"Growing up in Ardmore, I danced, swam, played little league, chased fire flies, ran lemonade stands, held my first job and learned the morals and ethics a person needs to take them through life," said Dr. Tamara Worthen-Mikulecky.
She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.S. in Chemistry and went on to graduate from the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry in 1995.

April 1995 provided the unfortunate tragedy of the Oklahoma City bombing. Dr. Worthen worked at the Medical Examiner's office in the identification of the victims. "It was one of the most life changing encounters I have ever experienced, changing me as a person forever," said Dr. Worthen-Mikulecky.

With the completion of residencies in General Practice Dentistry at Saint Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City and Pediatric Dentistry at The Children's Hospital of Denver, Colorado, she stayed on staff at the hospital in an Attending Position and as the Pediatric Dentist for the Cleft Lip and Palate Team.

      She participated in two international missions with Operation Smile to Santo Domingo, Ecuador and Cavite, Philippines.
     

Both missions surgically corrected facial deformities and provided dental care to deprived areas of third world countries. She met her husband Paul Mikulecky, an Oklahoma Internist, in Denver. "Paul and I always talked about moving back to Oklahoma. We both felt it was a great place to raise a family.

He provides lectures for the Dallas Orthopedic review course to prepare surgeons for the Board exam. Ethics and morals are taught not only in the home but also within the community. We checked into several cities that could support both a Pediatric Dentist and an Internist. Ardmore had many more opportunities than the other cities we considered and was much more diversified. We made a great decision! I couldn't be in a better Pediatric Dental practice with such great patients. I volunteer at the Good Shepherd Mission Dental Clinic which provides much needed services to many people. Mercy Memorial is a wonderful hospital placing patient care above the bottom dollar. It is very refreshing for us to be a part of a hospital that focuses on the healthcare of the community."