Madalene Drummond is a Nurse Practitioner (NP) at the Vanderbilt Weight Loss Center (WLC), specializing in surgical weight loss. Prior to her career at VUMC, she graduated from the University of Georgia in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in nutrition science and a minor in Spanish. She attended Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, graduating with a master’s degree in nursing in 2017 followed by a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in 2019.
She initially started with the WLC in 2018, with a primary focus on medical weight loss. During this time, she developed a passion for the field of obesity medicine. She enjoyed combining her background in nutrition with the medical management of obesity to assist and motivate patients to desired outcomes.
In 2019, she conducted her DNP project in the WLC, focusing on patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The clinic now routinely uses two PROMs, which help facilitate assessment of weight-related successes and challenges. Her poster for this project, titled “Utilizing Patient Reported Outcomes and Quality of Life Measures in the Management of Obesity,” was presented at the 2020 AANP Annual Conference. The manuscript was later published in the Journal of Doctoral Nursing Practice in February 2022.
In early 2020, she expanded her NP role towards caring for post-op bariatric surgery patients. Her favorite parts of her job are seeing the significant impact losing weight has on patients’ quality of life and developing long standing relationships with them. She enjoys acting as a mentor and cheerleader for her patients, on top of being their healthcare provider. She attributes her love of this field to both her patients and the incredible team of nurses, surgeons, bariatricians, advanced practice providers (APP), and staff she is fortunate to work with every day.
Alongside her clinic responsibilities, Madalene acts as the APP team lead for the WLC. In Fall 2021, she developed the curriculum for the WLC’s first NP fellowship program and hired the first fellow in January 2022. She was also elected 2021-2022 VUMC APRN Fellowship Oversight Committee Co-Chair-elect. She is passionate about education, particularly surrounding the disease of obesity and the importance of treatment for this population and finds various ways to fulfill this interest. She frequently speaks to nurse residents at VUMC on the topic of obesity medicine, and acts as a fill-in preceptor for VPIL (Vanderbilt Program for Interprofessional Learning) students. She has also been involved in helping build the medical weight loss bundle, which went into effect January 2022 and expands patient access to anti-obesity medications. 
In her free time, you can find Madalene jet-setting to new cities, exploring foodie spots around town, spending time outside running or playing tennis, and cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Will, and teaching new tricks to their 2-year-old English Cream Golden Retriever, Henry. She attributes her accomplishments to her family and friends, who have been a constant support throughout her endeavors.