Meet the Recipients

May 15, 2012
The Center for Objective Health Policy is pleased to award kit #107 to Wes B., a 4th-year medical student at the University of Louisville going into anesthesiology. Wes's interest in free-market ideas has been growing ever since his latter years of college, when he began following politics more closely. As an undergraduate, he had always brushed off the "government-knows-best" attitude of some of his liberal professors, assuming that this was standard only among tenured academics teaching at the undergraduate level. Unfortunately, however, he found that many professors in medical school have similar beliefs. For instance, they commonly praise government involvement because the feel it is the only way that "millions in this country could ever receive healthcare." In Wes's opinion, hearing these ideas coming from professors in medical school is more influential and more dangerous to the future of medicine than in college. Wes agrees that the healthcare field needs as many vocal, well-versed, free-market defenders as possible. By requesting a kit, he hopes to improve his ability to articulate a strong, logical defense of free-market principles to friends and colleagues who disagree. Wes heard about our free books program through the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS).

May 8, 2012
The Center for Objective Health Policy is pleased to award kit #106 to Aaron M., a fourth-year medical student who is preparing to graduate and enter residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Arkansas. Aaron has an interest in economics that began with his reading of some works by Thomas Sowell. Aaron is keenly interested in learning to articulate the fallacies that are so prevalent in the policies that are put forth in healthcare. He is determined not to lose his professional independence and standards. He heard about the free books for students program through the blog HalfMD.com.

April 23, 2012
The Center for Objective Health Policy is pleased to award kit #105 to Ibreez A., a fourth-year medical student studying abroad at Mymensingh Medical College (MMC) in Bangladesh. MMC is a government-run medical college, which started in 1924 and was later renamed in 1962. It is affiliated with the University of Dhaka. Ibreez is studying to become a general surgeon so that she can offer a wide array of surgical skills to people, including the less privileged. She became interested in free-market ideas through reading on her own, and would like "to get a better understanding of an economy free from coercion." She heard about our student outreach program through word of mouth.

March 18, 2012
The Lucidicus Project is pleased to award kit #104 to Alejandro D., a student in the University of Southern California's Occupational Therapy MA program. Alejandro has seen how some university professors make it their goal to sway students towards a liberal political agenda. For instance, he writes that they will often only assign readings that favor the altruist and statist worldview. Some professors and administrators are worse, actively promoting government-forced health coverage for all, bringing in biased guest lecturers, and sending out "voter guides" to students how to vote. Since finding out about free markets and philosophy, Alejandro has been reading books about the two subjects, including Philosophy: Who Needs It, by Ayn Rand. He believes that free markets enable each individual to live with moral dignity, and is looking forward to learning more through the books in the kit. He heard about The Lucidicus Project by way of The Black Ribbon Project.

March 12, 2012
The Lucidicus Project is pleased to award kit #103 to Matthew J., a medical student at Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee. Before applying to medical school, Matthew studied the health reforms of the 1990s and got to know the medical business. He has started multiple successful companies, including one that deals with clinical research. After he finishes medical school, he will be in the unique position of being able to practice medicine with a very broad degree of freedom, as he will be less beholden to the tribulations of government reimbursement. He supports free-market economies and is a fervent supporter of capitalism. By requesting this kit, he'll become better equipped to communicate the value of these ideas.

February 3, 2012
The Lucidicus Project is pleased to award kit #102 to Daniel R., a second-year medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. Daniel considers himself politically conservative and a supporter of free markets. He has noticed an increasing bias amongst students towards the idea that healthcare is a right, and feels that free market ideas are underrepresented. He wishes that more people would be encouraged to discuss market-based solutions, and thinks that the ideas deserve to get a better hearing on campus. Daniel heard about The Lucidicus Project through a friend who is also currently in medical school.

January 24, 2012
The Lucidicus Project is pleased to award kit #101 to Derek D., a student at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. Derek is studying Political Science and pioneering a self-designed, interdisciplinary major in Public Health in order to understand how social and economic conditions affect health, disease, and the practice of medicine. He plans to go into medicine after graduating. In response to the social justice agenda in which he says young healthcare professionals are steeped in the academy, he has turned to moral philosophy and begun to explore the free-market schools of thought. He believes that the concept of rights is something medical professionals must understand and use more consistently. Derek plans to continue studying public policy as he heads towards medical school. He heard about The Lucidicus Project through Twitter.

January 17, 2012
The Lucidicus Project is pleased to award kit #100 to Alexander G., a third-year medical student at Boston University. Alexander is planning a career in pathology and medical research. He was first introduced to free-market ideas in high school when he read Milton Friedman's classic book, Free to Choose. Alexander writes that Friedman's argument that economic freedom is essential to political and personal freedom changed the way that he viewed the rights of the individual and the role of government. Later, when he studied at the University of Chicago, he continued to read philosophical texts and became convinced that the free-market is not only a more efficient economical system, but is also a universal moral imperative. Now as a medical student at BU looking ahead to a lifetime in medicine, he would like to improve his understanding of how free market principles can be used to reform healthcare. He would eventually like to get involved in promoting these ideas as well.

January 4, 2012
The Lucidicus Project is pleased to award kit #99 to Sirus S., a junior at the University of Kansas who is studying human biology. After visiting with many healthcare providers and learning about the U.S. healthcare system, Sirus has developed some skepticism as to whether the system is working in favor of providers and patients. He believes the effectiveness of the system is being hindered by external factors, and that free-market ideas might hold the answer on how to improve healthcare. He is interested in reading more about these ideas so that he can enter the medical field with a more open mind. He sees this as important to his individual success and his success as a future physician. He heard about The Lucidicus Project from a friend.