Teaching
Bezruchka’s courses and other forms of instruction on population health
These courses, in which the ‘patient’ is the country, present the details about U.S. health status compared to other nations and require the students to address solutions to this deadly problem. They conduct a community outreach exercise to inform others. Many students’ expertise in social media allows them to reach thousands quickly. Students also prepare an advocacy policy brief that requires distilling complex concepts in a concise form.
Some comments from graduate students include:
“This is by far the most intellectually stimulating course in my graduate career.”
“This course challenged my views of population health in the U.S. and globally as it relates to inequality.”
“Despite having a public health degree, the class has allowed me to challenge myself in new ways and to see some issues in a new light.”
“This class demolished everything i thought about health, healthcare and human behavior!”
“This course ruined my life – in the best way possible”
“This class was the most thought-provoking course that I’ve taken at the UW.”
“This class was super intellectually stimulating!!”
“By far, this has been the most memorable class I have taken at UW. Top to bottom, everything was structured exceptionally and the material presented allowed for great contemplation and reflection.”
Stephen teaching at a high school in Richmond CA.
Stephen has also worked with University of Washington students to develop population health curricula for primary and high school courses that cover material in the book.
For those nearing the end of their lifespan he has delivered courses for retirees. He has found that older folk have a wide range of life experiences to draw up that help drive home the concepts in the book.