Health Policy Track
Track Curriculum 2009/10
The Health Policy Track is designed to increase the interest, understanding, and capabilities of medical students in regard to the health policies (public, private, commercial, philanthropic, local, national, and global) that affect health and healthcare in the United States.
Health Policy Defined (Merriam Webster dictionary)
Health: The condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit; especially freedom from physical disease or pain.
Policy:
1) Prudence or wisdom in the management of affairs
2) A definite course or method of action selected from among alternatives and in light of given conditions to guide and determine present and future decisions
3) A high-level overall plan embracing the general goals and acceptable procedures especially of a governmental body
Track Objectives
- To gain an understanding of the dynamics of health policy issues and health policymaking in the United States
- To become knowledgeable about the forces (people, agencies, organizations, and movements) that affect health policy
- To understand the context of current health policies and controversies including the historical background of today’s health policy issues
- To take advantage of the extraordinary wealth of health policy learning opportunities that exist in the Washington, DC area
- To develop analytic capabilities and a knowledge base that will serve as preparation to address the important health policy challenges of the future
Track Activities
Required First & Second Year
- Attend lecture series
- Participate in an Experiential Opportunity in the Summer following first year
- Students must submit a project proposal including scope of work, a timeline, objectives/goals, and the organization/mentor with which the student will be working including contact information.
- After project completion, students are required to submit a 2-4 page paper to include the student’s project scope, the role the student played in the project, how the project changed from the original proposal, and reflections on the experience.
Other Opportunities in First & Second Year
- Attend Congressional Hearings
- Attend Policy Conferences
Required Third & Fourth Year
- Practice of Medicine Scholarly Project will be related to track of study
- Policy Elective (4-6 weeks)
Other Opportunities in Third & Fourth Year
- Attend Policy Events in the Nation’s Captiol
- Seniors can Participate in GW’s Residency Rotation in Health Policy
Track Lecture Series
Topic Areas for Years I & II (sampling)
- History of Health Policy
- The Safety Net
- Access to Care
- Advocacy
- Health Policy: A Physician’s Perspective
- Budget Policy
- Federal Health Policy
- Health care Financing
- Policy Analysis
- Health Services Research
- Big Doctoring -- Primary Care Policy
- Medicare and the Medicare Drug Benefit
- Medicaid – The Battle of the Budget
- Troubles in Detroit – Employment Based Insurance
Experiential Opportunities
Summer Internships/Senior Elective Host Sites (sampling)
- Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
- American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
- The Center for Health Services Research and Policy
- National Health Museum
- U.S. Congress
- DC Primary Care Association
- DC Department of Health
- GW Department of Health Policy
- Peace Corps
- Rand Corporation
*Other educational opportunities and activities to enrich students’ experiences may be added to the curriculum during the program, per the discretion of the Track Director.