Dr. Cotter grew up in Seattle before heading east for college at Whitman in Walla Walla, where she pursued her interests in biologic sciences, community service, and music. She then returned to Seattle to attend medical school at the University of Washington and had a blast exploring the WWAMI region during her clinical years. Among Dr. Cotter’s many reasons for choosing family medicine were the opportunities for longitudinal and full-scope care for patients of all ages, the opportunity to holistically evaluate patients with undifferentiated complaints, and the opportunity to engage with and advocate for her community from a primary care standpoint. For residency, Dr. Cotter left Washington for Northern California where she attended UC Davis Family and Community Medicine Residency. At UC Davis she learned to practice in both community and academic settings, and developed her passion for caring for the underserved through longitudinal work in FQHC and free clinic settings. Also at UC Davis she discovered that she truly enjoys medical education and participating in clinical teaching. Dr. Cotter was excited to return to the Northwest to join the St Peter Family Residency program where she continues to pursue her interests in education, caring for the underserved, advocacy, and full scope primary care. In her free time, Dr. Cotter enjoys spending time out of doors, reading, baking bread, music, and working on crafts.
