Class of 2029

Gipson, Monique Denise, MD
Carolyn Downs (Seattle Roots)

Monique (she/her) was born in Chicago, Illinois. She earned her bachelor's degree in biology and a master's degree in biological sciences, with a focus in molecular biology, from Chicago State University. While at Chicago State, Monique was recognized for her research in molecular biology and received several awards for her contributions.

After completing her education, she worked as a microbiologist and analytical chemist, collaborating with the University of Chicago and the Department of Public Health on infectious disease research, which resulted in several publications.

Monique then attended medical school at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. She volunteered at a private family medicine practice, where she gained firsthand insight into the significant healthcare disparities facing marginalized communities. This experience kindled her passion for lifestyle medicine, obesity medicine, and advocating for equitable healthcare access. To make a difference, Monique organized health fairs to provide essential resources and support to underserved populations. Monique also worked at an addiction rehabilitation center. This role not only sharpened her clinical abilities but also deepened her understanding of addiction medicine. She recognized the intricate challenges accompanying addiction and the importance of delivering compassionate, informed care to support recovery journeys.

Outside of her medical career, Monique enjoys traveling, bird-watching, cooking, and hosting gatherings with family and friends.

Martin, Julie, MD
Carolyn Downs (Seattle Roots)

Julie (she/her) grew up in the pacific northwest spending the first half of her upbringing in Spokane, WA and the latter half in Sammamish, WA. She then moved to Texas to complete her higher education. In her undergraduate studies she obtained a B.S. in Nutrition, a master's in medical science and finally her Medical Degree all from Texas A&M University. During medical school her "egg cracked", she came out as transgender and transitioned becoming the first openly trans woman to graduate from the Texas A&M Naresh K Vashisht College of Medicine. She was president of her local Medical Student Pride Alliance Chapter advocating for more inclusivity in her medical school's curriculum and providing opportunities for peers to improve their skills in serving people with queer identities. As a medical student she did research on Early Childhood Intervention programs in children with autism spectrum disorder graduating with a distinction in research. As a member of her community, she worked on addressing food insecurity volunteering for Meals on Wheels, her local Brazos Valley Food Bank and on developing several community gardening projects in the Bryan/College Station area alongside organizations such as the local student run YDSA chapter, Aggies Against Apartheid and Food not Bombs.

In her free time she is a very nerdy; she loves reading comic books and manga, watching science fiction and fantasy live action and animated films/shows, playing board games, video games and tabletop roleplaying games. She also enjoys the outdoors: biking everywhere she can, running, and hiking. As the child of two Argentinian immigrants she is not only fluent in Spanish, but loves making Empanadas, grilling Choripán and drinking Mate.

Within medicine she is passionate about caring for patients with chronic conditions such as metabolic syndrome and is happy to utilize her knowledge of nutrition for treatment or prevention. She is also passionate about caring for her LGBTQ+ community and all their healthcare needs. Julie is very excited to be a Family Medicine Resident at Swedish Cherry Hill - Carolyn Downs. She looks forward to learning from diverse peers, faculty and patients.

Sanders, Dominique, MD
Cherry Hill Family Medicine

Dominique (she/her) was born and raised in Bellwood, IL, a suburb just outside of Chicago. She grew up playing with other kids in her neighborhood, dancing, and doing gymnastics. She developed an early love for environmental conservation with goals of pursuing environmental science. These plans ultimately changed after witnessing many of the health disparities close family members faced on the south side of Chicago, where she spent a large part of her childhood. These experiences shaped a new desire to pursue medicine, Dominique attended undergrad at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she majored in Integrative Biology. Here her interest in medicine grew and she was, drawn in large part by a passion to provide specialized, compassionate care to underrepresented populations. Before medical school, she took a couple of gap years and worked at the Nature Museum in Chicago. She also spent this time volunteering at Crisis Nursery, supporting families and children in moments of crisis.

Dominique attended medical school at the University of Illinois at Chicago. While in school, she became deeply involved in gender-based violence work and became a certified Rape Crisis Counselor, and certified Domestic violence advocate. She volunteered with various organizations to support survivors. Through this work, she came to understand that becoming a family medicine physician aligned most closely with her goals of delivering trauma-informed care to the most vulnerable populations.

Dominique chose Cherry Hill because she was drawn to the program's extensive history of caring for marginalized communities, its racial justice curriculum, and its reproductive health justice track. She feels that this program will help her become the best family physician she can be, and she is honored to serve and learn alongside the Cherry Hill community.

Dominique's clinical interests include reproductive justice, gender-based violence care, complex trauma care, mental health, immigrant health, obstetrics, and health policy. Outside of medicine, she is an avid reader, a baker, amateur photographer, and a devoted skincare enthusiast. She is a proud dog mom to her labradoodle, Cinnamon, a self-described foodie, and is a professional TV show binger.

Huckaby, Rebekah, MD
Cherry Hill Family Medicine

Rebekah (She/Her) was born in Texas, but spent much of her childhood and adolescence moving around the country before eventually settling in the Pacific Northwest. She attended Oregon State University, where she earned a B.S. in Biology and a B.S. in Public Health. Rebekah went on to attend medical school at Oregon Health & Science University. Throughout her training, she sought not only to engage in service-oriented work, but also to build a community for those who want to make a difference. She founded Healthcare Students for Service, a student interest group dedicated to increasing community service opportunities and engagement among medical students. She also served in leadership roles at a student-run free clinic and helped establish and manage a student-run diaper pantry to support local families. Rebekah is passionate about providing full-spectrum family medicine to underserved communities. Her professional interests include addiction medicine, community health,inpatient medicine, preventative medicine and reproductive health. Outside of medicine, Rebekah enjoys getting lost in a good book and spending time outdoors and at home with her husband and their dog, Jinx.

Schoen, Natalie Anne, MD
Cherry Hill Family Medicine

Natalie (she/her) is originally from Massachusetts and attended Yale University, where she studied the History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health, as well as Global Health. Her studies sparked an interest in understanding the historical and structural forces that shape how individuals and communities experience health and illness. After graduation, Natalie worked as a case manager at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Boston, helping patients navigate complex healthcare and social service systems and connect with needed resources. Natalie then attended medical school at Brown University, where she was part of the Primary Care-Population Medicine Program. During medical school, she focused on expanding access to care through street medicine, refugee health, and patient care navigation, and completed a master's thesis focusing on perinatal substance use. Natalie is thrilled to join the community of compassionate clinicians, advocates, and caregivers at Cherry Hill and is grateful for the opportunity to learn from and care for the greater Seattle community. She hopes to continue growing her interests in street medicine, addiction medicine, palliative care, and community engagement and advocacy. Outside of medicine, Natalie enjoys reading by Lake Washington, cooking overly ambitious seasonal recipes, hiking with her husband and her dog Ollie, conquering escape rooms, and discovering hidden-gem restaurants.

Yerabandi, Nikhila, MD
Cherry Hill Family Medicine

Nikhila Yerabandi (she/her) is originally from Toronto, Canada but lived in San Diego, California for most of her life. Nikhila attended University of California, San Diego and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Human Biology. During this time, she enjoyed serving as a health advocate on campus, working with students with disabilities, assisting with a needle exchange program, and researching sugars in human breast milk.

Nikhila subsequently attended Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. In medical school, she explored her newfound interest in planetary health. She participated in the Climate and Health Pathway and co-led the Med Students for Sustainability student group. Nikhila also conducted research on how the environment and changing climate affects anesthesia outcomes and performed a life cycle assessment to estimate the carbon footprint of medical tape. With an interest in medical education, she helped develop a graduate medical education course on the climate crisis and its impact on human health. During her time at medical school, Nikhila also served as a leader for the asylum clinic, where she scheduled medical and psychiatric evaluations for asylum seekers in Ohio.

Nikhila is excited and grateful to be a part of the Swedish Cherry Hill Family Medicine Residency program. Her clinical interests include preventive medicine, planetary health, immigrant and refugee health, and medical education. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, pickleball, and badminton; cooking; and watching movies.

Kumasaka, Lisa Teruko, MD
International Community Health Service

Lisa (she/her) will be joining the Cherry Hill-ICHS family and feels incredibly grateful to train in a community that reflects so many of the values that drew her to family medicine. She is passionate about building long-term relationships with patients, advancing health equity, and providing compassionate, culturally responsive care.

Originally from West Seattle growing up in a Japanese-American household, Lisa's commitment to social justice and community-centered medicine has been shaped by years of service, advocacy, and leadership. She attended medical school at Oregon Health & Science University, where she also completed a Master's in Clinical Research.

As a leader with the Bridges Collaborative Care Clinic, a student-run clinic in Portland, she helped expand access to medical, dental, harm reduction, and social services for underserved populations. She was also actively involved with the Korean Society of Oregon, supporting local Korean and Asian communities through service and outreach. These experiences reinforced her passion for caring for immigrant, refugee, and underserved populations and inspired her commitment to broad-spectrum family medicine.

For Lisa, joining ICHS feels like a natural fit. She is honored to train in such a dedicated community space. She looks forward to learning from her patients and contributing to ICHS's mission of compassionate, community-centered care. Her clinical interests include broad spectrum medicine, procedures, sports medicine, and reproductive health.

Outside of medicine, Lisa enjoys hiking, taking long walks with her husky, Kaia, exploring new coffee shops and restaurants, journaling, reading, rug tufting, and spending (too much) time at the gym. She is a big Seattle sports fan and can often be found cheering on the Seattle Mariners, despite them breaking her heart every single season.

Olaco, Crysty-Ann, MD
International Community Health Service

Crysty-Ann (she/her) was born in Guam and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She earned her bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and went on to complete her medical education at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV. Throughout medical school, Crysty-Ann often found herself asking patients a simple question: “What’s your story?” Through the My Life, My Story program, she interviewed veterans and helped preserve their personal narratives, an experience that reinforced the importance of curiosity, listening, and caring for the whole person. Whether mentoring fellow first-generation students, advocating for community health initiatives, or volunteering in student-run community clinics, she has continually sought opportunities to build meaningful relationships and support others through life’s many challenges. As a proud Filipino-American and first-generation college graduate, Crysty-Ann is passionate about caring for patients in a way that acknowledges the cultural, social, and personal factors that shape health. Her experiences helped solidify a love for Family Medicine, a specialty that allows her to care for the whole person while building long-term relationships with patients and families across generations. Her professional interests include addiction medicine, women’s health, palliative care, and health equity. She is excited to continue her training at Cherry Hill and the International Community Health Services (ICHS) clinic, where she hopes to provide culturally responsive care while serving the diverse communities that call Seattle home. Outside of medicine, Crysty-Ann enjoys spending time with her loved ones, whether that be through traveling, trying new coffee shops, scrapbooking, collecting and trading cute trinkets, or curating the perfect Spotify playlist for friends.

Daneshjoo, Sara, MD
Rural Training Program

Sara Daneshjoo (She/Her/Hers) was born and raised in Sammamish, WA. She grew up in a tight knit Iranian family that fostered her early love for community. She attended the University of Washington, where she finished her degree in microbiology. During undergrad she decided to pursue medicine while volunteering at Swedish First Hill. After college, Sara spent the two years working both in research, and at a local Duwamish preschool. Her job as a preschool teacher, working with and listening to the local Duwamish people, was what first drew her to community based medicine. Her co-worker and mentor asked her to consider working on rural Native land, and that has been a goal of hers ever since. Sara attended the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. She co-led the Rural Medicine Interest Group (RMIG), Sex Education for All (SEA), and LGBTQIA+ People in Medicine. She participated in the Urban and Community Health longitudinal pathway, teaching ethical, community-led research and engagement. Sara facilitated the Pathos Project, where physicians and medical students explored humanism in medicine. She additionally volunteered with StreetLife MKE, NextDoor Milwaukee, BESTD Sexual Health Services, and served as a summer camp counselor. Sara believes that helping others is essential to helping yourself and strives to live that value daily. She is passionate about reproductive health, LGBTQIA+ care, and serving underserved communities. She is lucky enough to return to Washington to practice rural medicine and looks forward to engaging in local programs and serving patients in Seattle and Port Angeles! In her free time she enjoys crafting, movies, concerts, traveling to obscure landmarks, and time with friends and family.

Moriarty, Anna Cabungcal, MD
Rural Training Program

Anna Moriarty (she/her) was born and raised in Coppell, Texas, and went to the University of Arkansas where she got a B.S. in Biology and Anthropology. After she graduated, Anna moved back to the DFW area, where she attended UT Southwestern Medical School. During her time at UT Southwestern, Anna participated in United To Serve, the school’s free health fair for the community, where she was Co-Chair of Welcome & Registration, and later Chair of Graphic Design. Anna has always had a passion for Family Medicine. She loves the broad scope of patients and the possibility of following a patient throughout their life. Her love of rural medicine came from an away rotation in Mineral Wells, TX, where she got first-hand experience working in a rural community setting. Her clinical interests include OB, LGBTQ+ and gender-a irming care, and full spectrum family medicine. When she’s not at the clinic, you can find Anna reading in her big chair, crocheting with her wife, tending to her plants, cuddling with her cats, Zoodle and Peanut, or looking for seaglass. Anna is excited to be in Seattle. She’s dreamed of living in the PNW her whole life, being surrounded by mountains and hiking trails. She looks forward to helping the community at Cherry Hill and in Port Angeles

Rai, Gagandeep, DO
Rural Training Program

Gagandeep Rai, DO (she/her) was born in New York and raised in India until the age of nine before returning to New York with her family. Growing up between two cultures shaped her understanding of identity, belonging, and health, and inspired her commitment to culturally compassionate care and addressing the social determinants of health.

She completed her undergraduate education at Stony Brook University, where she studied Biology, Chemistry, and Africana Studies through a multidisciplinary degree. She later earned her Master of Arts in Medical Sciences magna cum laude at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences and continued at PNWU for medical school, where she developed a strong interest in rural health, full-spectrum family medicine, and community-responsive care.

Throughout medical school, Gagandeep sought out work that bridged clinical care, advocacy, and systems-level change. She coordinated a multidisciplinary Diabetes Prevention Program in Yakima, helped care for uninsured and underserved patients at the Yakima Union Gospel Mission Medical Care Center, supported asylum seekers through medical documentation, and founded CalmaLink, a bilingual English/Spanish mental well-being platform designed to expand access to mindfulness and emotional support.

Her clinical interests include immigrant and refugee health, rural medicine, behavioral health, preventive care, osteopathic medicine, health equity, and the thoughtful use of technology to improve access to care. Gagandeep is grateful and excited to join the Swedish Rural Training Program, where she hopes to continue caring for patients and families across generations. In her free time, she loves gardening, painting, crocheting, and playing with her pups.

Valenzuela, Jasen Drew, MD
Sea Marr

Jasen Valenzuela (he/him) was born in Yakima, Washington. His upbringing was multicultural, with family members and ancestors from Europe (France, England, Germany, Spain, Russia), Mexico, and several Native American tribes (Cherokee Nation, Tigua, Chippewa). Due to this background, he grew up speaking both English and Spanish.

After graduating high school and spending some time abroad in Lima, Peru, he attended Brigham Young University where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology. During this time, he participated in research on a family of small live bearing fish (Poeciliidae), focusing on adaptations in the face of competition and sexual mimicry. His desire to serve his community lead to him participating in several community service projects, including teaching CPR and basic first aid in English and Spanish, responding to local disasters (usually house fires), installing smoke detectors, and serving on several student councils. After graduating, he continued to channel this desire for service by working for a year with The Boys and Girls Clubs of Utah County as a member of the AmeriCorps program Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA).

After spending an additional year as a medical scribe for a Sports Medicine and Orthopedic practice, he began medical school at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine (Washington State University). During this time, he worked with patients from underserved populations, including migrant workers and monolingual Spanish-speakers. When working with these populations, he noted the great barrier that language differences can create between a physician and patient. As such, his goal became to provide medical services and education to his monolingual Spanish-speaking patients in their native language, noting how appreciative his patients were and how much more trusting they became with him. He is excited to continue to provide these same services to his patients at the Sea Mar clinic, improving the health of the community through treating patients, providing preventative services, and educating community members on ways to live healthier lives.

His hobbies include singing, film, video games, sports (football, basketball, baseball, and hockey), and spending time with his wife and children.

Vidal, Michael, MD
Sea Marr

Michael Vidal (he/him) was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He attended Johns Hopkins University where he obtained a dual major Bachelor’s degree in Molecular/Cellular Biology and Public Health. He completed medical education at Washington University in Saint Louis.

During undergraduate and medical education, Michael demonstrated a commitment to advocacy and justice. Michael participated in numerous crisis intervention systems focusing on mental health – including suicidality, depression, and anxiety - and gender-based violence interventions. He led undergraduate outreach opportunities for marginalized communities, such working in a Spanish-only community clinic in Baltimore. In medical school, Michael continued to demonstrate advocacy within these spaces and engaging with LGBTQIA+ youth through art.

Special interests include adult/adolescent mental health, substance use, and preventative care.

Master, Demitrios Leonidas, MD
Seattle Indian Health Board

After Pepperdine, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he returned to the Pacific Northwest to work as a medical scribe in the Emergency Department in Coeur d'Alene before joining the Community Health Association of Spokane as a Quality Improvement Coach where he supported population health initiatives aimed at reducing health inequities in underserved Spokane communities. It was at this FQHC where he was introduced to the practice of gender-affirming care, reproductive health, as well as HIV medicine and prevention. Having spent his own life managing common variable immunodeficiency, he found solidarity in the experiences of people living with HIV, personally knowing what it means to navigate a life that demands frequent medical attention.

Demitri attended the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, graduating with Distinction in Healthcare Management and Organizational Leadership and a scholarship recognizing his commitment to primary care. He directed an outreach program through the student-run Bobcat Community Health Alliance, coordinating monthly health coaching sessions for residents of local senior subsidized housing communities. He also volunteered with his school’s street health outreach, providing free health screenings, resources, and care to unhoused individuals. The trans and queer people he connected with whilst volunteering confirmed his interest in the care of LGBTQ+ patients, having seen how much that care depends on the kind of trust that can only be built over time with authentic empathy. Demitri also revived his social research skills to explore the willingness of physicians to discuss patients' gender, race, and cultural and class experiences in clinical encounters. His findings were presented both locally and nationally.

He is delighted to return to Washington, privileged and humbled to train at the Seattle Indian Health Board coming not as an authority, but as a physician honored to be welcomed and genuinely eager to learn from a community whose relationship with health, land, and tradition has long captivated him. Outside of medicine, Demitri enjoys gardening and will happily tell you more than you may have expected about the personality of a tomato plant.

Boyles-Muehleck, Sarah Kate, MD
Seattle Indian Health Board

Sarah Boyles-Muehleck (she/her) grew up in Cotati, a small town in the non-bougie part of Sonoma County, California. Sarah had a non-traditional path to medicine, attending Santa Rosa Junior College before transferring to UC Davis to complete a bachelor’s in Biochemistry followed by a master’s in public health. During her gap years, Sarah worked in homelessness services and at a syringe exchange program. 

 Prior to medical school, Sarah lived in Lingít Aaní (Juneau) Alaska. She fell in love with the land and community, and became involved in North Tide Canoe Kwáan, a group of traditional healing dugout canoe carvers and paddlers led by Master Tlingit Carver Wayne Price. Working with dugouts broadened her understanding of medicine and showed her the power and importance of community-healing efforts grounded in culture. 

 Sarah returned to UC Davis for medical school with the intent of pursuing Family Medicine. In medical school, she volunteered with student run clinics focused on gender affirming care and street medicine and led the UCDSOM’s Medical Students for Choice chapter. 

 Sarah was drawn to Swedish Cherry Hill because of the opportunity to work at the Seattle Indian Health Board and for the program’s commitment to training full-spectrum family physicians. She holds particular interests in addiction medicine, obstetrics, reproductive justice, and gender affirming care. 

 After completing residency, Sarah intends to return to Lingít Aaní to work as a full spectrum family doctor. 

 Outside of medicine, Sarah enjoys cooking for loved ones, meeting native plants, mushroom foraging, berry picking, reading sci-fi and horror books, and spending time outside with her girlfriend and pitbull.