Members In The News

Even someone as accomplished as Samantha Busch can still get imposter syndrome. 
 
“There are times when I doubt myself,” Busch said. “But whenever I take time to reflect on my experience in medical school—although it's been crazy hard—I've also seen myself grow so much, not only in my clinical skills but as a person.” 
 
This WAFP-Foundation Student Director already has a long list of accomplishments under her belt—the latest includes becoming a student member of the Society of Teachers in Family Medicine. It was also just announced she is the recipient of a Pisacano Scholar Award. 
 
The Pisacano website describes its Scholars Leadership Program as “offering many career development opportunities, as well as scholarship funding, to the future leaders of family medicine. This premier leadership program is extremely competitive … Only students who demonstrate a strong commitment to the specialty of family medicine will be considered. In addition, each applicant must show demonstrable leadership qualities, academic performance, including evidence of clinical excellence and application of knowledge to clinical care, and communication skills and service.”
 
“I'm very proud of the clinician that I have become within the span of less than four years,” Busch said. “It is such an accomplishment to even get through the medical school curriculum.” 
 
She became involved in WAFP early in her medical career. 
 
“I was excited to start networking with physicians from around the state and learn more about what family medicine means and in different parts of Wisconsin,” Busch said. 
 
She was also appointed by the AAFP Board of Directors as a Family Medicine Interest Group Network Regional Coordinator. 
 
“We really got a lot of insight into how the organization works and the multitude and mountains of resources that AAFP has,” Busch said. “It's made me better Family Medicine advocate and has helped me know what kind of tools I can suggest to my colleagues who are also applying family medicine with me. In the future, I hope to continue mentoring and teaching medical students.” 
 
Adam Bradley worked with her as the Student Initiatives Strategist. 
 
“She has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication,” Bradley said. “Samantha’s natural ability to lead is evident in her thoughtful approach to both communication and action. She combines innovative thinking with a strategic execution of tasks, ensuring that her work is both impactful and forward-thinking. It has been a privilege to witness her leadership growth, as she continuously refines her skills and embraces new opportunities. Samantha’s commitment and effectiveness promise a bright future, and I am confident that she will play an influential role in shaping the future of family medicine for years to come.”
 
While studying Biochemistry during undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Busch knew she wanted pursue medicine, but she couldn’t pick what sector. 
 
“I didn't really know where my passion was. And then I started working with those experiencing poverty,” Busch said. “It just became a really big interest of mine to work with those experiencing homelessness.” 
 
During undergraduate, she was the Co-Founder and President of the student organization Building Bases whose mission was to provide direct support for families and children experiencing homelessness while also promoting educational events to raise awareness about the effects of systemic inequities and high rent prices across the nation. 
 
After completing undergraduate, she served as an AmeriCorps Medicaid Outreach Specialist with the Dane County Department of Human Services and the Dane County Jail in downtown Madison, WI.  She worked directly with over 250 individuals in homeless day shelters and jail to provide community outreach, food, and Medicaid enrollment assistance, and healthcare education.
 
Now, she is a s a 4th-year medical student, set to graduate from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (UWSMPH). 
 
“Medical school is so much more than just learning the diagnosis,” Busch said. 
 
Dr. Mark Beamsley was one of her FMIG advisors. 
 
“Sam has been an incredible leader in Family Medicine from the very start of medical school,” Beamsley said. “I vividly recall her as a first year student in our FMIG leader group. She was engaged, insightful, enthusiastic, and unfailingly helpful and interested to support her peers in the FMIG and her fellow students. She is an incredibly hard worker who was the driving force to help carry out large, high impact learning events at our school.  She has continued to model these qualities over the last four years and I have no doubt she will be an inspiring leader in her residency and beyond that in the future.  We are very lucky to have Sam with us and are so excited to see her enter the next phase in her career!”
 
Dr. Ildi Martonffy worked as her research mentor, on a project examining who provides inpatient pediatric care throughout our state. 
 
“She was thoughtful and tenacious in the research work she did with me that summer and equally astute in the clinical setting,” Martonffy said. “She delves into all of this service work with commitment and curiosity beyond what I witness in most students.  In her community work, she prioritizes centering the communities rather than any agenda folks in healthcare may have and brings her curiosity and creativity to this work, as well. I’m excited to see how her career in family medicine unfolds!”
 
At UWSMPH, she is enrolled as a Training in Urban Medicine and Public Health (TRIUMPH) student, which is an urban training track that helps students hone their public health and advocacy skills while working with diverse and medically underserved communities.
 
“The TRIUMPH program has really helped me see a different perspective,” Busch said.  “It's trained us to more broadly consider all the social, economic, political, advantages or disadvantages of certain groups and how that can play into somebody's individual health and the ways we can address that when they come and see us in the clinic.”
 
In addition to her clinical rotations, she completed a community health project alongside Aurora Health and COA-Goldin Center teams to support a new satellite clinic in an area with dense disparities in health and health care. 
 
This project takes place in an area Busch refers to as a “clinic desert:” the 53206 zip code has been deemed one of the most socioeconomic and healthcare disadvantaged areas in all of Milwaukee county. 
 
“I've really been exposed to a lot more than I ever thought I would,” Busch said. “It's made me more like a compassionate and empathetic person in general, not even just as s physician.”
 
In her free time, Busch enjoys gardening, saying it grounds her. 
 
“Looking back at who I was when I first started medical school, and who I am now applying into a family medicine residency, I just I feel very proud of myself that I was able to accomplish so many things,” Busch said. “All these things have really set me up for hopefully a very successful family medicine residency.”

WAFP extends our heartfelt congratulations to Board member and AAFP Delegate Joseph Gravel, Jr., MD, FAAFP on his induction as the new President of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM).

Dr. Gravel does not see this appointment as an honor, but instead an opportunity.

“We set out to achieve things together during the next year rather than a recognition of prior individual achievements—which are never done without others,” Gravel said. “Helping to lead STFM inspires me to continue striving for collective excellence in teaching and mentoring.” 

Last week in Los Angeles, he was handed the ceremonial STFM gavel. He will be working closely with many leaders in STFM including the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, the Collaborative, and program leaders to advance STFM’s missions. His term will bridge the current Strategic Plan with the still-being-finalized 2025-29 Strategic Plan. 

“This is an important year to get that off to a good start,” Gravel said. 

Dr. Gravel is Professor and Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He served as a residency program director for 20 years.

“A good teacher of family medicine possesses a combination of clinical expertise, communication skills, empathy, and a passion for teaching,” Gravel said. “Enthusiasm, curiosity, and a growth mindset are essential. Great teachers care deeply about their learners, are dedicated to their success, and are willing to go the extra mile when needed.”

He believes family medicine is the best profession in the whole world filled with the best people. 

“You get to be a lifelong learner while doing good, which is a special opportunity,” Gravel said. “Don’t let all the background noise—which is at times deafening—drown out why you chose this remarkable profession and all the good you are doing in the world. Don’t forget the positive impact you are making in peoples’ lives; it is much more than you think and includes not only the patient in front of you but those who care about them. many whom you’ll never meet.” 

His biggest advice is also his simplest: Be willing to adapt. 

“There will be many opportunities disguised as irksome challenges that you didn’t ask for and that you believe you don’t deserve,” Gravel said. “A ‘blessing in disguise’ is a real thing, often realized only in retrospect, and you will succeed if you keep this in mind. And don’t miss the little joys that are there each day if you are open to them.” 

As an inspiration for many others, he understands the importance of strong leadership in a Family Physician’s journey. 

“Choose your mentors wisely,” Gravel said. “If you can’t readily identify your mentors, put some of your precious time into intentionally developing those relationships it will save you time in the long run.”

Finally, he gave a reminder that all advice (including his) with a grain of salt. 

“Wisdom and knowledge are two different things,” Gravel said. “Look at advice as a potentially helpful data point rather than the ‘right answer’ for you.”

As President of STFM, he will be able to connect with other family medicine leaders, including the AAFP national leadership, fostering collaboration and the exchange of ideas to further enhance family medicine education and patient care.

“I greatly appreciate this opportunity,” Gravel said.