Abigail Esther Stephens, MD

Where are you from? I grew up all over the US and lived in Mexico when I was a little girl.  More recently, I called Reno my home for over 8 years and fell in love with the openness and beauty of desert and mountains.
Why did you choose UA Family Medicine? When I interviewed here I felt right at home.  There was a resonance of being among kindred spirits who wanted to inspire and encourage each other towards excellence in patient care and medicine as a lifelong passion.  I saw that this group valued hard work and also acknowledged the importance of having a life and being a whole person in creating a sustainable, healthy, thriving career as a physician.  When I saw the opportunities to study Integrative Medicine, and learn and work in a beautiful city with so much access to the outdoors, I knew this was the place for me.
What are you most excited about for life in Tucson? I am excited to go explore the outdoors- mountains, trails, whatever I can find!  I want to go dancing and am also looking for a dance studio to join.  I’m most excited to meet people and make new friends here in Tucson.  I’ve also recently tried boba tea which is delicious and I would like to try more flavors- and also ice cream.  It’s very warm here and I feel a lot of ice cream will be required.
What are your interests or hobbies outside of medicine? I am interested in trail running, dancing, singing and playing acoustic guitar!  I decided I do enough yoga to call myself a yogi- right now I’m into hot yoga which has been a new challenge.  I learned to ski this past season so I plan on continuing on and would like to get AVI certified and backcountry ski.
What are your professional interests within medicine? Integrative Medicine is one of my primary interests and aligns well with my passion for preventative care.  I’m also curious about the role of the psyche in the decisions we make and the impact that has on our health and lives.  My goal is an understanding of the underlying cause of any problem and approaching a solution with that in mind.
Favorite way to spend a day off? Outside with my favorite people
Top item on your "Bucket list"? Traveling to New Zealand for a month of backpacking and exploring