Robert G. Frank, PhD

My RWJF Health Policy fellowship immersed me in the pressing problems faced by our country. Equally valuable was the opportunity to meet and learn from the most important American policy-makers of the time. Formal learning about health policy, as well as how to impact health policy, provided me with many highly effective skills and tools. Having the opportunity to work directly with national leaders provided me with a “short course” on American leadership and the challenges and opportunities surrounding it. The Fellowship also provided poignant insights into American history. I remember sitting with Senator Ted Kennedy, and Senator Jeff Bingaman (with whom I worked), while Senator Kennedy reminisced about the lasting impact of initiatives his brother started as President. Finally, the Fellowship introduced me to the rarified atmosphere of both the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine. It is easy to see why so many RWJF Fellows are intoxicated by the experience. I certainly was.