Allison Flaim, DO

I grew up in Modesto, California as the youngest of four children, my older siblings always being tough acts to follow. Once I graduated high school I wanted to do something completely different, so I moved to Boston. I graduated from Boston University with a BA in Biology. I spent a year there working in an ER as a nursing technician while I applied to medical school. I then moved to Chicago and attended the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine.  I grew tired of the corn, cold winters, unbearably humid summers and I missed the mountains, which is probably what attracted me the most to the Pacific Northwest.

My Osteopathic roots lend themselves to Family Medicine as Osteopathy is based on a holistic approach to every patient. Total care of every patient is something that I strive for. I was attracted to TFM because of how proactive the physicians at this program are about being a central part of their patient's care.

In my spare time I enjoy being outdoors, exercising, reading true crime novels, and traveling whenever possible.

Mandeep Ghuman, MD

I spent my childhood growing up in Huntington Beach, CA and then went to UC Berkeley for my undergrad. It was there that I really developed a passion for diversity, music and ethnic cuisine. I also developed an interes in pediatrics and public health.

Following my graduation, I took a year off to travel around India and the Pacific coast. Feeling refreshed, I packed my worldly possessions into my car and went off to the Midwest to attend medical school at the University of Cincinnati. The hardest part of medical school came when I had to decide what residency I was to pursue. In all my rotations, I was constantly amazed by the breadth of human experience. While I still found pediatrics enjoyable, I eventually realized that the continuity of care, spectrum of disease pathology and focus on publich health I desired in my future career could only be found in family medicine.

When looking at residency programs, I wanted to head back to the West coast, closer to friends and family. After interviewing at almost 17 programs, I felt that Tacoma Family Medicine was a perfect match. Being a community based, unopposed program with its own Children's Hospital, a focus on evidence-based medicine and an emphasis for rural medicine, it has all the components I desire.

In the moments I am not involved with medicine, I enjoy playing the bass guitar, watching movies, hiking, playing tennis, cooking, watching live music and photography.

Angel Lin, MD

I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and attended the University of Hawaii to earn my bachelors degree in Biology. I reluctantly moved to the mainland to attend medical school at the University of Cincinnati.  During my family medicine rotation in rural Wilmington, Ohio, I began to develop an interest in rural medicine.  At that time, I also realized how much I enjoyed the diversity that comes with practicing family medicine.  All of the family practitioners that I worked with delivered compassionate, patient-centered care, which inspired me. During medical school, I also spent some time in Tanzania, Africa on an international health elective. This experience further developed my interest in rural medicine as well as international medicine.

After four years of medical school in Cincinnati, I knew I needed to be near the ocean again. Tacoma Family Medicine was the perfect choice for me not only because of its location on the West Coast but because rural rotations are incorporated into our curriculum. After residency, I hope to practice full spectrum family medicine in an underserved area, possibly internationally. 

Outside of the hospital, I love to cook and eat (hence loving to cook).  I also enjoy various arts and crafts, reading, photography, tennis, golf and being in the water.

I was born in Southern California: land of concrete, sunshine, and beaches. However, I discovered that I was a Northern California girl at heart when I attended Stanford University for undergraduate studies. I found trees, hiking, camping and friends that liked medical anthropology as much as I did. After four years of working my way through college, rowing on the crew team, and traveling to South America, I decided to take some time off and figure out if medicine was really my path.

I spent four years off from undergraduate doing first HIV research and then neuroradiology research. I chose to attend the University of California, Irvine for medical school and had an excellent four years starting my formal medical education.

I chose to come to Tacoma for the exceptional broad spectrum training in Family Medicine. My eventual goals are to find a rural town where I can serve primarily Latino patients while enjoying the challenge of practicing full scope family medicine including surgical obstetrics.

My free time these days is spent enjoying my 13 month old daughter and my husband while getting to know the Pacific Northwest region.

Erin Martin, MD

I'm never sure where to say I'm from when people ask because I've moved around so much.  But, I've been in Southern California for the last five years for medical school at Loma Linda University and then one year of residency there before moving north.   I love cats, the outdoors, reading, cooking and spending time with my new husband.

Hillary Starr, MD

I was born in Pasadena, California where I spent the first 8 years of my life along with my brother and sister. Then my family moved to beautiful Snohomish, Washington, which greatly improved our quality of life. As a result, I have always considered the Pacific Northwest, even with the rain, to be my home.

I went to Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington for my undergraduate degrees in Biochemistry and Spanish.  This was a wonderful time in my life for my education and my personal growth.  I was active in several clubs and organizations, but most importantly made time for the 5th/6th grade youth group in which I was involved. After graduation I went immediately to medical school, sometimes that was good, sometimes that was bad but I was happy to return to my southern California roots and attended Loma Linda University SOM.  I was even more active in med school with AMSA, class officer/yearbook editor and youth group.  Medical school was tiresome but I made wonderful friends and found that through the difficulty, I really enjoy patient care.  However, I was even more than happy to return home to the Northwest for residency.  I chose family medicine for the diveristy, the challenges and the understated importance.  My specific interests include women's health and pediatrics.

Ana Swanson, MD

I was born and raised in Port Angeles, Washington so I had the luxury of being near the mountains and the ocean all through my childhood.  After my high school graduation, I moved across the state to Whitman College in Walla Walla.  There, I got a combined B.A. in Chemistry and Biology and was a few credits shy of a music minor.  I knew that I wanted to practice medicine, but I decided to take a few years off from school after my undergraduate years.  I got a job working for the Puget Sound Blood Center in Seattle and stayed there for two years.  During those years, I met and started dating my husband. I started medical school at the University of Washington in 2002.  I was set on practicing Family Medicine all throughout medical school, mostly because I love the variety and the focus on preventive medicine.

My favorite activities outside of medicine include reading, getting outside to enjoy the ocean and forests of WA State, and spending time with family.  I'm also a novice quilter and enjoy trying out new recipes and home improvement projects.

Rosalind Womack, MD

I am what is euphemistically known as a "third culture" child - born into one culture, raised in another, making me a strange mixture of both with a few other random culture traits thrown in for good measure!  I was born in England, but we moved to the US when I was one. My father's job as a minister meant we moved quite a bit, but eventually settled in Tennessee. No sooner had we done that than I went back to the UK, first to the University of St. Andrews in Scotland for a bachelor's in biochemistry, and then to the University of Glasgow for medical school. I worked for one year as a junior house officer at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, then moved back to the US. My then fiance' (now husband) is in the Army and was posted to Fort Lewis, so we headed out west and I managed to get myself into TFM. 

When I'm not in the hospital, I can usually be found either pottering around my garden attempting to stem the tide of weeds, or hanging out and hiking in the beautiful Pacific northwest with my husband. I can most often be heard uttering strange foreign words (like "pottering") or using bizarre foreign forms of note taking which no one can understand (like "S1+S2+0"). 

Kristine Delamarter, MD

I grew up in Federal Way, Washington, attended college at Grove City College in Pennsylvania and medical school at Temple University in Pennsylvania. My medical interests include OB and pediatrics.

In my spare time, I enjoy outdoor activities such as running, downhill skiing and hiking.

Sarah Haastrup, MD

I grew up near Seattle and have always loved the Northwest. I went to Seattle University for undergrad, then to Portland for medical school.  I was very impressed by the family physicians I met and worked with there who could provide comprehensive, compassionate care for patients it was then I decided I would like to be part of this supportive specialty.

TFM offers me a great opportunity to learn more about caring for the underserved, which I have been interested in since helping my parents raise many foster children. My medical interests also include women's health, obstetrics, and pediatrics.

My favorite activities during my free time are hiking, running, kayaking, snowshoeing, piano, and of course spending as much time as possible with my husband and one of the world's most adorable toddlers!

Katherine Hoang, MD

I'm Katherine, one of the new residents of this year. I transferred from Central Washington Family Medicine where I did my first year of residency. I moved back West of the Cascades to be with my 16 -month old son and my husband who live in Seattle. I'm happy to be part of TFM group now. 

I grew up in Saigon, Vietnam and finished my training there. I'm interested in Family medicine and enjoy spending my spare time with my son and family.

David Kerr, MD

After spending my first fifteen years in Ontario, Canada and the following ten years in West Texas, the only logical choice was to move on to the northwest.  I have to say that as dissimilar as those three places are, I've loved them all. I have a wife and two young kids. Since arriving in Tacoma, we have already had a chance to climb a mountain (a small one with the kids), water-ski, and sail on the ocean. I had to kick my old hobby of flying model airplanes (flat spaces are scarcer here than in TX), but I've replaced it with woodworking now that I have a garage. My wife and I love to entertain in our home, so if you're in the area feel free to invite yourself over.
 
I didn't move to Tacoma **just** for the scenery. I long for my return to small-town living. To pay the enormous bills that come with obtaining a medical education, I signed on with a small town in Texas for four years when I'm finished with residency. I am interested in practicing full scope family medicine, including obstetrics, inpatient management, emergency room coverage, and clinic. Tacoma Family Medicine offers an excellent combination of all of these aspects of training (and it's close to mountains and the ocean).

Stacy Merrifield, DO

I grew up in Walnut Creek, California then moved to Seattle to attend college at the University of Washington. I attended medical school at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. My medical interests include women's health, obstetrics, pediatrics and sports medicine.

My personal time is spent in the outdoors and spending time with my family (including my twin toddler boys) and friends.

Angie Reynolds, MD

I am originally from Demopolis, Alabama. I attended college at Vanderbilt University and then medical school at the University of Washington.

In addition to family practice, my medical interests include international health issues and cross-cultural medicine, women's and adolescent health, rural medicine and community health.

In my spare time, I enjoy biking, hiking, running, writing, photography, art/painting and travel.

Monika Schlamminger, MD

My path to becoming a physician began in my childhood. From early on I was interested in caring for people of all ages in a variety of
contexts. It was a natural step for me to pursue a medical career.

I attended medical school in Munich, Germany, which is about 80 miles from my hometown Riedenburg. Being very interested in other cultures, I did some of my clerkships in Switzerland, where I did research for my MD-thesis on obstetric cancer as well. In addition, I had a most wonderful experience with my practical training in nursing in Kwazulu/Natal in South Africa.

Psyched to get the opportunity to get to know more parts of the world I followed my husband to the Northwest. I was extremely lucky to get into the Tacoma Family Medicine program. Amongst others, I appreciate the supportive environment, excellent teaching and broad education.

In my spare time I enjoy the great Northwest outdoors. I love backpacking, hiking and running.

Christy White, MD

I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia and attended college at Emory University followed by medical school at the University of South Alabama.

In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, kayaking, reading, traveling, photography, sewing and cooking.

My medical interests include adolescent and women's health issues.

Alissa Camden, MD

Corey Dickinson, MD

Growing up in Portland, Oregon, I always knew I wanted a career in science.  Though whether that was genetic engineering, marine biology or medicine depended on what book I was reading at the time.  I was also involved in a wide variety of community service projects, ranging from trail-building with the girl scouts to tutoring ESL students.  At Williams College in Massachusettes, I started pre-medical classes, but it took a summer externship at an inner city hospital to convince me that medicine was really the right choice.  Urban underserved primary care offered me the opportunity to combine my interest in science with my committment to making a difference in my community.

After four years at the University of Washington Medical School, I was convinced that the Pacific Northwest is one of the best places in the country to practice family medicine. I came to Tacoma Family Medicine in search of a community of medical providers committed to the care of underserved patients.  I feel very lucky to be surrounded by mentors who can teach me not only medical skills, but also an approach to medicine that will allow me to continue to enjoy this challenging career over the long term.

When I am not in the clinic or the hospital, I try to sepnd as much time as possible enjoying the outdoors while running, hiking campling, biking, kayaking and cross-country skiing. When the weather keeps me in the house, I also enjoy reading, watching movies and cooking gourmet meals to share with my friends!

Jeannie Flammang, MD

I was born in Livermore, California to Indian immigrants. I have always been a science geek. My true passions while I was growing up were music (piano and percussion) and biology. I spent most of my childhood discovering the wonders of nature. So naturally, I chose Animal Physiology and Neuroscience as my major at UCSD where I learned, among other things, to be a sun-worshiper. Bench work and clinical trials bored me after college, so I packed up and joined Americorps VISTA in Bend, Oregon. There I fell in love with my husband and found my calling working with the underserved.

I went to medical school in Wisconsin but I longed for mountains, the ocean and the laid back way of life I had in Oregon. Plus, I wanted a residency I could really sink my teeth into - one that would prepare me for anything! So here I am in Tacoma and happy to be here. I tell my friends how lucky I am to be working so long and hard, and that I am still able to say I truly enjoy every minute.

David Hansen, MD

I came to TFM because I was looking for a very strong Family Medicine training program that addressed the breadth of practice necessary to work in rural and underserved communities. In addition, as FP residents, we are extremely fortunate to be the only residents working full time in a dedicated pediatric hospital.

I came to medicine after 13 years of working in corporate America -- as a financial analyst, marketing manager and principal of my own advertising agency.  I'm a Bryn Mawr post-bac who went on to Brown Medical School before moving here to the great Northwest.  I grew up overseas as a Peace Corps brat in such places as Morocco, Venezuela and Thailand before settling in Northern California.  Washington is new to me and I love everything it has to offer -- hiking, trail running (even in town!), cycling, cross-country skiing and sea kayaking.  I plan to stay around here for quite sometime to come!

Christina Kelly, MD

I am originally from Ohio where I completed my undergraduate education at John Carroll University in Cleveland and my medical school education at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health in Columbus. I was excited to come to the Pacific Northwest where I would be surrounded by beautiful mountains and evergreens and receive an excellent education in family medicine for my residency.

I chose family medicine because I want to be part of the long tradition of care for the whole patient and the whole family that is at the core of this specialty. I also wanted to be involved in community-based health care, particularly for the underserved population who would otherwise not be able to receive care. I love all aspects of family medicine, but I have a particular interest in women's health, maternity care and pediatrics.

I am also very passionate about organized medicine and am involved in the American Academy and Washington Academy of Family Physicians. As a medical student, seeing family physicians advocate for their patients and the issues facing family medicine at AAFP and Ohio AFP meetings was inspirational to me. It was a large part of why I wanted to be a family physician. Through my residency and the rest of my career, I hope to contribute to the movement that is making a difference for family physicians, for the specialty of family medicine and most importantly, for our patients.

I am married to a wonderful man, Kevin, who is also a family medicine resident at Madigan Army Medical Center at Ft. Lewis. We have two cats, Sonya and Isabel, who have taken over our home while we are at the hospital. I enjoy running, Pilates, yoga and tennis as well as cross-stitch and other forms of sewing. I also enjoy gardening. In our free time, we like to go to movies, nice restaurants and listen to live music. We are also trying to become wine connoisseurs -- on a budget of course!

Jon McBride, MD

A native Washingtonian, I was born in Seattle and raised in the small town of Doty, near Chehalis. I attended the University of Washington and earned a Bachelor's degree in Zoology. After two years of medical research in cardiovascular pathology at the UW, I moved East with my wife and began medical school at New York Medical College. I trained at several hospitals in the northeast, including some in New York City, upstate New York and Connecticut, but my heart remained in the Northwest. It's nice to be able to greet a strange without being met with skepticism. The climate is especially soothing, even if it is gray most of the year. The real beacon calling us home was Mr. Rainier and the awe inspiring outdoors here in Washington.

I enjoy all aspects of medicine, but have particular interest in obstetrics and pediatrics. Tacoma Family Medicine allows me to develop my interests in these areas with excellent training in obstetrics as we work directly with obstetricians as well as our Family Medicine faculty. TFM is also one of a handful of family medicine residencies where residents train in a children's hospital unopposed by other residents. Working directly under pediatricians at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital is one of the highlights of our residency.

Scott Rennie, DO

I was born and raised in Washington and finished my undergraduate degree at Western Washington University in Bellingham, however, I also spent some time as an undergraduate studying in Kingston-Upon-Hull, England. I completed medical school at Des Moines University -- College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery in Iowa and was awarded a National Health Service Corps Scholarship.

I have a passion for rural medicine and plan to provide comprehensive care including OB and endoscopy. I became interested in Tacoma Family Medicine because of the strengths in pediatrics and internal medicine. The staff and faculty at our clinic are great to work with and are exceptional teachers.

My professional interests include preventative medicine, full spectrum family practice with obstetrics, and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM). Outside of medicine, I enjoy biking, kayaking, salmon fishing and of course, traveling.

Jim Roos, MD

I grew up in Seattle and attended the University of Puget Sound followed by Mayo Medical School. My special medical interests include tropical medicine. In my spare time, I enjoy photography, soccer and swimming.