Medical intern Mel Boudreau graduated from John Hopkins Medical School as valedictorian. After leaving her abusive boyfriend Sean, she spent three years without dating so she could concentrate on her career and moved to Springfield with her family. Mel's introduction to Cedars Hospital came in 2001 when, while working in the emergency room, she immediately clashed with her supervisor, Rick Bauer. Rick was angry not only because she treated one of his patients without consulting him, but also because she made a mistake that could have been fatal. Soon Rick realized that though he and Mel differed on methodologies, they both went into medicine for the same reason: they wanted to help people. Later, Rick and Clayton tried to convince Mel to live a life out of Cedars. However, one day, when Rick witnessed Sean was harassing her, he told Sean that he was Mel's fiancé. Though thankful, Mel explained to Rick that they had no future due to his apparent love for Harley Cooper, and their baby. Though Rick and Mel grew closer, in the end, Rick chose Harley because of their newborn baby,, Jude. As a result, Mel wanted to switch departments to avoid Rick but Felicia convinced her not to. Not long after, Mel and Rick were on hand to help Sam Spencer who suffered from a virus.

When Sam recovered in January 2002, Mel and Rick got closer again. Sensing the connection between Rick and Mel, her father Clayton tried to fix her up with one of his former students, Ashton. Though upset about her father's interference in her life, Mel went out on a date with Ashton anyway and was pleased to hear from Rick that he and Harley had parted ways. Soon, Mel and Rick confessed their love for each other and began dating. However, not everyone accepted the new relationship, especially Clayton and Remy who had heard nurses gossiping at work that Mel had advanced in position only because she was "sleeping with the boss." Mel had an impossible time with Clayton, who delivered a sobering lecture on the difficulties she would face as the wife of a white man. However, eventually, because he loved his daughter, he accepted the relationship. Mel then feared the reaction of Rick's family, but luckily, Rick's sister, Michelle, welcomed her with open arms.

Weeks later, Mel and Rick went to the Bauer cabin where they made love for the first time. Immediately after, Mel proposed to Rick and he accepted. At their engagement party, Rick, who had been having shortness of breath for weeks, collapsed. When the test results came back, a horrified Mel discovered he had an advanced viral infection and would likely die without a heart transplant. While coping with her own devastated reaction, she had to break the news to Rick. Mel then postponed the wedding and she and Rick were glad when Rick's name was put on top on the list of heart patients. After being moved to the hospital, Rick married Mel in a beautiful ceremony that was arranged by his best friend, Phillip Spaulding, and with Rick's absentee father, Ed, in attendance. After the wedding, Mel and Rick learned that a heart was found for Rick and when they returned to Cedars from the Bauer cabin, Rick saw that a father of a desperate kid was more in a need for a heart. so he faked having fever and let the man get the heart. The next few days, Rick got worse and worse, while Mel treated Richard Winslow, who, after being badly injured in a car accident, was in a coma. There was no hope for Richard and Mel contemplated pulling the plug on him. One morning, Mel stopped by his room to check on him and found his alarm and ventilator turned off. She turned them back on, not realizing Michelle had seen her. Rick was given Richard's heart in the nick of time, and Mel devoted herself to helping Rick recover.

Too tired to file any reports or face any hearings, and fearing that Ed or Michelle had killed Richard, she kept silent, without knowing that Michelle was keeping silent because she thought Mel had done the same thing. Only when Ed falsely confessed to the crime to spare her did Mel learn of the full situation. She admitted to everyone that she had known about the ventilator and had kept quiet and was suspended from chief of staff, Charles Grant. Finally, Reva Lewis confessed that she was the one who pulled the plug and Mel was reinstated at Cedars when Eden August was shot and no one but Mel was on hand to help her. Finally happy with Rick, Mel then left town for a few months to help Rick recuperate at a rehabilitation center.

In 2003, Mel shocked her family by announcing that she was going back to law school. That summer, before passing the bar, she was offered a job with the District Attorney's office. That fall, Mel (who despite her fears, passed the bar) quit her job at the DA's office and started working at Harley's Angel's with Harley and Blake, providing legal advice to those who were in need. Though Jeffrey belittled her decision to leave a good job in favor of an idealistic dream, Mel was determined to do some good with her law degree. Not long after, Mel happily announced to Rick that they were going to have a baby. Meanwhile, as Mel prepared for her first court hearing, she realized that she was up against Jeffrey. Not intimidated, she one-upped him. Though he gave as good as he got,.Mel won the case. Soon after, Jeffrey gave her a statuette as a gift, Later, Harley found a listening device inside the statuette at Harley's Angels.

In 2004, Mel got caught up in Rick's troubles with his father. Noticing that Ed was acting stressed and extremely agitated, Rick had no success in convincing Ed to take time off at the hospital. Realizing Ed could be a danger at the hospital, Rick and Mel concocted a plan to get Ed to take leave from the hospital. Knowing that Ed would never place his grandchild at risk, Mel asked Ed to do her blood work for her exam. As expected, when Ed tried to take blood from her, he had trouble focusing, rushed out and took a leave of absence. Although Rick felt somewhat guilty, Mel assured him that they did the right thing by setting Ed up. The end of March, Mel gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, while Rick showed a more levelheaded Ed that all was forgiven by asking his father to witness the birth. As the year progressed, Mel was on hand to offer romantic advice to Harley, as well as professional advice when Harley's father's restaurant, Company, found itself in danger of being demolished by Phillip. She also helped support the family when Rick's sister, Michelle, was suddenly struck with amnesia. At the end of the year, the Bauer marriage became strained due to Phillip's death. Although Rick wanted Mel to help him mourn the loss of the friend he loved, Mel couldn't find it in her heart to mourn a man who ended up trying to ruin Harley's life and who even kidnapped Rick's own son, Jude. Unable to grieve with his wife, Rick bonded with Phillip's ex-wife, Beth, since she knew what he was going through.

Things became tense when in 2005, Mel saw Beth impulsively kiss Rick. Though she later, gave Rick the opportunity to come clean about what happened, he didn't. That same day, when Beth showed up, Mel confronted them both. Later, Mel spotted Rick comforting Beth, and, suspecting that she was losing her husband, informed him that she wouldn't let him go without a fight. After her declaration, the Bauer marriage would become more secure. The week of Thanksgiving, Rick and Mel watched as Danny and Michelle married in a simple ceremony at the Bauer home. However the reunion was bittersweet as mere days later, Michelle and Danny decided to leave Springfield.

In 2006, Mel found herself with an ethical dilemma when, while treating an injured Jeffrey who was under pain medication, she learned that Jeffrey had impersonated Richard in San Cristobel and made love to Cassie! Shocked, Mel thought Cassie had a right to know but wasn't sure if she should tell. After speaking with Rick (without actually telling him the story), he confirmed what she already knew. She had to keep Jeffrey's secret. Later, she tried to urge Jeffrey to tell Cassie the truth. Later, while working at Cedars, Mel got a shock when she overhead Alan Spaulding accuse Rick of being the cause of Ross Marler's death. She was later rocked to the core when Rick confessed that he'd lied the previous summer when he had Phillip's body exhumed. Phillip was alive; not dead. Not only that, he paid a man to tamper with Ross's private plane so Ross wouldn't be able to find Phillip. Rick explained that the plane was never supposed to take off--Ross was supposed to switch planes; not insist on taking the tampered one. Horrified that he once again put Phillip ahead of everyone else, Mel declared that she didn't know if she could forgive him. She then ordered him out of the house. However, since a teenaged Leah was coming home for the summer she allowed Rick to stay at the house until Leah left again. Later, Mel and Rick pretended that everything was fine in front of Leah and Remy, but no one bought it; especially when Mel exploded about Rick helping Phillip and ordered him to take some responsibility for Ross's death.

Weeks later, Leah tried to convince Mel to forgive Rick. In frustration, Leah accused Mel of bailing on the family but Mel refused to let Rick off the hook. Things remained strained for weeks, with Mel deciding to work instead of attending the Bauer Barbecue. Although he tried to convince her to stay home and celebrate as a family, Mel refused. Later that day, Leah complained of a major stomach ache and so Rick took her to Cedars. As Mel examined Leah with Rick in the room, they realized Leah was faking. Playing along, they stated that Leah needed a shot which prompted the girl to admit that she was faking in an attempt to bring the family together. Her plan worked and Mel came home in time to watch the fireworks.

Unfortunately, the marriage was still strained and over a month later Mel accidentally ended up on a date with a colleague which Remy interrupted, reminding her that she was married. An angry Mel then ended up at Jeffrey's and came on to him, but he rebuffed her by using reverse psychology and coming on to her. Afterwards, Mel finally informed Rick that she truly wanted to work on their marriage. Though Rick agreed, things still remained strained. Weeks later, Mel informed Rick that she was finally able to forgive him fully. That same day, Mel found a key to a room at the Beacon in Rick's pocket. Soon after, at Towers, Mel was rocked when Jonathan Randall exposed Rick's affair with Beth! When Mel hurriedly left, Rick ran after her and tried to explain that he sought comfort with an old friend after Mel turned him away. None of his excuses were convincing to her and she threw them back in his face. Days later, Mel found Leah throwing out her toys and realized that she found out about the affair. Though Leah refused to forgive her father, Mel convinced her to forgive Rick. However, Mel wasn't sure if she could do the same. Soon after, Mel had a confrontation with Beth who blamed the affair on Mel. Soon after, Mel finally decided to forgive Rick and give her marriage another try. For several weeks, Beth kept on actively pursuing Rick and provoking Mel. She also arranged for Rick to be transferred to the clinic in Clayton, with her as his boss. The situation became too much for Mel who told Rick of her intention to get a divorce. When Rick begged her to reconsider, she stated that she would think about it. Not long after, Mel met with Jeffrey to try out Beth's suggestion that she have an affair. When Jeffrey turned her down, she made another proposal--they become partners in a private law firm.

In 2007, Springfield was rocked by the death of Tammy Winslow in a hit and run. The person hit hardest by this was Remy since Tammy had tried to warn him that something bad was going to happen but he wouldn't listen. Enraged, Remy took the law into his own hands and beat the driver, Mark Gillespie, to a pulp. Remy was suspended for his actions and later, bitterly quit the force. Not long after, Alan Spaulding was shot at his wedding reception and Remy was a suspect since he was working security there under a false name. Mel acted as Remy's lawyer and informed him that she did not want to know what really happened since she needed to believe in his innocence. Luckily, Remy was soon cleared and Mel represented Cassie when the police began questioning her. Not long after, Josh shocked everyone by confessing to the crime himself. Though Mel was the one who initially spoke with Josh after the confession, it was Jeffrey who actually tried to the case. In the meantime, Rick surprised Mel by asking for a divorce. After telling him that she forgave him for everything, Mel embraced him in friendship.

Weeks later, Mel was shocked when Alan told her that Rick was harboring under the delusion that Beth was pregnant with his baby. Mel went to Rick who confirmed that Beth was pregnant and there was a very good chance that the baby was his. Though hurt, Mel offered to represent Rick in his custody suit for the baby. In the meantime, Leah was still refusing to talk to her father and so Mel told her about the upcoming baby. Later, Mel was shocked not only when Rick declared his love for Beth at the Bauer BBQ but when Beth agreed to marry him on the spot. The next day, Mel wished them well and privately warned Beth not to keep Leah from her father or she would have Mel to deal with. In the meantime, Mel played matchmaker for Remy by discouraging him from dating her new assistant Lola, knowing full well that would only entice him to do it. Over the next few months, Mel took care of legal matters such as getting information for Jeffrey regarding Alan's whereabouts on day in Sept, representing the Lewis family after one of their buildings collapsed, and helping Olivia with her will and guardianship issues with Emma. Finally, at the end of the year, Mel decided it was time to move out of the Bauer house and returned it to Rick.

In 2008, Jeffrey left the practice in order to take over the DA position again. Meanwhile, Beth had her baby which turned out to be Alan's after all. Mel agreed to help Rick fight for custody but warned him that since Alan would probably fight dirty it might be best to cut his losses. Months later, Mel was pleasantly surprised when Remy told her his intention of becoming an Emergency Medical Technician. Mel immediately deduced that Remy's sudden desire to add focus to his life must be the result of a woman's influence. Remy admitted that there was a woman that he liked a lot—Ava Peralta. The problem was that Ava was pregnant with Bill Lewis's child and was all set to marry him. Several weeks later, Ava's baby was born. Though Ava had thought she'd gotten pregnant by an anonymous sperm donor, it soon became clear that Remy was the father. Unfortunately, by this point, Bill was married to Ava and his name was on the birth certificate. Though Remy insisted that Ava loved him, Mel couldn't get a sense of how Ava felt since Ava, suffering from post partum depression, was too distressed to make her wishes clear. However, before leaving for treatment, Ava did tell Remy to take care of Max. Though Mel planned on helping Remy secure custody of the baby, it became a moot point when Max died shortly after. Professionally, Mel handled Josh and Cassie's divorce and discovered that Beth was studying law. When Beth learned that she would be taking one of Mel's classes, Mel assured her that she would be fair. Not long after, Harley's house had gone on the market and Clayton got the idea to buy it for his kids. Though neither Remy nor Mel was excited about the prospect, Felicia was unable to talk Clayton out of his idea. At the same time, Mel learned about Remy's interest in attending medical school when she found a booklet on the MCAT's at his place.

Meanwhile, Marina Cooper and AC Mallet were readying up Harley's unfinished house to be bought by the Boudreaus. On the day that they were to sign the papers, Felicia noticed that while her children weren't too interested in the house, Mallet and Marina liked it. After overhearing Mel tell Mallet she might sell him the house one day, Felicia announced that they had a change of heart and would not be buying the house. Weeks later, Mel met Christina Moore, a friend of Remy's who was also taking the MCAT's. Although she told Remy that she was unimpressed with Christina, Mel admitted to her mother that she lied since she figured that would jinx it. When Christina failed the MCATS, Mel urged her to take them again. Weeks later, Remy and Christina told Mel that they impulsively married in a resort casino while on a drunken spree. Mel assured the pair that getting an annulment should be no problem. However, believing that they were perfect for each other, Mel stalled the proceedings by telling the pair that they needed a divorce instead. When Remy asked her to help him obtain the divorce, Mel said that she was too busy and ultimately confessed her belief that he and Christina should stay together.

In 2009, Mel was set to represent Reva in a groundbreaking case involving Reva's unborn child. A cancer stricken Reva had refused to let her child be delivered early despite the fact that she needed radiation treatments to save her life. Unwilling to risk Reva's life, Jeffrey sued for custody of the child and demanded that he be delivered immediately. Though she was ready to help Reva fight for custody of her unborn baby, Mel had a change of heart when Jeffrey talked about his unwillingness to lose Reva. Touched by Jeffrey's overwhelming love for Reva, Mel bowed out of the case. Weeks later, Mel also represented Dinah when she sued herself on behalf of the city of Springfield to compensate for her role in Lizzie's kidnapping. Mel also represented Remy who finally divorced Christina. In the meantime, Mel shared a dance with the charming Cyrus Foley at Bill and Lizzie's wedding. When Mel had too much to drink, Cyrus took her home and put her to bed. Later, Mel defended Cyrus, a former career criminal, when he was arrested for stealing some diamonds from the police. Mel was successfully able to get the charges against Cyrus dropped. As the weeks went on, it was obvious that both Mel and Cyrus were attracted to one another. Finally, on Cyrus's birthday, Mel thoughtfully brought him cookies. She was also prepared to make love but quickly had a change of heart. Weeks later, Cyrus brought Mel cookies and she finally gave in and made love to him.