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Melissa Palma, MD, MPH, graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry, followed by a medical degree from the University of Iowa. She is dedicated to the health of historically excluded populations, focusing on immigrant and refugee health. Her medical school capstone project was centered on health education programs for rural migrant farmworkers, incorporating needs assessments related to refugee social services in Iowa. Dr. Palma trained in Preventive Medicine and Family Medicine at Cook County Health in Chicago, IL, and pursued her Masters in Public Health at Northwestern University, studying the role of cultural adaptation in community-based interventions to reduce the risks of heart disease and diabetes among South Asian communities. She was selected for the inaugural American Medical Association-Satcher Health Leadership Institute Medical Justice Advocacy Fellowship in 2021. Dr. Palma is actively involved with the American Association of Medical Colleges and served on the Organization of Resident Representatives from 2019-2023, as well as the Advisory Committee for Medical School Programs of the National Board of Medical Examiners. Currently, she serves as a medical advisor for TayoHelp.com, which provides culturally tailored public health resources in English and Tagalog. She enjoys mentoring the next generation of health advocates through the Council of Young Filipinx Americans in Medicine.
Department: Department of Economics