Dr. Lucia Cotten spends her days helping patients from the Athens area manage chronic medical conditions including diabetes, osteoporosis and thyroid disease.
Cotten’s support for those in her care is only enhanced by her love for Athens and her deep connections to the local community. She arrived in town as a University of Georgia undergraduate student and quickly got involved. While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a minor in Spanish, Cotten volunteered with several local care providers.
After completing her degree in 2013, she chose to continue her education at the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership based on UGA’s Health Sciences Campus.
“I wanted to stay in Athens. I loved Athens and the AU/UGA Medical Partnership’s case-based learning curriculum,” Cotten said. “Then, I had a great experience in medical school and was happy to come back to practice.”
As a student, Cotten served as the AU/UGA Medical Partnership’s community service chair, conducted health screenings at the Salvation Army and completed rotations with St. Mary’s Trinity Health.
“The Medical Partnership has strived to cultivate talented leaders in health care who practice a love of medicine with a humanistic touch,” said Shelley Nuss, UGA School of Medicine founding dean and AU/UGA Medical Partnership campus dean. “Dr. Cotten is an excellent example of the quality physician we produce here in Athens, and she will be making an impact on the health care in our community for years to come.”
Throughout her time as a student, Cotten gained both medical experience and a deeper understanding of the type of work that she enjoys best — building long-term relationships with her patients.
“I taught Dr. Cotten in medical school, and she was a hardworking student who cared deeply about medicine,” said Dr. Molly Bond, an AU/UGA Medical Partnership faculty member. “When she worked with patients, she was thoughtful about how a single symptom or condition impacted their overall health. I’m excited to see students like Luci return to Athens to care for our community.”
Cotten went on to pursue advanced medical training, completing residency training in internal medicine at Emory University followed by fellowship training in endocrinology at Duke University. She returned to Athens in 2023 as a physician who is board-certified in internal medicine and in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. She also is a certified Spanish language medical interpreter. She joined St. Mary’s Medical Group to practice with Endocrine Specialists of Athens.
Cotten and her husband have become active community members, cheering on the Rock Lobsters hockey team, attending concerts and spending fall Saturdays between the hedges. She also supports the AU/UGA Medical Partnership’s clinical education by hosting medical students in her practice as they complete their third-year rotations.
As a physician, Cotten is excited about UGA’s forthcoming School of Medicine.
“Across Georgia there has only been one public medical school that offers in-state tuition, and the UGA School of Medicine will give students more options,” she said. “It also lets us tailor the school to the needs of our community and our students.”
As the university continues to advance the UGA School of Medicine, local physicians like Cotten will play a critical role in helping to educate the next generation of physicians.
“Medical schools cannot exist without dedicated community faculty members such as Dr. Cotten. Their tireless efforts allow students to get hands-on clinical experience and assist them in solidifying a passion for their future specialty,” Nuss said. “Having Dr. Cotten return to her alma mater as one of our community faculty members is a rewarding result from a successful career that started right here at the Medical Partnership.”
