Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Consulting at the Bush Center

My work with the Bush Center is now complete. It was a great experience working with Eric Bing, M.B.A., M.D., Ph.D. on the book he coauthored with Marc Epstein. I learned a lot helping Dr. Bing put togetherPharmacy on a Bicycle. Helping with the writing, rewriting, revision, editing, brainstorming ideas -- and in four months, a book. The great thing is that this project really brought together everything I do and have done. The book is on global health -- the undergrad degree and graduate classes in biology I have were able to be put to good use. The book is on entrepreneurial solutions -- my increasing number of publications on economics demonstrates my growing expertise in economics, which I was able to bring to bear on this project. Not to mention, of course, my M.A. in English and my extensive writing and editing skills. This was a project in which I was able to really bring to bear my interdisciplinary approach and my writing skills. As the "simple solutions" become harder and harder to find -- most having been already discovered by now -- we are going to have to face the fact that more complex solutions are increasingly what we need. And in dealing with social problems, it has always been what we have needed. And complexity means interdisciplinarity. That is why I predict Pharmacy on a Bicycle will be a success -- and why I predict anyone who implements the solutions Bing and Epstein have laid out will contribute to the creation of better health outcomes in their town, country, or region. It is very satisfying to have worked on a project which you expect will have a positive impact.