Being a family nurse practitioner and owner of a Lake Charles, LA, primary care clinic has reinforced Melissa LeBrun’s interest in public health. 

“I have seen, firsthand, the need that exists for increased education and public health initiatives in communities across the country,” says LeBrun, DNP, APRN, who graduated from Geisel School of Medicine’s Master of Public Health (MPH) program in 2022. 

LeBrun is an assistant professor at Loyola University’s College of Nursing and Health in New Orleans, LA, and is the director of the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Loyola. She recently published Healthcare Business Ownership: A Step-by-Step Approach with two colleagues and is also a children’s book author. Below, LeBrun discusses the value of attaining an MPH degree at Geisel. 

Q: Why did you choose to pursue your MPH degree at Dartmouth? 

A: I value the mission of Dartmouth’s Hybrid MPH program and found that I could easily bridge my clinical practice with public health education with the core courses taught in the hybrid program. 

Q: How has your Dartmouth education influenced your career? 

A: Dartmouth has been monumental for my public health career. I was selected for a CDC/Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Applied Epidemiology Fellowship due to my background and education at Dartmouth. After completing my fellowship, I was offered a lead role as an infectious disease epidemiologist at the Texas Department of State Health Services. 

Q: What is something that surprised you about your educational experience at Dartmouth? 

A: I was surprised at how the faculty and staff made me feel like I belonged at Dartmouth. I never thought I would have the opportunity to study at a college like Dartmouth, and I was welcomed with open arms at the college. 

Q: What do you want applicants to know about Geisel? 

A: If you are looking for a career-changing opportunity in public health, Dartmouth provides an excellent foundation.