Reagan Butts - Completing an Internship (+5)

This summer I completed an internship in Madison, Wisconsin at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health where I completed research at my host site, the Nehemiah Center. I did public health research regarding health disparities for formerly incarcerated patients, where I learned about and examined causes of chronic illness and death for patients leaving the prison system.

This experience was transformative as I was able to work with actual former inmates committed to this public health research at the Nehemiah Center. I found that personal testimonies and experiences are a necessity for humanizing data, and that it is essential for aspiring physicians to understand incarceral health to properly treat all patients.  

At the end of the summer, I completed my experience by giving a final presentation at the local Stoughton Community health center where I got to share my learnings and findings throughout the 10-weeks. I look forward to returning to Madison next summer to continue this research and make more meaningful connections that will be essential to my future endeavors as a doctor.