Julia Lai, MD

Where are you from?     
Pittsburgh, PA
Why did you choose UA Family Medicine?    
I am looking forward to working for an FQHC in a rural region after completing residency. The UA FM south campus track will prepare me well for those experience by training at Abrams clinic (an FQHC itself) and gaining exposure by working in different types of rural sites for rotations throughout my 3 years of residency and learn through our program’s collaboration with Arizona AHEC.
I was also particularly interested in the Community Medicine Track as well as the Mobile Health Program our residency has to offer. With my prior background in street medicine, I want to continue building experiences and seek out opportunities to give primary care as well as prenatal care to uninsured patients/families.
Lastly, the UA Integrative Medicine curriculum has a lot to offer to residents and their patients. Having only had minimal to moderate exposure to Medical Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine, I would like to increase my knowledge base and skillset through the curriculum at UA in order to serve patients better.
What are you most excited about for life in Tucson? 
The sun!
What are your interests or hobbies outside of Medicine? 
Dog training, animal rearing, indoor house plants
What are your professional interests within Medicine?     
Working with underserved populations, community medicine, mobile health, street medicine, integrative medicine
Favorite way to spend a day off?    
By the pool
Top item on your "Bucket list"? 
By end of residency, I want to be able to grow my own herb garden and raising/keeping quails in the backyard