About
Dr. Melissa Boylan grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and has called Columbia, SC home for over 15 years. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame before attending Georgetown University School of Medicine. Georgetown's motto, cura personalis, meaning caring for the whole person, shaped her approach to medicine from the start. She completed her Family Medicine residency at the Palmetto Health/USC Family Medicine Residency Program in Columbia, where she served as co-chief resident in her final year.
Dr. Boylan has held board certification in Family Medicine since 2011. She became a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians in 2019. She is passionate about preventive care, women's health, mental health management, chronic disease, and pediatrics. Her research on physician burnout and fulfillment in direct primary care appeared in the Southern Medical Journal in May 2025. That work earned recognition in the keynote address at the DPC Summit 2025 in New Orleans. In March 2026, she took the stage as a speaker at TEDxCongaree Vista in Columbia. She also co-founded the Columbia chapter of Walk with a Doc with Dr. Victoria Leventis-Shew, hosting monthly walks at Saluda Riverwalk. She enjoys teaching medical students and family medicine residents and brings that same curiosity and thoroughness to every patient visit.
Education & Training
Undergraduate
University of Notre Dame
Medical School
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Residency
Family Medicine, Palmetto Health/USC Family Medicine Residency Program, Columbia, SC (co-chief resident)
Additional Training
Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP), 2019
Certifications
Conditions Treated
Who is Dr. Boylan right for?
Dr. Boylan serves patients from birth through adulthood, making her a strong fit for individuals and whole families. Adults managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disease, or high cholesterol benefit from her longitudinal, preventive approach. She treats depression and anxiety in addition to acute and urgent care needs. Patients who want direct access to their physician and unhurried appointments will find her style a natural match.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Dr. Boylan treats a broad range of conditions across all age groups. Her clinical focus includes diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, thyroid conditions, asthma, COPD, depression, anxiety, headaches, anemia, kidney disease, and seasonal allergies. She also handles acute needs like strep throat and urinary tract infections, and she provides women's health services including GYN exams and pap tests.
Yes, Dr. Boylan cares for patients from birth through adulthood. She describes her mission as putting the family back in family medicine. Well child exams, school physicals, and sports physicals are all part of her regular practice.
Yes, Dr. Boylan holds board certification in Family Medicine, which she has maintained since 2011. She also earned fellowship status with the American Academy of Family Physicians in 2019, a credential recognizing advanced commitment to the specialty.
Dr. Boylan attended Georgetown University School of Medicine for her medical degree and completed her Family Medicine residency at the Palmetto Health/USC Family Medicine Residency Program in Columbia, SC. She served as co-chief resident during her final year of training.
Members can contact Dr. Boylan directly through the Spruce Health App via text messaging. For urgent after-hours needs, the Spruce Health App and a staffed phone line both provide access. The practice answers its phone with a live person, not an automated system.
Yes, Dr. Boylan performs a range of in-office procedures. These include small skin biopsies, small laceration repairs, joint injections for the knee and shoulder, wart removal, and abscess drainage. In-office testing such as strep, flu, urinalysis, and blood glucose is also available.
Preventive medicine sits at the center of Dr. Boylan's practice. She conducts comprehensive well visits for men, women, and children, and she manages chronic conditions proactively to reduce long-term risk. Her clinical philosophy draws on Georgetown's motto of cura personalis, caring for the whole person.
Yes, Dr. Boylan published a research paper titled 'Comparison of Burnout and Fulfillment Rates between Physicians in Direct Primary Care and Other Practice Models' in the Southern Medical Journal in May 2025. That research earned recognition in the keynote address at the DPC Summit 2025 in New Orleans.
Doctor profile last updated April 10, 2026