Dee Saunders

Background

About Dee Saunders

I am a dedicated medical educator, administrator, and practicing physician based in Portland, Oregon, deeply committed to the integration of medicine and education. I am currently fortunate to serve at the National University of Natural Medicine as Vice President of Clinical Education and Strategic Medical Operations—a role that allows me to blend my passion for teaching with the practice of healthcare. In this capacity, I design, implement, and oversee the clinical education curriculum spanning all four years of undergraduate medical training, ensuring that students are well prepared both academically and clinically. I also work to foster growth and innovation within our healthcare clinic, continuously seeking ways to enhance patient care and learning experiences for students. Beyond undergraduate education, I am actively engaged in developing, implementing, and assessing graduate-level training sites to maintain and elevate the quality of our residency programs. I am an enthusiastic teacher and mentor, working closely with both residents and students. My interests and expertise lie in competency-based medical education, learner assessment, coaching, and remediation—areas where I strive to help learners reach their highest potential while maintaining compassionate, patient-centered care. In addition to my educational and administrative roles, I continue to serve patients in community health centers, where I am dedicated to restoring physical, mental, and emotional health through the principles of integrative medicine. My clinical practice fuels my work as an educator, helping me stay grounded in the realities of patient care and continually inspired to improve how we train the next generation of physicians.