Head shot of female physician Dr. Fabiola Cardozo

Family medicine physician creates meaningful bonds through every chapter of life

Dr. Fabiola Cardozo builds trust through the art of conversation.

Every patient has a story to tell and collectively those stories shape his or her well-being. By taking the time to listen and hear each story, Dr. Cardozo can bond with her patients and get to know them on a personal level.

“People want to be heard,” Dr. Cardozo says. “People want time with their doctor and to trust their doctor. Listening to my patients and being available to them is what makes me the happiest. That’s why I wanted to be a small-town doctor. To be able to be there for them and give them the attention they need.”

Dr. Cardozo knew from an early age that she wanted to be a physician. She often spent time in the waiting room of her father’s internal medicine practice while he solved his patients’ medical mysteries or inside the operating room watching her mother perform plastic surgery.

But it was while watching episodes of “A Baby Story” that the then 9-year-old developed a passion for obstetrics.

“I had a lot of exposure to the medical world from early on, but that’s when I felt like being a part of a family’s journey through childbirth was something I wanted to be a part of,” says Dr. Cardozo, whose older brother also is a physician.

In September, Dr. Cardozo joined the team at Ashe Women & Children’s Health, bringing more than five years of family medicine and surgical obstetrics experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

A native of Venezuela, Dr. Cardozo earned her Doctor of Medicine from the Universidad Central de Venezuela Escuela de Medicina Luis Razetti, in Caracas, Venezuela, in 2014. She always enjoyed women’s health and pediatrics, but it wasn’t until she was in residency that Dr. Cardozo developed a passion for internal medicine.

Family medicine isn’t a specialty in Venezuela, but when Dr. Cardozo came to the United States and discovered family medicine and obstetrics, she knew it would be the perfect match for her.

“There is no way to be bored with family medicine and obstetrics,” Dr. Cardozo says. “You can get anything any day and you get to see your patients in every chapter of their life.”

In 2022, Dr. Cardozo completed a Family Medicine Residency at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, in Tallahassee, Fla. She then completed a Surgical OB Fellowship at Medicos Para la Familia, in Memphis, Tenn., in 2024.

In her new role, Dr. Cardozo will focus on providing high-quality, easily accessible care for the whole family with a special focus on obstetrics and women’s health. She also will provide additional aspects of care related to family medicine, including preventative health, child development and mental health, among others. Fluent in Spanish, she is passionate about increasing access to healthcare and education in her community.

“I enjoy being able to provide the patients with the help they need and see when they are content about the care they are getting, Dr. Cardozo said. “When the patient feels heard, they remember me for that. Creating that bond is something I look forward in every encounter I have, and what keeps me motivated and happy in my career.”

When she’s not busy working, Dr. Cardozo enjoyed spending time with her family, traveling, hiking or camping. She also loves to cook, bake and do crafts and aspires to one day call herself a potter.