Dr. Benjamin Gilmer - The Tale of Two Gilmers

Dr. Benjamin Gilmer is a family physician, professor, and advocate who focuses on bringing attention to the social injustice of mass incarceration, scarcity of mental health care, and global and rural health disparities.

A former neurobiologist turned rural family doctor, Benjamin Gilmer is a family physician, professor, and advocate who focuses on bringing attention to the social injustice of mass incarceration, scarcity of mental health care, and global and rural health disparities.

Fresh out of medical residency, Dr. Benjamin Gilmer joined a rural clinic only to find that its previous doctor, Dr. Vince Gilmer, murdered his own father. The deeper Benjamin looked into Vince’s case the more he became convinced something was amiss and Vince’s mental and physical health. Benjamin started to research Vince’s cases and even worked with Sara Koenig of “Serial” to get to the bottom of the mystery, which inspired This American Life’s “Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde.” Through the show,  they discovered the myriad of conditions that led Vincent toward these terrible circumstances. Moved, touched, and inspired, Benjamin went on to continue fighting for Vincent’s clemency until Dr. Vincent Gilmer’s release. 

His recent book, The Other Dr. Gilmer, and an upcoming feature film project continue Benjamin’s mission to highlight and transform the atrocity of mass incarceration of people with mental illness

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