Family medicine is her specialty

Supriya Caton had just helped deliver a baby.

Such experiences have been important to the fourth-year UNC-Chapel Hill medical student’s education. But a related event confirmed Caton’s decision to become a family medicine doctor.

“I had stayed with the mom and dad in the delivery room because they spoke Spanish, and nobody else on my team did. A week later, I’m in the clinic, and they walk in with the baby. They are so happy, and baby is doing well. I’m thinking, ‘Oh, yeah, this is exactly why I want to do this.’”

The Fuquay-Varina native had already felt a hint of confirmation during a third-year family medicine rotation. “It was the first time I got home and didn’t feel completely drained from the day. Rather, I felt excited. I had found my niche where I would thrive and what fills up my cup to provide really good patient care,” Caton said.

Up to that point, even though she’d wanted to be a family medicine doctor for a while, Caton wondered if she should instead focus on one of the many medical specialties her classmates planned to enter. “I’m glad I stuck with it and that UNC has opportunities for family medicine,” she said.

Caton’s interest in family medicine grew while she was a North Carolina State University undergraduate student. Through the AmeriCorps North Carolina MedServe program, she worked as a medical assistant for two years at a federally qualified medical clinic in Wilmington, treating uninsured patients. “I loved the problem-solving required outside of medicine when dealing with underresourced patients. Every day was unique. That sparked my interest.”

Caton assisted clinicians, particularly Dr. Myra Caleano ’11 (MD), who mentored and inspired her. “She wouldn’t let anything get in the way of patient care. When we first got the COVID vaccine, I remember her saying, ‘I’m going in the van to give vaccines to elderly patients who can’t make it to the clinic.’ She showed me you don’t have to let barriers stop you,” Caton said.

Some quality improvement projects at the clinic were part of Caton’s job. She organized Pap smear data and ensured that patients’ cervical cancer screenings were up to date. During her first and second years of medical school, she returned to see patients in the clinic for a week.

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Other physicians who influenced Caton include UNC School of Medicine professor Dr. Evan Ashkin. Ashkin runs the North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition program, helping chronically ill people find primary care. She also assisted family medicine physicians at Piedmont Health Services, a federally qualified health center in Chapel Hill.

Throughout medical school, Caton continued a mission of helping others improve their mental health, which she began in high school and expanded as a mental health ambassador at NC State. She has served on the medical school’s student wellness task force, promoting wellness and fun activities like a state fair trip.

Caton said that considering a patient’s mental health is part of how she practices medicine. “I have found that patients who are disadvantaged often experience mental health issues related to life stressors,” Caton said. “Understanding how to address that as a primary care physician is important because patients often don’t have the resources to see a psychiatrist or a therapist regularly.”

After finishing her residency at Duke University Medical Center, Caton wants to care for North Carolina families. “I plan to practice in North Carolina long term. Being able to serve the community that I have been a part of means a lot to me,” she said.