PUBPOL-165
INTRO TO US HEALTH CARE SYSTM
Offered Fall 2026
Term
Instructor
Overview
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that the readings, films, or examples carry real weight. Best for students who will engage with the materials instead of skimming everything.
DepartmentPPS
Terms offeredFall, Spring
Typical enrollment24–53
Semesters of data5
3.5
Hrs / week
112
Responses
209
Enrollment
54%
Response Rate
Evaluation Scores
Overall quality
Teaching, content, and experience combined.
4.2
Intellectually stimulating
Challenges students to think deeply.
4.3
Instructor effectiveness
Explains concepts and facilitates learning.
4.5
Difficulty
Higher means harder.
2.6
Feedback Analysis
Feedback Analysishigh
Analysis based on student evaluations
Based on 343 comments across 5 sections
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that the readings, films, or examples carry real weight. Best for students who will engage with the materials instead of skimming everything.
Student Reports
How hard is the A?
A difficulty is mixed
The reports split here. Some comments frame grading as fair and reachable, while others describe stricter standards or more work than expected to land top grades.
Homework Load
Heavy homework load
Homework load is one of the clearest friction points. Students repeatedly describe assignments, readings, or problem sets as time-consuming.
Lecture Load
Lecture-heavy
Lecture load looks real. Students talk about dense or central lectures, and staying on top of them seems necessary rather than optional.
Strengths
• Readings, films, or outside materials come up repeatedly as a real strength rather than filler.
Tradeoffs
• There is no single dominant complaint theme, but the feedback is not uniformly glowing either.
Best fit for
Best for students who will engage with the materials instead of skimming everything.
Student Responses
I learned a lot about health disparities and factors that affect the quality of healthcare, as well as working in collaboration in a group as well as lots of insight on healthcare systems like Medicaid and Medicare.
Fall 2024 · Boucher, Nathan
Learning about Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP
Fall 2024 · Boucher, Nathan
Reading, understanding the healthcare system, learning about Medicare and Medicaid.
Fall 2024 · Boucher, Nathan
I learned a lot about how health care is financed in America. I learned the differences between Medicare and Medicaid and how differences between states prevent us from achieving true health Equity in America.
Fall 2024 · Boucher, Nathan
Learned about inequities in the US Healthcare system, thought critically about potential solutions, and learned the role policy plays in healthcare.
Fall 2024 · Boucher, Nathan
Rating History
Rating history
Error bars show \u00B11 std dev
| Term | Instructor | Overall | Difficulty | Hrs/wk | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Ubel, Peter 4.9Rate My ProfessorsQuality4.9Difficulty3.1Would retake100%Based on 8 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 45 |
| Spring 2025 | Campbell, Hilary 1.0Rate My ProfessorsQuality1.0Difficulty4.0Would retake0%Based on 1 ratingClick to view on RMP → | 4.3 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 40 |
| Fall 2024 | Boucher, Nathan 4.5Rate My ProfessorsQuality4.5Difficulty2.9Would retake94%Based on 32 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 4.2 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 47 |
| Spring 2024 | Ubel, Peter 4.9Rate My ProfessorsQuality4.9Difficulty3.1Would retake100%Based on 8 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 4.6 | 2.9 | 5.1 | 24 |
| Fall 2023 | Boucher, Nathan 4.5Rate My ProfessorsQuality4.5Difficulty2.9Would retake94%Based on 32 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 53 |