Melissa S. Amundson, DDS

5 Fast Facts for Dr. Amundson

1. Melissa Amundson, DDS, MPH, FACS is an oral and maxillofacial (jaw and face) surgeon specializing in maxillofacial trauma with an emphasis on complex maxillofacial reconstructive surgery, orthognathic surgery (corrective jaw surgery) and benign tumor treatment and reconstruction.
2. Dr. Amundson is the only trauma fellowship trained oral maxillofacial surgeon in the state of Florida. She completed her Advanced Trauma and Craniomaxillofacial fellowship in Portland, Oregon at the Head and Neck Institute of Legacy Emanual Hospital.
3. Dr. Amundson is a diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS). She is also among only a handful of single-degree OMFS in the country.
4. Dr. Amundson is the only OMFS on the Doctors Without Borders surgical team working in Honduras and Nigeria.
   In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, traveling and volunteer mission work

Get to Know Your Doctor

Is there something about you that may surprise people?
I have been working since I was 13. From cleaning hotel rooms, fast food, stocking shelves, waitressing, lab chemist and pharmaceutical representative, I have worked in many different sectors held many different roles from the bottom to the top.

What made you choose Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare?
The operating rooms are the nicest I have seen in the state of Florida, there are growth opportunities in the trauma program and the relationship with Florida State University is robust. Additionally, TMH plays a vital role in rural health care, increasing access to care in populations that are often overlooked in the United States.

What has been your proudest moment in your medical career?
My proudest moment is being the only American in the MSF pool of maxillofacial surgeons.

What is your patient care philosophy?
I try to engage patients in the decision-making process and offer treatment options that I would offer a family member. As a surgeon, the temptation is always to operate, but many times less is more and identifying the right time to not operate can be challenging, but it is often the right thing to do.

What is an interesting fact about yourself?
I was the first female Fellow the program in Portland had ever taken and was also the first female associate and partner they had ever had. After jumping this hurdle, it has opened doors for multiple women to be offered fellowship and associateship positions at this program.