Study Public Health
The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) curriculum is for students who want to apply the degree to social and behavioral sciences, while the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) is for students who are interested in a broad-based natural science.
January 24, 2025 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu
“My mother was a public health nurse my whole life, so discussions of social determinants of health and community initiatives were the normal around our supper table,” says Merideth Tallon of growing up in Lamar, South Carolina – a town of fewer than a thousand residents. “She continuously demonstrated the importance of dedicating her time and using her education to give back to others. She has long been my inspiration, and I have always envisioned a career path for myself that would allow me to serve my own community.”
When it was time for college, Tallon kept her eye out for those community-focused opportunities, enrolling at USC as a public health major and a member of the South Carolina Honors College (No.1 among public universities across the nation) as a Top Scholar. During freshman year, Tallon applied for an internship program near her home in Darlington County, offhandedly checking “dentistry” as one of her areas of potential interest. She was placed with a hospital-affiliated dental office and began her internship in 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing.
“After receiving all of my training, specifically regarding donning PPE, I arrived early for my first day,” Tallon says. “The first patient at 7:30 a.m. would be having four extractions, and I was sure that by 8 o’clock that day, I would know if I was truly interested in dentistry ... or if I’d be heading home before lunchtime.”
She loved every minute of that summer and knew she had found her niche. Tallon was especially inspired by the fact that her office was one of very few in the area who accepted Medicaid and provided a wide array of services to their rural patients.
“This concept of maximizing the scope of practice for general dentists is so important to public health dentistry, and I am excited to be a part of these efforts in underserved areas in my future practice,” she says.
Back on campus, Tallon served as president for Student United Way and found mentors in public health faculty Kara Montgomery, Sara Corwin, and April Winningham.
“These three women are true champions of public health, who made me think about course topics long after class ended and helped us ‘colleagues in training’ fill our ‘toolboxes’ to become effective public health professionals,” Tallon says. “Dr. Montgomery, who was both my advisor and Honors thesis director, went above and beyond in every way to ensure that I was supported on campus, guided intellectually in my thesis, and connected to so many opportunities that spoke to my personal ambition and interests.”
After that impactful summer internship, it was Montgomery who connected Tallon with one of her public health colleagues working in a dental public health role, Arnold School alumna (DrPH in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior) and collaborator Amy Martin. That conversation led to an internship with the Division of Population Oral Health at the Medical University of South Carolina’s College of Dental Medicine under Martin’s guidance. After graduating in 2023, Tallon spent a year as a program assistant in the same office. She credits this sequence of events for helping her amass great experiences and working relationships with key public health dentistry stakeholders around the state.
“Fully lean into each and every opportunity that speaks to you during your time in college,” Tallon says looking back on that initial introduction. “You truly never know where each one might lead.”
These experiences confirmed Tallon’s commitment to pursuing a career in public health dentistry, and she enrolled at MUSC in 2024. With plans to return to the Pee Dee region of the state to serve her community, applying to the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program made perfect sense. Funded by the Health Resources & Services Administration, the program provides tuition and living expenses for students in exchange for their commitment to serve in areas with health professional shortages.
“This service contract aligns perfectly with my desire to work in public health dentistry in underserved areas,” Tallon says. “I am truly empowered by the knowledge that this scholarship program is pouring into me, so I can pour out into my community.”
As she looks toward her bright future, Tallon also looks back on the path she’s taken.
“I am just so incredibly grateful for the University of South Carolina,” she says of her time as a bachelor’s student. “The Arnold School provided an experience filled with support, guidance and networking opportunities. I am so, so thankful. Go cocks!”