Dr. Cintia (Cindy) Dafashy, MD, MS is a board-certified Family Medicine physician who works in her solo private practice, Archway Family Medicine: Direct Primary Care (DPC). She created this clinic to better serve her patients with a true relationship, giving them more time and access than a traditional primary care clinic offers. She takes a personal interest in providing high-quality care to those who have fallen in the cracks of the healthcare system through the unique DPC model. In addition to her private practice, she currently serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology, where she teaches Healthcare Delivery and Policy in the U.S.

Dr. Dafashy began her journey into understanding the healthcare system during her time as an undergrad here at Rice. She is a proud Lovetteer who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Sciences. Through the School of Social Sciences, she did various research projects dealing with the healthcare system on different levels (academic institutions, the VA system, high school medical education). She holds a Master's in Medical Sciences from UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth and her medical degree from Texas A&M College of Medicine. During medical school, she recognized her love for the human side of medicine and pursued a career in Family Medicine for its long-term relationships with patients, completing her training at UTMB Galveston. 

Dr. Dafashy was named as the outstanding intern of the year for her program and was selected to help lead various quality improvement projects for the UTMB Family Medicine clinics. She received the M. Lamar Ross award for Clinical Excellence by the Department of Family Medicine, as well as the "Perfect Practice Partner" award by her peers. 

She is passionate about patient advocacy, student mentorship, community outreach, and educating students and patients alike on how to be "smart consumers" of healthcare.