at Western University of Health Sciences in Lebanon, OR. In addition to her studies, she was involved in the rural health track, was co-coordination of student-run free clinic, and taught medical Spanish classes to classmates.
She is excited to stay in the wonderful pacific northwest and pursue full-spectrum family medicine training at TFM. She plans to work in a rural or medically under-served area, and hopes to combine her interests in womenâs health, obstetrics, behavioral health, and Spanish in future practice. In her free time, Audrey enjoys spending time outside either hiking or skiing. She also enjoys reading fiction, painting, and traveling. Her current travel goal is to finish seeing all Latin America.
Third-year residents
Abigail Bryant-Heidebrecht, MD
Hometown: Longmont, CO
Medical School: University of Colorado, School of Medicine
Abby is from Longmont, CO where she was raised in a family that inspired her love of music and the outdoors. Growing up she always enjoyed science, sports, game nights, and learning about others. Seeking to explore a new part of the country for college, she traveled to Saratoga Springs, NY, and obtained a BA in molecular biology from Skidmore College. During the summers, she worked as a research assistant for a physician in internal medicine where she was able to see first- hand the breadth and importance the primary care physician. After college, she worked in a physiatry practice as an MA and spent a year as an AmeriCorps member at an FQHC in Denver. It was through her time in Americorps that she developed her love of family medicine. She was drawn to the holistic care that the doctors she worked with practiced as well as their ability to be the first line of health care for vulnerable populations. Throughout medical school, she continued working with underserved populations, and developed a love of working in rural communities. She is especially excited to continue pursuing her interest in increasing access to care for underserved communities, womenâs health, obstetrics, and preventative medicine at Tacoma Family Medicine.
Besides medicine, Abby loves to be outside hiking, fly fishing, camping and kayaking. She also enjoys board games, trying out new restaurants and spending time with her husband, Matt. They are very excited to be embarking on a new adventure in the beautiful Northwest!
Mary Buswell, MD
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Mary was born in Seattle, WA, and grew up in western Massachusetts, England, and Shoreline, WA. She attended Carleton College in Minnesota, where she looked for ways to combine her Sociology/Anthropology major with her pre-medical studies through projects that emphasized the connection between public health and social structure. Through internships at a local community health center and the Tuberculosis Control Program in San Francisco, Mary found that she was most excited when caring for individuals in a way that addressed the many social factors that impact health. After college, Mary spent two years working in a lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she cemented her curiosity about the pathophysiology of disease and spent a lot more time with mice than she ever would have imagined. She attended medical school at the University of Rochester in upstate New York, where she developed her passion for community health through a project addressing the reproductive health needs of clients at a syringe service program. She was drawn to Family Medicine because of the opportunity to care for patients over the course of their lives in a variety of contexts, and the emphasis on partnering with patients and communities to work toward health equity. Her interests within medicine include community health, reproductive care, addiction medicine, and obstetrics. She also enjoys biking, reading fiction, growing houseplants, hosting potlucks, crafting, and visiting friends and family across the country. Mary is excited to be back in the Pacific Northwest for her residency training, and she looks forward to learning from her patients and colleagues at TFM.
Max Castanera, MD
Hometown: Kailua, HI
Medical School: University of Hawaii, School of Medicine
Max was born and raised in Kailua on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. During school, he tried just about everything (band, skateboarding, choir, drama, guitar, martial arts, and sports) before he found his passion for Hawaiian culture/language and science. After graduating from high school with four years of olelo Hawaii (Hawaiian language) under his belt, he left his island home for college to pursue an aerospace engineering degree at the University of Washington in Seattle. Although the math and physics classes were intellectually stimulating, something was missing â human connection. Max kept his options open by taking pre-med classes and got a job at the University of Washington Medical Center as a research assistant for a gastroenterologist who was doing cutting edge clinical trials for biologic treatments for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Getting to interact with patients in the clinical setting as a research assistant solidified Maxâs desire to pursue medicine as a career which combined his love of science with his love of helping others. He graduated in 2016 with a double major in biophysics and biochemistry.
Maxâs love for his home aina (land) called him back after college where he learned traditional Hawaiian healing from practitioners in the community. He also started shadowing at local FQHCs and discovered a passion for food sovereignty as a means of improving community health. Four years of medical school at the University of Hawaii allowed him to continue growing as a community advocate, improve his connection to aina (land), and practice his culture. Max helped to lead PRIDoC (Pacific Region Indigenous Doctorsâ Congress) 2018, which brought indigenous physicians and cultural practitioners from all over the Pacific Region to Hilo, Hawaii to share indigenous healthcare perspectives and network between indigenous populations.
Max was drawn to TFM for its diverse patient population and high-volume urban setting with full-spectrum training. His interests include womenâs health, POCUS, social justice, rural health, and indigenous health. His hope is to return to Hawaii and practice as an âold country docâ on a neighbor island where the resources are few and far between and where tertiary medical care is a plane ride away. In his free time, he enjoys being outside: hiking, bodyboarding, surfing, hanging at the beach; working in community gardens; making traditional Hawaiian food; working out; traveling; cooking new foods; woodworking; learning new languages; reading; and spending time with family and friends.
Eva Davis, MD
Hometown: Oswego, OR
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University, School of Medicine
Eva grew up in Lake Oswego, just outside of Portland, Oregon. She spent the majority of her childhood riding and caring for horses, which fostered her early interest in caring for the health of living creatures. She attended Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, where her interests shifted from veterinary health to human health. She majored in Psychology and wrote her senior thesis on the impact of poverty on child development. Throughout college, she volunteered at a local free medical clinic and advocated for sexual consent education on campus. These experiences ignited her interest in the intersection of human physiology, health policy, and social justice and inspired her to pursue a career in medicine.
After graduating from college, Eva moved back to Oregon to work as an optometry technician before applying to medical school. She attended Oregon Health and Science University, where she was surrounded by incredible classmates and faculty mentors. During her time at OHSU, she enjoyed leading the Womenâs Health Interest Group and teaching incoming medical students about social and structural determinants of health. Eva truly enjoyed all of her clinical rotations. Family Medicine was the perfect fit, as it allowed her to see patients of all ages and backgrounds and to continue to advocate for the health of her community. Within Family Medicine, her passions include obstetrics and reproductive health, adolescent medicine, addiction medicine, and gender-affirming care.
Eva is absolutely thrilled to be continuing her training at Tacoma Family Medicine. She is excited to follow in the family medicine footsteps of her mother, a family doctor in Oregon, and her sister, a family nurse practitioner in Washington. In her free time, you can find her hiking, backpacking, exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest, spending time with friends and family, or curled up on the couch with a good cup of coffee and a book.
Justin Morgan, MD
Hometown: Corvallis, MT
Medical School: University of Washington, School of Medicine
Justin was born and raised in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana. Growing up homeschooled, the mountains and rivers of Montana were truly his classroom. Justin attended The University of Montana where his fascination with the human body led him to pursue a degree in Biochemistry. While hunting for a summer job in college, he discovered commercial fishing in Alaska. After graduation Justin spent his summers working in Alaska, as well working as a Medical Assistant in Montana. In the medical field, he discovered how much he enjoyed interacting with patients and the problem solving involved. Justin was accepted into the University of Washington School of Medicine WWAMI program and much to his delight, was able to start his training in Montana. He first discovered Tacoma while completing a pediatrics rotation and instantly loved the city and the program. He completed a fourth year rotation with TFM and was amazed at the quality of teaching and the quality of people.
Justin is interested in practicing full-spectrum family medicine in a rural setting. His interests include preventive medicine, mental health, nutrition, sports medicine and pediatrics. One of his strong passions is youth mentorship and using his position provide guidance to at-risk youth.
Outside of medicine, Justin loves spending time in the outdoors backpacking and mountaineering. He also enjoys doing puzzles, reading books about wizards and dragons, cycling and riding his motorcycle.
Kristina Sandquist, MD
Hometown: Bucks County, PA and Copenhagen, Denmark
Medical School: University of Colorado, School of Medicine
Kristina grew up in part in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and in Copenhagen, Denmark. She went to Bryn Mawr College where she created an independent major in French and Francophone Studies which focused on the history, anthropology, and sociology of medicine. After college, she worked at the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute in New York City and at a FQHC in Northern Colorado through the AmeriCorps VISTA program. Through these experiences, she developed a strong interest in family medicine with its deep roots in FQHCs, advocacy, and social justice.
Kristina stayed in Colorado to pursue a dual MD/MPH at the University of Colorado. In her spare time, she volunteered at DAWN, the student-run free clinic in Aurora, CO. For her Master of Public Health practicum and capstone she worked to launch and evaluate a bilingual community board for DAWN. Through this experience, she learned best practices in community engagement and qualitative research methods. For her third-year clerkships, she pursued the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) at Denver Health, Denverâs safety net hospital system. The LIC model, with its focus on continuity of care and patient advocacy, reaffirmed her goals to pursue family medicine and promote health equity in medically underserved communities.
Kristina looks forward to exploring her professional interests at TFM which include LGBTQ+ health, refugee and immigrant health, addiction medicine, and obstetrics/womenâs health. Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with her partner, hiking, camping, card/board games at breweries, partner dancing (swing, blues, salsa, and bachata), trying new vegetarian recipes, and eating tasty cheese.
Alison Schlueter, MD
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Medical School: Oregon Health & Science University, School of Medicine
Ali Schlueter grew up in San Francisco and went to Whitman College, where she developed an affinity for sweet onions, small towns, and the Pacific Northwest. She majored in Environmental Studies, and after college she worked for an environmental non-profit in Washington D.C., and as an outdoor instructor in Fossil, OR where she taught kids science, explored eastern Oregon, and learned how to drive a school bus. Once settled in Portland, OR, she worked as a medical scribe with an amazing OB-GYN doctor and medical assistant, which cemented her desire to pursue a career in medicine, at the intersection of communication, teamwork, science, and ethics. She attended medical school at Oregon Health & Science University where she continued her passion for teaching and communication, serving as a peer tutor, a narrative medicine facilitator, and producing a podcast. She chose Family Medicine because of the opportunity to connect meaningfully with people of all ages, meet people where they are in their lives, and navigate a broad set of knowledge and skills to best serve her patients and community. Her interests in family medicine include full spectrum womenâs health care, addiction medicine, and health equity. She is so happy to continue her medical training at Tacoma Family Medicine and in the Pacific Northwest. In her free time, she loves running, baking, playing board games, and swimming.
Carolyn Windler, MD
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Medical School: University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine
Carolyn grew up in Los Angeles, CA, spending her summers in national parks, where her parents taught her two sisters and her that the best way to make friends was to offer neighboring campers blueberry pancakes in the morning. Her family instilled in her a deep sense of compassion for others and always emphasized the importance of building relationships, which are two core values that have guided her life path and ultimately led her to practice medicine.
She studied Psychology at the University of Southern California with minors in Theatre and Natural Science. She then spent two years in a small rural village in Togo, West Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer, focusing on malaria prevention, prenatal care, hygiene and sanitation, gender equality, and youth development. She started med school at the University of Pittsburgh two short weeks after returning from Togo. There, she continued working with underserved populations as a Schweitzer Fellow and as a coordinator for the student-run longitudinal free clinic. She considered pediatrics, psychiatry, and OB/GYN as career choices, which all eventually led her to family medicine, where she could continue to do all three while fostering longitudinal relationships with patients and families. She is looking forward to full spectrum training at TFM and opportunities to explore her specific interests in pediatrics and womenâs health.
Outside of medicine, she enjoys being outdoors whenever possible: hiking, camping, surfing, snowboarding, jogging, and most often just walking and talking to friends. She loves pretending she can salsa dance or scuba dive. And, taking after her parents, she loves cooking for family and friends.