Family Medicine – Residents

Family Medicine Residency consists of 34 full-time medical residents practicing at Providence Sacred Heart, Spokane Teaching Health Center, and surrounding rotational sites.
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Ashley Gaing, DO
Ashley completed her undergraduate education at Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA. She received her DO degree from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, WV.
Ashley decided to pursue family medicine for its versatility and many opportunities for full-spectrum healthcare. Her favorite parts of being a family physician are connecting with patients and having the opportunity to hone her skills in many aspects of the medical field. She is interested in serving the underserved and has a particular interest in caring for an LGBTQ patient population. Her future career goals involve integrating cultural competency and dedication to health equity to give her patients holistic, full-spectrum care.
Ashley enjoys playing videogames with her fiancé, discovering new restaurants and music, attending anime conventions, being a plant-mom, and dabbling in various crafts (making socks into stuffed animals, embroidery, yarn dolls). She is an avid tea-drinker and tries to frequent the tea shops and cafes of Spokane as much as her schedule allows.

David Malekooti, DO
David is originally from Tempe, Arizona. It was there he attended Arizona State University for his undergraduate education in biological science. Looking to pursue a medical degree, but also interested in exploring beyond his corner of the Earth, David decided to attend the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, West Virginia. It was there he met and fell in love with fellow resident Ashley Gaing. Together the two decided to come to idyllic eastern Washington to begin their careers as physicians.
Since beginning his medical education, David has always had a fixation on Family Medicine. He found it to be the most compelling way to truly understand his patients and, subsequently, provide them with precision care. David has a special interest in health equity, lifestyle medicine and LGBTQ populations.
When not being a doctor, David enjoys writing, horror video games, running, weight training, and patronizing local restaurants.

Cecilla Mathis, MD
Cecilia completed her undergraduate degree at Kansas State University and her MD degree from the University of Kansas.
Cecilia grew up on a small farm in Kansas and has always felt a connection to rural communities and the unique roles that healthcare providers play in small towns. Cecilia always considered family medicine as a career but following her pediatric and OB rotations in med school, she was sold. She really enjoys the variety in patients and the ability to grow alongside her patient panel.
Cecilia enjoys playing volleyball, hiking, cooking, and spending time with her husband and ornery toddler. She also enjoys cheering on Kansas State football and the KC Chiefs.

Danielle Meyer, DO
Danielle attended undergraduate school at the University of Missouri and received her DO degree from Kansas City University.
Danielle has a passion for nutrition, preventative medicine, and helping underserved populations both locally and world-wide. Long-term patient relationships make medicine the most fulfilling for her, so family medicine stole her heart because it allowed her to do this while incorporating all of her interests into one clinical practice and, more importantly, providing healthcare in a way that emphasized the patient as a whole.
Danielle enjoys spending her free time outdoors biking, running, skiing, and camping. She grew up in a family of cake connoisseurs and is always on the lookout for the next best recipe to bake.

Benjamin Mitchell, DO
Benjamin grew up in Roosevelt, Utah a rural town in an eastern part of the state. Growing up he enjoyed fishing, backpacking, skateboarding, snowboarding, and playing sports. His passion for medicine started from my father who was a rural family medicine doctor. After graduating high school, he served a fulltime 2-year mission for my church in San Jose, CA while learning Mandarin Chinese. While earning his undergraduate degree at the University of Utah, he worked for Delta Airlines which made it possible to travel all over the world. During this time, he married his wife, and they started their family. After graduating from the University of Utah in Biology, he enrolled at Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Lynchburg, Virginia for medical school. He chose Family Medicine because he imagined a career that has close ties to the community. He also thinks it is rewarding to care for patients and their loved ones of all ages. He and his wife 4 children and like having easy access to beautiful places to swim, hike and explore outside while also having the amenities of a big city.

Cecilia Pham, DO
Cecilia was born and raised in Southern California where she received her undergraduate degree in biology at University of California Irvine, then braved the desert to attend medical school at Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine. Her clinical interests include all things women’s health, especially reproductive health and obstetrics, as well as pediatrics and HIV/trans health. Her varied interests made family medicine a natural fit, particularly family medicine in Spokane with its full spectrum training. Getting to experience 4 seasons in the beautiful Pacific Northwest is an added bonus.
Cecilia enjoys singing, rock climbing, looking for new recipes to cook and bake, lifting weights, and reading with a strong cup of espresso.

Brigette Schuman, DO
Chief Resident
Kansas City University College of OM
Brigette is originally from the Chicagoland area, moving downtown to attend the University of Chicago. She and her husband moved to Kansas for medical school, where she completed her DO and MA in bioethics. Deciding to explore another area of the country, they moved to Spokane for her residency.
Brigette is passionate about using medicine to care for the whole person and whole community. During her clinical rotations in Topeka, KS, she found herself loving each specialty, which is why she chose family medicine. Brigette is excited for the opportunities at FMR Spokane, including lifestyle medicine and psychiatry electives. She plans on utilizing the full scope of family medicine in her future practice, wherever that may be.
Brigette enjoys being outdoors, playing soccer, anything Nancy Drew, cooking with local foods, playing video games, and spending time with her husband, two kids, and two dogs.

Katherine Sloop, MD
Katie grew up in Yakima, Guam, and Kentucky; but is a northwest girl at heart. She went to college at Walla Walla University before heading to Loma Linda University for medical school. She is very excited to be back in the Northwest for residency and is looking forward to spending more time with her family scattered throughout the northwest.
She is passionate about lifestyle medicine and whole person care. She loves the continuity and preventative medicine aspects of family medicine. She is very excited about the option for being double boarded in lifestyle medicine and family medicine and is interested in doing an OB fellowship after residency. She has a passion for international service and would love to work overseas for a few years before settling down in the northwest as a small-town family practice doctor.
She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, camping, playing sports, and anything outside. She is looking forward to having real seasons again and can’t wait to introduce her cat to the snow!

Kelsie Smith, DO
Kelsie grew up in a small farm town called Geneseo, IL. She attended Bradley University where she studied Biology and Spanish. She obtained her D.O. from Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Kelsie was drawn to the Spokane FMR due to its wide spectrum training. She has a special interest in Obstetrics and hopes to do a fellowship after residency. Hailing from a small town, she plans to return to a rural area to practice medicine after her training.
She enjoys swimming, yoga, martial arts, and binge-watching Netflix. Kelsie also loves to travel and experience new cultures.

Robert Zarajczyk, DO
Dr. Zarajczyk (Za-rye-check) was born and raised in Ormond Beach, FL and completed his undergraduate studies in Business Supervision and Management at Daytona State College. He migrated west and earned his medical degree at Western University of Health Sciences of the Pacific Northwest, COMP-NW in Lebanon, OR. In Oregon, he became interested in lifestyle medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy and soon joined forces with Family Medicine Residency Spokane to enhance his education in full spectrum family medicine. His life is enriched by his wife, young son, and dog. He enjoys exploring the outdoors by hiking, running, cycling, snowboarding, and surfing.
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Melanie Barnes, MD
Rural Training Track
Melanie’s home town is Newport Beach, CA. She completed her undergraduate studies in the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, then spent 11 years as an active duty Air Force pilot, taking her all over the world.
During medical school she was active with Health Equity circle and focused on improving access to health care for underserved populations. She has a passion for rural health care, and a growing interest in women’s health care. She wants to be a guide that helps each individual patient reach their personal health and lifestyle goals.
Outside of medicine, she enjoys hiking, camping, biking, snowboarding and many other varieties of outdoor activities. She also has a small farm with chickens and ducks.
Melanie will spend her first year training in Spokane and then transition for her remaining 2 years to Colville, WA – Rural Training Track

Brent Conrad, MD
Brent grew up on a small wheat farm near Colfax Washington and was inspired at a young age to serve others through medicine.
Through the encouragement and support of his family, community, and professors, Brent completed his undergraduate studies at Northwest Nazarene University and went on to graduate as part of the inaugural class of the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
Brent plans to return to his hometown after residency as the need for small town physicians grows. Rural medicine requires one to be extensively well-rounded, which led Brent to pursue his Family Medicine training with Spokane Teaching Health. His professional interests include rural outreach, working among the homeless, mentorship, and teaching.

Emily Cooper, MD
Emily attended Eastern Washington University and received a degree in dental hygiene prior to completing medical school at the University of Washington. As a dental hygienist, Emily developed a passion for oral health advocacy, working in mobile dental clinics, and making dental care more accessible to underserved communities.
Providing care to a broad spectrum of patients emphasized the relationship between health and well-being, and how personal and societal challenges influence health. These experiences inspired Emily to return to school and pursue family medicine, shifting focus to primary care. Interests within family medicine include preventive health, mental illness, substance use disorders, women’s health, and advocacy for health equity.
Emily and her husband are from Richland, WA, but have called Spokane home for over a decade. They enjoy cooking, gardening, hiking, and kayaking. Emily also enjoys volunteering in the community and learning Spanish, and hopes to travel throughout Latin America someday.

Elizabeth Davis, MD
Elizabeth completed her undergraduate degree at Transylvania University and her medical degree at Indiana University School of Medicine.
Elizabeth grew up in Southwest Indiana. (Go Hoosiers!) She moved across the country for the amazing broad-spectrum training FMR Spokane provides. The cooler temperatures and low humidity were a definite plus. Family medicine is the perfect field for her, as she loves to develop long-lasting relationships with her patients of all ages. She has special interests in maternal and child health, including obstetrics.
While she misses sweet tea, Elizabeth is loving living in Spokane. She enjoys getting out into the sun and enjoying hiking and swimming. She also loves to explore the local tea and book shops.

Brittney Guiou, DO
Brittney grew up in Fort Fairfield, ME and attended the University of New England.
Throughout medical education she was involved in numerous clubs and organizations including Sigma Sigma Phi – National Osteopathic medicine Honors Fraternity, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Wilderness Medical Society. She also is cofounder of Moto for Miracles, a Washington based nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to raise funds for select local and national children’s charities through the goodwill found within the motorsports industry. Her medical interests include preventative and lifestyle medicine, wilderness medicine, and women’s health and obstetrics.
Outside of medicine she loves being outdoors and spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys rock climbing, skiing, hiking, biking, paddle boarding, camping, boating, or riding their motorcycles and dirt bikes.

Michael Hillman, DO
Michael was born in Spokane and grew up in Post Falls, Idaho. He attended Eastern Oregon University where he received a degree in Biology and was a student athlete on the men’s basketball team. He married his wife Corinna and traveled across the country to attend medical school in Virginia at Liberty University.
His medical interests include incorporating nutrition and exercise as preventative medicine, Sports Medicine related injuries and Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy. His hobbies outside of medicine are spending time with his wife and two young children, working out, camping, hiking/backpacking the Northwest, and watching Gonzaga Basketball. His professional philosophy is to serve with excellence and compassion, caring for the whole person.

Ryan Lucas, MD
Rural Training Track
Ryan grew up in Stevenson, WA and attended Clark College and Washington State University in Vancouver, WA.
He has worked to reduce food insecurities in rural communities in the Columbia River Gorge, has been a Spanish medical interpreter, a clinical specialist and a tutor for Spanish and English. Ryan is interested in working with patients and communities to overcome challenges and reach shared goals in health.
Outside of medicine he enjoys swing dancing, Tae Kwon Do – where he is a 4th degree blackbelt instructor and reading fantasy novels.
Ryan will spend his first-year training in Spokane and then transition for his remaining 2 years to Colville, WA – Rural Training Track

James Mitchell, DO
James grew up in Roosevelt, UT but moved to Sheridan, OR while in high school and now considers both places his home. After completing undergrad at BYU and medical school on the east coast at Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine he was thrilled when offered the opportunity to return to the PNW to finish his training. He spends most of his free time at the local parks with his wife and three boys or playing around with power tools. Other hobbies include backpacking, fishing, skateboarding, snowboarding, fantasy football, listening to live music, and most recently, pickleball.
James was drawn to Family Medicine due to the continuity of care, broad scope, and opportunity to care for patients young and old. Special interests include full-scope family medicine, sports medicine, POCUS, and care of the underserved. He’s excited to train in the beautiful PNW and serve the people of Spokane.

Lindsay Mlynarek, MD, MBA
Lindsay was raised in Huntington Woods, MI and completed her Undergrad at Michigan state University. During medical school she was involved in several student groups including wilderness medicine, cultural cooking, and several mentoring groups for peers at all levels of medical education. She is interested in providing full spectrum family medicine care to underserved populations focusing on preventative care and other public health principals. She has special interests in women’s health, LGBTQ+ care, substance use disorders and behavioral health.
Lindsay enjoys spending time outside with her husband rock climbing, fly fishing and skiing. On bad weather days you can find them in the kitchen together or oil painting.

Stephanie Parnell, DO
Stephanie was raised in West Richland, WA and went to Carroll College and Regis University for her Masters. She is a graduate of Pacific NW University in Yakima, WA. She enjoys spending time outdoors including hiking, fishing, camping, and snowboarding. Stephanie also enjoys reading, cooking and soccer. Her medical interests are full-spectrum family medicine with a special interest in pediatrics and Women’s health.

Ethan Payton, MD
Ethan was born in western Washington, but spent much of his childhood in Post Falls, Idaho. Ethan completed his undergraduate studies at Washington State University in Pullman, and eventually found his way to Spokane and the Tri-Cities as a member of the inaugural class at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
While in medical school, Ethan realized a passion for primary care and serving underserved populations. This ultimately led him to pursue a career in full-spectrum Family Medicine with particular areas of interest in LGBTQIA+ inclusive healthcare, addiction medicine, and health equity. He is thrilled to continue his training at FMR Spokane.
Ethan enjoys reading, listening to music and podcasts, and hiking local trails with his partner and their dog.

Darcy Robbins, MD
Darcy is from a small town in Montana. For undergraduate studies, she went to Lamoni, Iowa and attended Graceland University where she played JV soccer. She couldn’t stay out of the northwest for long and returned to Montana to be apart of Montana’s UWSOM class.
Darcy’s passion for medicine stems from the joy she gets from helping others find joy. Her favorite past positions were in resident life and wellness. As a resident hall director in university, she focused on helping others feel comfortable in their environment and in their own skin. This has carried over into her medical career. “I like making sure my patients are active participants in their care. I may have goals for them, but they have goals of their own. We need to work together to make a plan to help them succeed towards their best life!” Darcy’s interests include preventative health, broad spectrum medicine for all ages, LGBTQ+ health, and women’s health.
Darcy, her spouse Ke’Vionne, and their dog Rochi enjoy walks at the park, hiking, camping, and skiing/snowboarding. She also enjoys lazy evenings watching TV or playing board games at home as well as creating wooden furniture.
Darcy and her family are excited to explore the area and get to know the amazing people of Spokane!
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Rahib Bashir, DO
Rahib was born near Chicago, Illinois, but has spent the latter half of his life growing up in the Nashville area. Rahib completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and then completed medical school at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harrogate, Tennessee. During his time in medical school, Rahib became very interested in caring for underserved populations after spending much of his clinical years helping care for patients in rural Appalachia.
Rahib knew early on that he wanted primary care to be a huge part of his career. He is passionate about whole person care, health equity, continuity, lifestyle medicine, and behavioral health; all of which are huge parts of being a family medicine physician. Rahib felt drawn to Spokane FMR because he felt that it would provide him with great training in full spectrum family medicine, while also letting him focus on his passions at the same time.
During his free time, Rahib enjoys running, going to the gym, hiking, camping, backpacking, playing board games, and spending time with his 2 cats, Zuco and Dash. Rahib is very excited to be moving out west to enjoy the beautiful nature that Washington has to offer.

John Beale, DO
John grew up along the shores of Lake Michigan in Northern Illinois. After serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in southern California he attended Brigham Young University – Idaho where he studied History, Chemistry, and Biology. He went on to become part of the inaugural class of the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine where he co-chaired the Cardiology student subcommittee.
John leverages his personal and family experiences to build trusting doctor-patient partnerships that enable patients to live the healthiest lifestyle they choose. He believes family doctors are uniquely positioned not only to provide the most holistic patient care possible but also to guide patients thru an increasingly complex healthcare system. He follows the adage “the right tool for the right job” and utilizes his training in ultrasound, osteopathic manipulation, and traditional medical therapy to provide the best outcomes for patients. He takes an active interest in pediatric medicine, especially for children with special needs.
John was a full-time father for five years and continues to devote time to his wife, Kathy, and their three children. Together, they enjoy fruit and vegetable gardening, bicycling, playing board and video games, photography, and backyard astronomy.

Colton Berry, DO
Colton completed his undergraduate studies at Whitworth University and attended medical school at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences.
Colton is originally from Michigan but moved to Spokane in 7th grade, which he now calls home. While in medical school, Colton realized family medicine was the perfect fit because of the preventative philosophy, as well as the aspect of building long-lasting relationships with patients. He also has an interest in pursuing sports medicine.
Outside of medicine, Colton enjoys to run. He ran cross country and track at Whitworth University. He is an avid Michigan Wolverines football fan. He enjoys to spend time at Priest Lake during the summer.
He is excited to be back home and plans to practice in Spokane for the foreseeable future!

Mikayla Button, DO
Mikayla was born and raised in Lewiston, ID. She attended Whitworth University in Spokane, WA for undergraduate studies in Health Sciences before moving to Parker, CO to obtain her DO from Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mikayla and her husband are excited to be moving back to the Spokane area to continue their careers.
Mikayla became interested in family medicine through its unique role in longitudinal and multigenerational care. She is passionate about providing patient focused, community based, and empowered care. Medical interests include reproductive health, gender affirming care, and osteopathy. She plans to settle in the pacific northwest, becoming a part of the community she serves for the rest of her career.
Personal hobbies include crocheting, being outdoors with her husband and dog, as well as home renovation projects.

Jared Fincher, DO
Jared was born and raised in Washington state, spending most of his years growing up in Spokane Valley. He completed his undergraduate studies at Eastern Washington University before attending medical school at Pacific Northwest University in Yakima, WA.
His passion for Family Medicine was fostered during clinical rotations in medical school with exposure to the diverse avenues of care within the field and the opportunity to connect with his community. Special interests within medicine include full-spectrum primary care, preventative health, mental health, and sports medicine.
Jared enjoys exploring both the city locally as well as new areas within the PNW. Other passions include caring for his plants and dog Harrington, video games, and cooking new cuisine. He is excited with the opportunity to finally return to his hometown and further his training at Spokane FMR.

Sera Jacob, DO
Sera completed her undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University. She then went on to Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine to complete her medical degree.
With a love of global medicine and obstetrics, she knew family medicine was what was best for her. She loves to get to know other people and is excited to work with the whole family.
Sera enjoys reading, art projects, being outdoors and playing with her cat Birdie. She has never lived outside of Texas and is very excited to move to the PNW and be a part of the community of Spokane.

Anne Keeling, DO
Rural Training Track
Anne hail from Woodstock, IL and pursued her higher education out West. Undergrad at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT then Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, WA (living and doing clinical rotations up in Anchorage, AK during years 3 & 4). Out west, she fell in love with hiking, backpacking, and identifying/documenting plants, animals, and birds around her. Anne’s other hobbies include reading, writing, running, cycling, swimming, TV crime shows, and movies based on real events.
In high school, Anne narrowed down possible career choices to detective or doctor. The scale was ultimately tipped towards medicine by a love for science (huge nerd), in addition to solving mysteries. Anne is excited to bring her experiences and passion for medicine as she continues to learn from rural communities here in PNW.

Matthew Kennedy, DO
Matthew was born in Tacoma and grew up there and in Graham, WA. He attended Eastern Washington University for his undergraduate studies. He married his wife Liz in Spokane and moved across the country to attend medical school in Illinois at Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Throughout his life, Matthew has recognized that mental health is vitally important, and he initially chose psychiatry as his specialty. Partway through his intern year, he met a biopsychosocially complex patient who changed his trajectory. From then, Matthew’s passion for comprehensive and integrative care for medically, psychiatrically, and socially complex persons increased, and the natural choice was to pursue family medicine. He completed two years of psychiatry at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo before joining Spokane Family Medicine Residency. Matthew wishes to build a career treating chronic illness (mental and physical), providing longitudinal care, and helping persons (especially those in underserved populations) achieve better health outcomes. He desires to be a one-stop shop for his patients and be comfortable handling any patient that walks through the clinic doors.
Matthew enjoys running, rowing, cycling, and playing role-playing video games. He loves hiking with his wife and two dogs, Teddy and Macklin.

Christiane Phillips, MD
Christiane is an Eastern Washington local who grew up in the nearby town of Moses Lake. She attended the University of Oklahoma, where she got her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Biosciences before coming back home to the Northwest to attend the UW School of Medicine in Spokane.
Her experience growing up in a rural area gave her ample opportunity to see first-hand the difference that family medicine doctors can make in the lives of their patients, and she fell in love with the specialty right out of the gate! She has a particular passion for mental health care, and loves hearing the stories of patients from all walks of life.
Christiane is thrilled to be back in Spokane! When she isn’t working, she loves taking care of her plants, rockhounding with her husband, making music, playing DnD, and keeping in touch with her friends from Oklahoma.

Carly Riehl, MD
Carly Riehl is from Yakima Washington, but moved to the southwest to attend The University of Nevada, Las Vegas for her undergraduate studies. There she played for the women’s Volleyball team and was nominated for NCAA woman of the year. She will complete her Masters in Nutrition and Human Performance prior to joining us, and attended medical school here in Spokane at WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
With a background in sports and nutrition Carly has a special interest in lifestyle and preventative medicine. She plans on utilizing the full scope of family medicine and building relationships with patients of all ages.
You might find Carly playing volleyball within Spokane’s robust volleyball community. Carly enjoys being active in the outdoors, including hiking with her family and two dogs, gardening, skiing, and backpacking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Marjorie Thompson Schoen, MD
Marjorie is originally from Puyallup, Washington. She obtained both her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Doctor of Medicine degrees at the University of Washington in Seattle and Spokane.
She is thrilled to continue her training in Spokane’s vibrant medical community. Her professional interests include promoting health equity, community health, and broad-spectrum family medicine. She envisions a future where healthcare is innovative, comprehensive, and accessible for all.
Outside of medicine, Marjorie enjoys international travel, reading, cooking, and spending time outdoors with her husband and their two dogs. She is proud to call Spokane home and to continue partnering with her patients to provide excellent care for this wonderful community.

Jenny Wickens, MD
Rural Training Track
Jenny was born and raised in northern Michigan, receiving her undergraduate degree at Lake Superior State University and completing medical school at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.
What she loves most about family medicine is the opportunity to walk alongside patients while providing a wide breadth of medical care from acute procedural care to longitudinal treatment to preventative medicine. She is interested in providing full scope care in a rural setting after residency.
Jenny often spends her time outside of clinic in the great outdoors and enjoys backpacking, kayaking, hiking, and exploring new places.
Contact Us

Diane Borgwardt
Program Coordinator
Family Medicine Residency
Rural Training Track Residency
Sports Medicine Fellowship
OB Fellowship
624 E. Front Avenue
Spokane, WA 99202
Phone: 509-626-9900