Petty Officer Third Class D’Onior Felton

Growing up in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, Petty Officer Third Class D’Onior Felton aimed to work in public health but never dreamt of becoming a doctor. After high school, she joined the U.S. Navy and worked as a hospital corpsmen with a specialty in surgical technology. While working as a surgical technologist, D’Onior gained the confidence to not only interact with physicians but to also set her sights on becoming a physician one day.

Consequently while serving on active duty, D’Onior earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland University College. After discharging in 2005, she completed all of the additional pre-med prerequisites on her way to entering medical school at George Washington University.

D’Onior has large goals in the realm of medicine and public health. As a doctor, she wants to provide health care to underserved communities in the southern portion of America and to continue to volunteer with medical missions in neighboring countries. Her aim in public health is to actively participate in community based programs to combat negative health outcomes, particularly teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

No matter which path she chooses, D’Onoir aims to work in a medically underserved community in the southern United States using the leadership skills she gained in the military to help her meet the individual and public health needs of this population. In all, D’Onior’s goals and ambitions can be summed up as the ability to enjoy her life and profession through service to others.