Tamara S. Melton
Morrison Healthcare
Atlanta, GA USA
"Give yourself credit for what you already know...you have value."
Career Roadmap
Tamara S.'s work combines: Medicine, Food, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Do your research early in high school to see what scholarships you can get. The best gift you can give yourself is not just an education - it's an education with as little student loan debt as possible. Having funding for school is the difference between pursuing the field of study in college you really want to pursue, or having to choose a major just because it will take less time/money.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Nutrition Sciences
University of North Florida
Graduate Degree
Nutrition Sciences
Georgia State University
Doctorate
Medical Informatics
Duke University
Certification
Dietetics/Dietitian
Certification
Management Information Systems, General
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Growing up, she loved to cook and always thought she would be a chef—she applied and was accepted to culinary school, but she had an epiphany that it wasn’t really what she wanted.
2.
Inspired by her family members’ struggles with diabetes, she switched her major to nutrition and dietetics.
3.
Ended up passing out at the sight of blood during her nutrition support rotation, which made her realize that working in the hospital scene was not for her.
4.
After getting her graduate degree in nutrition, she taught part time at Georgia State University and worked in weight management for nonprofits.
5.
At age 28, she got an opportunity to play a critical role in developing the new health informatics program at Georgia State University, where she served as program director for four years.
6.
In order to broaden her knowledge of the field of health informatics, she did a certificate program at Duke University where she was the only non-nurse in the program.
7.
She ran into an old college friend at a conference who helped her get her current position at Morrison Healthcare—says, ”They were looking for a dietician who knew about data. That’s me!”
8.
Says she has always had an entrepreneurial heart—she consults and educates about nutrition, develops wellness programs, and hosts workshops.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I can't work in health if I can't stand the sight of blood.
How I responded:
After passing out at the sight of blood during my nutrition support rotation, I paniced thinking this field was not for me. I realized that my degree and the skills I had in data analytics could take me out of the hospital scene , so I followed that path.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I knew my parents couldn't afford to send me to college. In high school, I heard of a scholarship called Bright Futures. If I got a high enough GPA, I could have 100% of my tuition covered.
I was the first person in my immediate family to go to a 4 year college, and then later to graduate school. This meant I had to find people who could provide some tips and encouragement on how to navigate all of the obstacles that would arise.
I am an African-American woman in corporate America which tends to mean that I don't often see people who look like me at work.