Medical Degree: University of Washington
Residency: Swedish Cherry Hill Family Residency Rural Training Track
Location:
Downtown Health Center
240 W. Front Street
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Pronounces Name: MEH-luh-nee LAN-guh
Melanie (she/her) grew up on Anishinaabe land in Ann Arbor, Michigan, loving the fall foliage, four seasons, and that Football Saturdays were the only time there was traffic (GO BLUE!). She attended Stanford University, graduating with a B.A. in History. During college, Melanie was able to explore some of the many wild places in California and fell in love with the opportunities to listen, learn, and unplug in the backcountry. Summers working on Yellowstone National Park’s archaeology team solidified her love of the mountains, enhanced her interest in the indigenous history of the United States, and encouraged her thinking about the ways that people’s environments influence their health.
After graduating, Melanie completed a post-baccalaureate program back home at the University of Michigan prior to applying to medical school. She also worked as a wilderness guide for a company that aims to make the outdoors more accessible to people of all ages and abilities by using adaptive equipment and inclusive teaching strategies. Such practice working as part of diverse teams to solve problems creatively was some of the best preparation for a career in medicine.
Melanie attended medical school at the University of Washington in Seattle. There, she was lucky to be able to take advantage of the regional clinical training opportunities to return to the Northern Rockies and Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. She did a longitudinal integrated clerkship program in rural Montana, which exposed her to the joys of building relationships with patients over time. She also completed the Indian Health and Underserved Health Pathways and spearheaded advocacy projects aimed at improving medical student education around gun violence prevention and access to health insurance coverage for medical students traveling while on rotations. In 2022, Melanie was selected to be part of the Husky 100, an award that recognizes 100 UW students who are making the most of their time at UW. Melanie feels passionately about the importance of changing health systems and health policy to address disparities at the population level and about partnering with individuals to achieve their health goals.
Outside of medicine, Melanie loves old maps, crossword puzzles, Dairy Queen, trying new bakeries, writing postcards, and being outside.
Melanie is thrilled and humbled by the chance to continue learning on and from Coast Salish land as part of the Cherry Hill and Rural Training Track families.