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April 11, 2025, David Mitchell — Samantha Busch always knew she had a passion for science, but it wasn’t until she took a service-learning course at the University of Wisconsin – Madison that her future in medicine came into focus.
“We explored how unstable housing impacts families, their structure, and child development,” said Busch. “That experience really resonated with me. I started branching out from there and found my ‘why’ in medicine — working with people experiencing poverty and being an advocate for underserved communities. From then on, I kept looking for those kinds of experiences.”
Her connection to that mission runs deep. Having grown up in a rural Wisconsin family that often had to stretch every dollar, Busch developed an early awareness of the gaps in care for those most in need.
Prior to medical school, Busch aimed to seek out real-world opportunities to serve. She worked with BadgerCare Plus — Wisconsin’s Medicaid Program — conducting community outreach and Medicaid enrollment at the Dane County Jail and local community organizations supporting those experiencing homelessness.
In medical school, she joined a student-run street medicine program, delivering care directly to people experiencing poverty. In her clinical years, she helped launch a satellite clinic in one of Milwaukee County’s most underserved neighborhoods.
“There are vulnerable populations that need more support and advocacy,” said Busch, who recently matched with the family medicine residency at UW-Madison. “I want to be the best clinician I can be and that starts with learning what resources are available — and just listening.”
This work was part of her involvement in the Training in Urban Medicine and Public Health (TRIUMPH) program, where students complete longitudinal community engagement projects in urban areas in addition to their clinical rotations.
“The goal was to bring primary care to where people actually live, especially in an area with limited access to medical resources,” said Busch, who will graduate from the University of Wisconsin’s Madison School of Medicine and Public Health in May. “We worked closely with the COA-Goldin Center, a prominent community organization, to try build something long-lasting.”
Busch’s leadership experiences so far go beyond the clinic and community, having served as student director for the Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians Foundation; planning committee member for the Family Medicine Midwest Conference; regional coordinator for the AAFP’s Family Medicine Interest Group Network; and student board member for the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.
“It was a big year of growth,” she said. “I got to see how the family medicine community works together nationally and regionally, and I loved being part of that collaboration.”
Busch was elected to the STFM Board during the 2024 National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students (now called FUTURE). This year’s event takes place July 31–Aug. 2 in Kansas City, Missouri, and includes leadership elections, workshops, and a residency fair with hundreds of programs.
“Conferences like FUTURE really sharpen your communication and networking skills,” Busch said. “They're great for anyone exploring leadership in medicine.”
For her leadership and service, Busch was one of 11 medical students named Pisacano Scholars. The scholarship, awarded by the American Board of Family Medicine, provides an annual $5,000 scholarship during a student’s final year of medical school and three years of residency training. Scholars participate in an annual leadership skills development event as well as other educational programs. The application deadline for the 2025 awards is May 1.
“It was such a tremendous honor,” Busch said. “I’m incredibly grateful to be part of that group.”
Busch will begin her family medicine residency at UW-Madison this summer, continuing her commitment to care, teaching and advocacy.
“I want to work in urban underserved areas, whether at a community health center or in academic medicine,” she said. “I love the chance to teach, practice and stay involved in systems-level change. That kind of variety — that’s what family medicine is all about.”