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.