Elkins, W.Va. – For Dr. Garrett Butler, Elkins is more than a charming mountain community. He recently joined the team of hospitalists at Davis Medical Center after realizing the community is the place he belongs.
On his day off from residency, Butler “crested the area,” exploring Elkins, Seneca and Canaan. When he returned to Morgantown that evening, he had more than travel adventures to share with his wife and parents.
“I’ve found where I’m meant to be,” Butler said recalling what he told his family.
Although he had not yet finished his residency, he delivered an application to DMC and signed a contract that wouldn’t begin for another year.
A native of rural Nebraska and former high school physics teacher, Butler came to the Mountain State to attend West Virginia University School of Medicine. He had applied to several other programs, but he said his interview at WVU went so well he canceled his other appointments.
“I felt they really wanted me in their program and I knew this was what I wanted to do and where I wanted to do it.”
While in school, he met his wife, Amanda, a native West Virginian. They and their daughter, Annika, are passionate about the outdoors and also like to take local railway excursions, especially since Butler’s father worked for the railroad in Nebraska and later with CSX in Maryland. In his free time, Butler enjoys rock climbing, cycling, gardening and woodworking.
The outdoors isn’t the only thing that attracts Butler to Elkins. His other passion is to serve rural communities. While he will primarily practice as a hospitalist at DMC, he will also provide outpatient primary care in outlying community clinics.
Butler earned his medical degree from WVU School of Medicine in 2014 and after completing his residency with experience in various medical disciplines, chose family medicine so he could care for a diverse population of patients.
“Medicine is about education,” Butler said. “It’s about spending time and teaching how to heal, how to manage, how to have better health. I believe in going beyond giving patient care, there’s much more to medicine than that.”
In addition to his medical degree, Butler holds a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., and a Bachelor of Science Degree in biology from Towson University in Towson, Md. He is also a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, National Rural Health Association, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and West Virginia Board of Medicine: WV #26718.
