Caleb Barker, PA-C, specializes in urology at Utica Park Clinic (UPC). His professional areas of interest include health care leadership, communication, problem-solving and teamwork. “I believe all of these are important when providing health care,” said Caleb.

Caleb’s inspiration to pursue a career in medicine began with his mother’s caring nature for others. He said, “Although she was not in medicine herself, she was a constant example on how to treat others fairly and kindly, she has lived a life of servitude to others in various forms and I decided early on that the best way for me to do that came in the form of medicine.”

Caleb’s decision to specialize in urology was always one that was in the back of his mind. After years in primary care, there was no question that it was what he wanted to do. “Urology has held a long-standing interest since going through school but after working in primary care for 3.5 years, I notice how hard urological care was to come by and how important and time sensitive it can be. We have an ever-aging population and it is particularly important to have numerous resources for urologic care and the Utica Park team strives to provide this. I am happy to be able to continue closing these care gaps for such an important and sensitive specialty,” he said.

As Caleb continues his career in medicine, he makes it a priority to connect with his patients. He said, “I believe that the most important part of health care is the relationship you build with your patients. I like to come from an even playing ground when discussing care to make sure we can make informed decisions about care together. Oftentimes, when you are seeing a specialist, it can be nerve-racking and approaching patients with a smile and building trust is the only place to start in my book.”

“My best advice to give patients is to not ignore your health and to take it seriously. Even in the most cautious patient, there are certain things that can still show up, perform routine screening as suggested by your care team and advocate for yourself,” he said.

When Caleb isn’t working, you can find him doing home remodeling projects, carpentry and enjoying the outdoors. “I am a big lake rat during the summer, and I love traveling any time of the year. I have recently started up biking as well,” he added.