Julia Ruby, M.D.

"I’m a native Pacific Northwesterner who is so excited to remain among mountains, puddles, and strong coffee. I was born and raised in Portland, OR, traveled far away to Ohio for college, made a pit stop in the Bay Area, and returned back to the great Northwest for medical school at OHSU and now residency here at Swedish! After a rain-soaked upbringing, I went to Oberlin College to study creative writing and biology, afterwards working as an Americorps member at a reproductive health clinic in San Francisco. Throughout my twenties, I worked as a farmhand, HIV testing counselor, cafeteria sandwich maker, and orchestra violinist. Suffice to say, I love variety and find immense joy in bouncing from one thing to another. This quality, combined with my interest in addressing health disparities and incorporating social justice work into medicine, made family medicine the perfect specialty for me. I am thrilled to be pursuing a career in family medicine in Seattle, where I can learn to practice true full spectrum care and hone my interests in inpatient medicine, reproductive justice, LGBTQ health, harm reduction, and healthcare for marginalized and rural communities. In medical school, I was particularly struck by the complicated and unjust inner workings of the healthcare system, and witnessed how folks in primary care, more than any other field, were working to tackle these injustices through a feminist and anti-racist lens. I see these same exciting qualities in my colleagues at Swedish First Hill, and am energized to join this special community and learn from their passion and experience. Outside of medicine, I enjoy rock climbing with my partner, adventuring outdoors, listening to public radio, making lists, and drinking hoppy beers. I also have a habit of hanging out in dog parks, even though I am currently dog-less."