Melyssa M. Paulson, MD is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with more than two decades of clinical, academic, and administrative leadership experience in both private practice and the Veterans Health Administration. She most recently served as Orthopaedics Section Chief and Site Director for the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Orthopaedic Surgery Program at the VA New Jersey Health Care System (East Orange Campus), a position from which she retired after nearly 20 years of service.

Dr. Paulson earned her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and her undergraduate degree from Tufts University, where she graduated cum laude. She completed her orthopaedic surgery residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, followed by a sports medicine fellowship at Pennsylvania Hospital / University of Pennsylvania, where she gained extensive experience caring for professional and collegiate athletes.

During her tenure at the VA, Dr. Paulson served as the sole full-time orthopaedic surgeon overseeing a high-volume, complex service. Her responsibilities included outpatient and operative care, emergency and inpatient coverage, and comprehensive management of attending physicians, physician assistants, residents, and ancillary staff. Prior to her VA career, she practiced as a general orthopaedic surgeon with the Rahway–Edison Orthopaedic Group in New Jersey.

An accomplished academic and professional contributor, Dr. Paulson has served as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, published peer-reviewed articles in leading orthopaedic and sports medicine journals, and held numerous leadership roles, including membership on the National VA Surgical Advisory Board. Her work has been recognized with multiple honors, including the Federal Executive Board’s Professional Employee of the Year Award and a VA Special Contribution Award for improving access to care and operational efficiency in orthopaedic services.