Nicole Eisenberg Breaking down barriers in health care: the need for more women in surgical specialties
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Filmed on 13 February 2020 as part of TEDxUTK 2020 Opening the Door at the Ken and Blaire Mossman Auditorium in Knoxville, TN.

Nicole Eisenberg has seen first hand the challenges women face trying to enter male dominated professions. Unlike the broader healthcare environment, surgical specialties often remain closed off and women trying to enter them are often subject to unique pressures, harassment, and discrimination. In sharing her experiences, Nicole encourages women to push back against challenging institutional policies and advocate for meaningful reforms to ensure a level playing field for women in surgical specialties.
Nicole Eisenberg
Dr. Nicole Eisenberg grew up in Memphis, receiving her high school diploma from Briarcrest Christian School, her Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Physiology from Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama and her Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from The University of Tennessee, Memphis under the Armed Forces Health Profession Scholarship Program. She completed her residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from Yale-New Haven Hospital/St. Raphael Campus in 2007.

Dr. Eisenberg completed nine years of service as a Commander in the United States Navy in July 2016. While in the Navy she served various positions in Norfolk, VA, San Diego, CA, Okinawa, Japan, and Washington, DC.

Dr. Eisenberg is Board Certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and National Dental Board of Anesthesiology. She is also a member of several professional organizations including the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Dr. Eisenberg moved to Knoxville, TN upon completing her service in the U.S. Navy. Dr. Eisenberg volunteers as an Oral Surgeon at the Volunteer Ministry Dental Center and InterFaith Health Clinics and is a graduate of Introduction Knoxville Spring Class of 2018. She built and opened her private practice, Knoxville Center for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in January 2019 and works as an Independent Contractor for OMS Logistics.

Her interests include running, traveling, and outdoor activities. Her husband, Mitch, is a United States Naval Academy Graduate and an attorney with the Office of the District Attorney General of Knox County. Mitch and Nicole have boy and girl twins that keep them busy with numerous activities.