From Incarceration to Care: Transforming Medical Education about a Marginalized Patient Population
with Namhee Kim, PhD, Monideepa Becerra, DrPH and Melissa Chen, MD
This presentation is released on Monday, January 18, 2027.
A two-hour seminar, now part of the required fourth-year curriculum, treats mass incarceration as a structural determinant of health, covering its history, healthcare and the carceral system, and lived experience from a formerly incarcerated speaker. Of 164 participants, 88% agreed or strongly agreed that it increased their knowledge and 87% that it filled a gap in their medical education. Responses suggest lived experience may build structural competency.
Cite this presentation
Madelyn Moulton; Namhee Kim, PhD; Monideepa Becerra, DrPH; Melissa Chen, MD. From Incarceration to Care: Transforming Medical Education about a Marginalized Patient Population. Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Accepted for presentation at the 2026–27 National Aequitas Health Conference, Monday, January 18, 2027.
Aequitas Health is a national medical honor society and 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose fellows are selected for community health work serving those in need. It is a 2023 recipient of the McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund (McNulty Foundation and Aspen Institute). This is one of 21 presentations at the 2026–27 National Conference, which is free, virtual and open to anyone.