Frist '74 to teach health policy

Less than a year after beginning "a sabbatical from public life," former Tennessee senator Bill Frist '74 will join the University as a visiting professor in the Wilson School.

Frist, the first practicing doctor to serve in the Senate since the 1920s, will teach a course on health policy during both of his semesters at the University, one in the fall for graduate students and one in the spring for undergraduates.

Nolan McCarty, interim dean of the Wilson School, said in an e-mail that he believes that students "will benefit from [Frist's] real-world experience," adding that Frist's time spent as a practicing physician, heart surgeon and Senate majority leader have informed his views on "important matters [such as] domestic healthcare policy and global health issues."

Frist said that he wants to use his experience in politics to highlight what he views as the incalculable benefits of engaging in public service. "I think it's important for people who are aspiring to be in positions of leadership to understand leadership in practice," he said in an interview with The Daily Princetonian.

Jim Leach, a former congressman from Iowa and a visiting professor in the Wilson School, said that Frist would be "a fine addition to the Princeton community," adding that Frist's "tripartite background" in politics, public policy and medicine would likely "influence his approach to teaching."

Economics professor Uwe Reinhardt, who is co-teaching the course, said in an e-mail that he and Frist "have been friends for a long time, and we respect one another, even where we disagree." He added, "This should be fun."

At least one Wilson School major is enthusiastic about taking a class with Frist. "I actually interned in D.C. this summer doing public health research at a think tank and was really excited to learn that there would be a class taught by Bill Frist," Elise Schlissel '09 said. "I'm definitely looking forward to taking it this spring."

Frist came to Princeton in the fall of 1970, and studied healthcare policy and international relations within the Wilson School. After graduating, Frist earned a medical degree from Harvard Medical School. Since stepping down as Senate majority leader, he has traveled to a number of places where health services are in dire need, including trips to several countries in Africa where he has performed surgery and offered healthcare to villagers.

Given the applicability of issues in healthcare policy to many different facets of life, Frist stressed the desire to reach out to students not necessarily involved in politics. He pointed to trips like those to Africa, which he hopes to repeat in the coming year, this time with Princeton students accompanying him.

Despite having extensive firsthand experience in the subjects he will soon teach, Frist admitted that he may be feeling the back-to-school jitters when he steps up in front of the lectern. "I know that I will be challenged, and I hope my experience will also challenge students to think outside of the box," he said.