About

NICE TO MEET YOU

I'm Dr. Supriya Rao

My name is Supriya Rao (Soo-pree-ya) I'm a quadruple board-certified physician in internal medicine, gastroenterology, obesity medicine and lifestyle medicine. I focus on digestive disorders, gut health, obesity medicine, and women's health and wellness.

I received my undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I then graduated from Duke University School of Medicine. I completed my internship and residency in Internal Medicine from the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania. I completed my fellowship in Gastroenterology at Boston Medical Center. I joined Integrated Gastroenterology Consultants in 2014 and am now a managing partner.

I completed further certification in obesity and lifestyle medicine and am the Director of Medical Weight Loss at Lowell General Hospital. I also run the motility program, which focuses on disorders of the esophagus, irritable bowel syndrome and anorectal disorders.

My Story

I'm passionate about prevention and incorporating lifestyle changes to achieve improved health. I'm predominantly plant based and love to cook and share new recipes, which you will find here. 

My goal through this avenue is to highlight issues in gastroenterology and obesity medicine, as well as being a woman in medicine, running a small business and trying to raise good citizens of the world with my gastroenterologist husband. My South Indian heritage is my strength. 

We're not perfect and there are many messy and chaotic days. Thank you again for supporting me. I'm here for all things GI, healthy lifestyle, and social justice. Thanks for joining me on this ride and I hope you find something useful!

Why I Do It

Physicians are continuing to improve the health of families and communities but are facing extraordinary pressure and rising burnout. Amid misinformation, anti-science claims, dealing with insurance companies, the corporatization of medicine, and much more, it is getting harder to practice medicine on the terms that we want. It's a tough time to practice medicine, but one of the best feelings I have is knowing that I helped a patient. I think about these moments while we are all working to improve healthcare for all. Through this space, I hope to reach as many of you as possible with evidence-backed scientific information to help you live a healthier life. 

Women make up more than half of medical students currently, but there are not as many women in leadership positions or in certain specialties. Only 20% of gastroenterologists are women. While there are definitely some changes being made, more can be done and I hope this platform encourages others. Studies show that women tend to be more collaborative and empathetic with their patients and even have better outcomes. I want to continue to break the barriers that women face on a daily basis. I want to support women to enter fields where they are the minority and ensure they are successful. I want to let go of expectations of who we are supposed to be and embrace who we actually are.