Jeremy Fine, an MD-PhD student in health policy and management at the UNC School of Medicine and Gillings School of Global Public Health, knew from a young age he wanted to go into medicine.
Then, in college at the Washington University in St. Louis, he began experiencing symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The experience was debilitating, says Fine, who had never experienced a mental health condition and didn’t recognize his symptoms at first.
“Had I known more about the illness beforehand, I would have understood what was going on faster and been able to get help more quickly and suffer less,” he says. “As soon as I got back up on my feet, I knew that I wanted to use my experience to help educate others so others could suffer a little bit less.”
After graduating from college, he returned home to the Chicago area for a year, where he started volunteering with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). He visited schools to speak with kids and teenagers about mental health and mental wellness.
“I really wanted to use my story to break stigma, to help others understand that you can still have a good life in spite of mental illness, even though it’s certainly challenging sometimes,” says Fine.
Coming to UNC, Fine continued his work with NAMI while exploring other opportunities in the community. Since arriving in Chapel Hill, Fine has partnered with local officials to help improve transportation options for people experiencing mental health emergencies, resulting in the Non-Law Enforcement Transportation (NLET) program. Fine was awarded a 2025 Impact award from the Graduate School at UNC for his work spearheading NLET.
“Having moments like this where my combined training is contributing to something bigger is really fulfilling for me,” says Fine.
