Dr. Palmer graduated from Forest Hills High School in Queens, New York. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University. Dr. Palmer graduated from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1985.[3] Dr. Palmer completed a liver fellowship at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine from 1988-1989.[4] Her medical residency training was at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York from 1985-1988.[5] Dr. Palmer completed a gastroenterology fellowship at Stony Brook University Medical Center from 1989-1991.[6]

Dr. Palmer is the author of the book "Dr. Melissa Palmer's Guide to Hepatitis & Liver Disease" (Penguin Press 2004).[7]

Dr. Palmer is the co-author of the medical textbook "Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease Nutrition Desk Reference(Taylor & Francis 2011)[8]

Dr. Palmer is a contributing author to the book "Loving Joe Gallucci: Love and Life with Hepatitis C" (Four Seasons Publishers 2003) [9]

== Internet ==BSDr. Palmer is the hepatitis expert for WebMD. She moderates WebMD's hepatitis exchange forum. [10]

Dr. Palmer is the author, or co-author, of 47 published articles pertaining to liver disease. [11] More than a dozen of Dr. Palmer's liver disease publications have been selected for inclusion on the Google Scholar website. [12]

A clinical study by Dr. Palmer discovered a link between being overweight and abnormal hepatic test results.[13]

Dr. Palmer has been featured in TIME Magazine, in an article on the relationship between hepatitis C and herbs.[14]

Dr. Palmer has been quoted as an expert on the subject of hepatitis and liver disease in the Wall Street Journal, [15], Los Angeles Times[16], and Newsday [17].

Dr. Palmer is the author of the hepatitis chapter in the "Encyclopedia of Plague, Pestilence, and Pandemic" (Greenwood Press 2008) [18]

Dr. Palmer is a member of the Medical Advisory Committee of the American Liver Foundation [19]

Dr. Palmer is one of the editors of the peer-reviewed medical journal "Practical Gastroenterology" [20]

Dr. Palmer is a member of the PBCers (Primary Biliary Cirrhosis) Doctors Panel [21]

== Bodybuilding Titles ==BIDr. Palmer is a former competitive bodybuilder. List_of_female_bodybuilders#P She won the heavyweight division of the NPC (National Physique Committee) 1991 Ms. Northern States bodybuilding contest.[22]

Chosen for Castle Connolly "Top Doctors", 2004-2010 [23]; Recipient of Patients' Choice award, 2008-2009.[24]; Cited by AASLD (American Association For The Study Of Liver Diseases) for distinction in fundraising for The Liver Research Fund [25]