Tara Wheeler, DO, has a heart for caring and knew at an early age she would end up in the medical field.

She grew up observing her mother navigate chronic medical issues, and it inspired her to pursue a career in medicine.

Dr. Wheeler is now with Medical Group of the Carolinas – Family Medicine – Converse Heights and is accepting patients.

Growing up in New Jersey, Dr. Wheeler found Spartanburg by applying to medical school at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. She then completed her residency with Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.

She has been living in Spartanburg for 12 years and is married with an 11-month-old daughter, Tinsley. Most recently, she spent three and a half years working as a family medicine physician for Prisma Health.

Dr. Wheeler said the key to success with her patients is treating them like they are her own family members. Her training and experience have given her a holistic mindset when working with patients on preventative medicine and care plans that look for underlying issues.

“With every new patient, I start off by having them tell me about themselves. What do you do for work? Are you in school? Are you married? Do you have children? Just questions to learn about them,” Dr. Wheeler said. “It’s important to get to know who you’re treating so you know a little bit about their background and can determine what’s going to work for them.”

Dr. Wheeler said her training through Spartanburg Regional’s family medicine residency program has allowed her to do several specialized procedures including joint injections and skin biopsies without having to refer some patients to other practices.

“I want to make sure my patients are comfortable with their plan of care. If the patient is not on board with the plan, they’re not going to be successful,” she said.

As a family medicine physician, Dr. Wheeler said she enjoys seeing everyone from newborn babies to elderly patients and loves it when she can provide care for the whole family.

“I wanted to have that small-town doctor feel where I may have a female patient, and then she gets pregnant and she wants me to see her baby and then she wants me to see her grandma, and you just get to learn about the family dynamics,” Dr. Wheeler said.

Dr. Wheeler loves to spend time volunteering and has previously volunteered with St. Luke Free Medical Clinic in downtown Spartanburg and also took part in a medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic.

“It’s important to give back,” Dr. Wheeler said. “We are so fortunate to have health insurance. And we often take that for granted.”

When not working in medicine, she loves to play tennis and exercise.

She and her husband also love spending time with friends. They consider themselves “foodies,” so they enjoy the many restaurants Spartanburg has to offer.

To make an appointment with Dr. Wheeler, call Medical Group of the Carolinas – Family Medicine – Converse Heights at 864-573-9595.