About Amber Charoen, MD

Professional Background

Dr. Amber Charoen is a board-certified specialist in internal medicine and gastroenterology. She completed medical school at Rangsit University in Thailand with First Class Honors and Valedictorian. Based on peer nomination and her outstanding accomplishments, she was recognized by Castle Connolly Top Doctors as a 2024 Rising Star.

Dr. Charoen arrived in the U.S. in 2015 as a research fellow specializing in pancreas, nutrition, and celiac disease at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. She continued her journey of excellence by completing her residency in internal medicine at MetroWest Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine in Framingham, Massachusetts. She then pursued a fellowship in gastroenterology at Rhode Island Hospital/Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Charoen has been recognized for her outstanding teaching with an Exemplary Teaching Award from Brown University and is the 2022 recipient of the Joseph A. DiMase Brown University Gastroenterology Research Award.

Before joining Gastro Health of Tri-Cities, Dr. Charoen served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her clinical expertise spans GI upper endoscopy, colonoscopy screening, capsule endoscopy and women’s digestive health. Dr. Charoen was trained in one of only few centers in US that provide training in Women’s Gastrointestinal Medicine, focusing on gastroenterological issues unique to women. Dr. Charoen has contributed significantly to the field, publishing research on a diverse array of GI topics, including GI bleeding, nutrition, liver disease, pancreatitis, esophageal disease, celiac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease and presented at national and international conferences. During her fellowship training, she also served as the associate editor of the ACG Case Reports Journal.

Current Roles

Dr. Charoen is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Washington State University, where she teaches and mentors medical students. Additionally, she is frequently invited to give lectures and presentations at the Trios Medical Residency Program.

Personal Life

In her spare time, Dr. Charoen enjoys spending time with her family and her dog.

Commitment to Excellence

Dr. Charoen's patient-centered approach to care is characterized by a team-oriented, goal-directed, and compassionate ethos. She prioritizes active listening and collaborates closely with her patients to formulate personalized treatment plans.

Conditions & Procedures

  • Abdominal Pain
  • Acid Reflux & GERD
  • Anal Fissures
  • Anemia
  • Barrett's Esophagus
  • Biliary Disease
  • Celiac Disease
  • Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff)
  • Colitis
  • Colon Cancer Screening
  • Colon Diseases & Polyps
  • Condyloma
  • Constipation
  • Crohn’s & Ulcerative Colitis
  • Diarrhea
  • Diverticulitis
  • Dyspepsia
  • Dysphagia
  • Esophageal Disease
  • Fecal Incontinence
  • Gallbladder Disease
  • Gastritis
  • Gastrointestinal Bleeding
  • Gastroparesis
  • H. Pylori
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Hepatitis
  • Indigestion
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Liver Disease
  • Obesity
  • Pancreatic Disease & Pancreatitis
  • Peptic Ulcer Disease
  • Pilonidal Cyst
  • Radiation Proctitis
  • Swallowing Disorders
  • Capsule Endoscopy (Pill Cam)
  • Colonoscopy (Screening & Diagnostic)
  • EGD (Upper Endoscopy)
  • Enteroscopy (Small & Large Bowel)
  • Esophageal Dilation
  • Hemorrhoid Treatment & Banding
  • IV Therapy

Office Locations

Primary Location

Picture of the Tri-Cities Office

Tri-Cities

7114 W Hood Pl.
Kennewick, WA 99336

Phone: 509-734-4885
Fax: 509-734-2576

Education

Medical

Rangsit University

Residency

MetroWest Medical Center

Fellowship

Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School

Professional Highlights

  • Certificate in Applied Biostatistics, The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science
  • Center Basic Clinical Nutrition Training, University of Chicago Medical Center 
  • Clinical Training Program, American Neurogastroenterology & Motility Society

Certifications

Board Certified, Gastroenterology

Board Certified, Internal Medicine

Awards & Recognitions

  • Castle Connolly Rising Star 2024, Castle Conolly Top Doctors
  • Joseph D. DiMase Research Award, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
  • Dean's Excellence in Teaching Award, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
  • Poster of Distinction, Digestive Disease Week 2021
  • Poster of Distinction, Digestive Disease Week 2020
  • Isadore Nathan Rosenberg, M.D. Clinical Research Award, MetroWest Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine
  • Humanism Award, MetroWest Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine

Professional Memberships

  • American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)
  • American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)
  • American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (ANMS)

Articles

Patient Care

Colon Cancer Rates on the Rise in Women Under 50

The latest American Cancer Society guidelines now recommend women aged 45 and older get screened for colon cancer. While traditionally screening for colon cancer has started at age 50, recent trends indicate a rising incidence of colon cancer in younger adults. Colon cancer is now the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in women under 50, behind breast cancer.