Harvard students vs. Pharma in classrooms
Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:53 pm
From: support@bartonpublishing.com
Subject: Harvard Medical Students Rebel Against Big Pharma's Influence In The Classroom
Date: March 9, 2010 5:28:38 AM CST
To: shannonnelson@tds.net
Reply-To: support@bartonpublishing.com
Dear Friend,
200 Harvard Medical School STUDENTS are confronting the
administration demanding an end to pharmaceutical industry
influence in the classroom.
A front page report in the Business section of the New York
Times should bestir some of Harvard Medical School alumni. 200
Harvard Medical School STUDENTS are confronting the
administration demanding an end to pharmaceutical industry
influence in the classroom.
"The students say they worry that pharmaceutical industry
scandals in recent years – including some criminal convictions,
billions of dollars in fines, proof of bias in research and
publishing and false marketing claims – have cast a bad light
on the medical profession. And they criticize Harvard as being
less vigilant than other leading medical schools in monitoring
potential financial conflicts by faculty members."
Harvard received the lowest grade–an F--from the American
Medical Student Association, a national group that rates how well
medical schools monitor and control drug industry money. Harvard
Medical School’s peers received much higher grades, ranging
from the A for the University of Pennsylvania, to B’s received
by Stanford, Columbia and New York University, to the C for Yale.
The revolt began when a first year medical student "grew wary"
when a professor promoted cholesterol drugs and "seemed to
belittle a student who asked about side effects." He later
discovered that the professor, a full-time Harvard Medical
faculty member, was a paid consultant to 10 drug industry
companies, including manufacturers of cholesterol drugs.
Another first year student said:
"Before coming here, I had no idea how much influence 'big
pharm.' companies had on medical education. And it’s something
that’s purposely meant to be under the table, providing
information under the guise of education when that information is
also presented for marketing purposes."
The fact is, no one is keeping track of faculty income from
industry, or covert marketing pitches infiltrating the classroom:
"The school said it was unable to provide annual measures of the
money flow to its faculty.." One Harvard professor’s
disclosure in class listed 47 company affiliations.
Read more about Medical Schools and ties to Big Pharma
http://www.bartonpublishing.com/blog/ha ... arma-ties/
Yours for excellent health,
Joe Barton
Founder & CEO
Barton Publishing Inc.
Subject: Harvard Medical Students Rebel Against Big Pharma's Influence In The Classroom
Date: March 9, 2010 5:28:38 AM CST
To: shannonnelson@tds.net
Reply-To: support@bartonpublishing.com
Dear Friend,
200 Harvard Medical School STUDENTS are confronting the
administration demanding an end to pharmaceutical industry
influence in the classroom.
A front page report in the Business section of the New York
Times should bestir some of Harvard Medical School alumni. 200
Harvard Medical School STUDENTS are confronting the
administration demanding an end to pharmaceutical industry
influence in the classroom.
"The students say they worry that pharmaceutical industry
scandals in recent years – including some criminal convictions,
billions of dollars in fines, proof of bias in research and
publishing and false marketing claims – have cast a bad light
on the medical profession. And they criticize Harvard as being
less vigilant than other leading medical schools in monitoring
potential financial conflicts by faculty members."
Harvard received the lowest grade–an F--from the American
Medical Student Association, a national group that rates how well
medical schools monitor and control drug industry money. Harvard
Medical School’s peers received much higher grades, ranging
from the A for the University of Pennsylvania, to B’s received
by Stanford, Columbia and New York University, to the C for Yale.
The revolt began when a first year medical student "grew wary"
when a professor promoted cholesterol drugs and "seemed to
belittle a student who asked about side effects." He later
discovered that the professor, a full-time Harvard Medical
faculty member, was a paid consultant to 10 drug industry
companies, including manufacturers of cholesterol drugs.
Another first year student said:
"Before coming here, I had no idea how much influence 'big
pharm.' companies had on medical education. And it’s something
that’s purposely meant to be under the table, providing
information under the guise of education when that information is
also presented for marketing purposes."
The fact is, no one is keeping track of faculty income from
industry, or covert marketing pitches infiltrating the classroom:
"The school said it was unable to provide annual measures of the
money flow to its faculty.." One Harvard professor’s
disclosure in class listed 47 company affiliations.
Read more about Medical Schools and ties to Big Pharma
http://www.bartonpublishing.com/blog/ha ... arma-ties/
Yours for excellent health,
Joe Barton
Founder & CEO
Barton Publishing Inc.