In Praise of the Economist Doctor

The Washington Post reports that Mark McClellan, head of Medicare and previously head of the FDA and member of the CEA, is about to leave government after six years.

Mark has had an amazing career. It was launched with a medical degree from the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology and a Ph.D. in economics from MIT. The world needs more people with this kind of expertise.

Note to students interested in health policy and considering medical school: An undergraduate major in economics, together with the necessary pre-med courses, may be the perfect way to start you on your way.