Daniels gains rural health experience from AmeriCorps
January 9, 2025
A recent DSU graduate, Brandon Daniels (B.S. ’24), is working alongside Harvard doctors from Harvard’s teaching hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, on the Rosebud Reservation while serving with the AmeriCorps Rural Health Partnership.
Daniels learned of the yearlong program when a program recruiter visited campus. “After hearing about the chance to work in rural health and gain hands-on experience with Harvard doctors, I knew it would be a great fit for my future goals in medicine,” he said.
With letters of recommendation from Dr. Andrew Sathoff and Dr. Peng Guo, Daniels was selected for the volunteer program.
“Dr. Sathoff’s encouragement throughout my academic journey and the application process was invaluable, and I truly appreciate his continued support so much,” he said. “I can never fully repay him for all the help he has given me.”
Additionally, Guo’s mentorship helped shape how Daniels approaches problem-solving and learning, which he has found beneficial in this position.
The Massachusetts General Hospital Rural Medicine Program partners with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe to provide community outreach clinics around the Rosebud Reservation. As a health systems coordinator, Daniels focuses on strengthening health equity and health initiatives around the reservation. At the outreach clinics, he oversees the entire event and assists with various tasks, including filing the role of a lab tech.
“In addition to the clinics, I’m also helping develop a settler-colonialism curriculum for the medical students and trainees coming from Boston,” Daniels explained. “The curriculum will help them understand the culture of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe before they arrive for their clinical rotations.”
He is also involved with grant writing for the tribe, to help secure funding for vital resources like the public health nurse who works at the outreach clinics, as well as efforts to obtain a mobile health unit.
“While it was challenging at first, it’s been an invaluable learning experience in coordinating with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to make these clinics run efficiently,” Daniels shared.
Graduating with a degree in biology and a minor in chemistry, Daniels was inspired to attend DSU because his two biggest role models, his dad and Dr. Chad Kurtenbach, an orthopedic surgeon at Sanford and the team physician for South Dakota State University.
His experiences at DSU, particularly in conducting research and using lab equipment, gave him the foundational knowledge and experience to take on this role successfully.
“The lab techniques I learned at DSU have been invaluable in helping me understand how the tests work and to perform them more effectively,” he said.
Doing research in the lab with Sathoff and fellow students Conner Tordsen and Travis Rebstock has been among Daniels’ favorite memories of his time at DSU.
“The hands-on research projects we worked on were both challenging and rewarding, and I truly valued the opportunity to learn from such knowledgeable and supportive mentors,” he said. “The collaborative atmosphere in the lab and the excitement of making discoveries made it an unforgettable part of my DSU experience.”
In May, Daniels will begin applying to medical schools and he is excited to bring what he’s learning in this AmeriCorps program to his future medical training.
“Working with a diverse team, learning from healthcare professionals at Massachusetts General Hospital, and being involved in public health initiatives have helped me develop the kind of patient-centered, systems-based approach that is essential for a future in medicine,” he said.
This experience has already impacted his future career goals.
“My time with Massachusetts General Hospital and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe has been transformative in shaping my future career goals in medicine,” he said. “This experience has expanded my appreciation for rural healthcare and the need for creative solutions to address disparities in care.”