Integrating Reentry Medicine Into Medical Education: A Student-Run Free Clinic Model

Abstract

Formerly incarcerated individuals reentering the community face persistent structural barriers to health care, leading to delayed treatment, suboptimal disease management, and increased incidence of preventable morbidity. Many academic medical centers support student-run free clinics (SRFCs) for underserved patients, yet none explicitly focus on reentry health. We describe a collaboration between a university-affiliated SRFC and a community reentry organization to create a reentry clinic serving individuals returning from incarceration. By embedding this clinic within an existing SRFC network, we rapidly launched a sustainable care model supported by institutional funding, student volunteers, and established administrative systems. During its inaugural year, 13 clinics were held, and 91 patients were scheduled with a 53% attendance rate. Patients most often sought referrals for primary care and dental services, highlighting poor access to preventive care that increases vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. This novel model improves access to care, fosters medical student clinical competencies, and offers a replicable and feasible framework for other institutions to promote reentry health. We call on academic medical centers to support similar initiatives that leverage existing institutional resources to advance health equity, address the barriers faced by criminal–legal-involved patients, and prepare future physicians to deliver patient-centered care.