Melissa Palma, MD, MPH (she/her/siya) graduated with degrees in biochemistry and medicine from the University of Iowa and began her career dedicated to the health of historically excluded populations with an emphasis on immigrant and refugee health. Her medical school Global Health capstone project focused on health education programs for rural migrant farmworkers and a needs assessment of refugee social services in Iowa.
Dr. Palma trained in Preventive Medicine and Family Medicine at Cook County Health in Chicago, IL. She received her Masters of Public Health at Northwestern University studying the role of cultural adaptation in the South Asian Healthy Lifestyle Intervention (SAHELI) Study, a community-based lifestyle intervention to reduce risks of heart disease and diabetes in South Asian communities with Dr. Namratha Kandula.
In 2021, Dr. Palma was selected for the inaugural American Medical Association-Satcher Health Leadership Institute Medical Justice in Advocacy Fellowship. As a member of the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) Organization of Resident Representatives (ORR) from 2019-2023, Dr. Palma completed a term on the Advisory Committee for Medical School Programs for the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). She currently serves as medical advisor to TayoHelp.com, a culturally tailored resource providing trustworthy COVID-19 information in English and Tagalog, sponsored by the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO). Dr. Palma enjoys building kapwa by mentoring the next generation of health advocates through the Council of Young Filipinx Americans in Medicine (CYFAM).
