Find many more of my photos on sundancechannel.com. New slideshows:
- Sunday Street Scene
- Saturday Street Scene
- Sunday Festival Faces
- Joe Zee: Balcony Interviews
Monday, January 24, 2011
PARK CITY - alessandra & louie, sundance film festival, 01/23/11
Find many more of my photos on sundancechannel.com. New slideshows:
- Sunday Street Scene
- Saturday Street Scene
- Sunday Festival Faces
- Joe Zee: Balcony Interviews
Sunday, January 23, 2011
PARK CITY - miranda, alyssa & elvis, sundance film festival, 01/22/11
More photos of my Sundance adventures on sundancechannel.com. Check out these slide shows:
- trip to Park City
- Friday Festival Faces
- Bing Bar on Friday night
- Saturday Festival Faces
Reflections on Graduate Education
I thought my blog readers might enjoy reading my observations about PhD programs in economics, which are included in some discussant comments I gave at the ASSA meeting earlier this month. Here they are.
Comments on �Completion Rates and Time-to-Degree in Economics PhD Programs� by Wendy A Stock, John J. Siegfried, and T. Aldrich Finegan
This paper is a contribution to an important line of work. As economists, we often remind policymakers that their decisions should be based on objective, empirical research rather than uninformed supposition. Yet when we are the decision makers, as we are when we run our own educational programs, we often have little data-driven analysis on which to base on our judgments. This kind of research should, over time, lead to a better educational system.
I would like to take note of two facts highlighted in this study and to tentatively discuss what they might mean. The first fact is that it is taking longer for students to earn their PhDs in economics. The second fact is that a sizeable percentage of students who start PhD programs do not finish.
It is tempting to interpret these facts as a sign of educational failure. After all, students enter these graduate programs to earn a PhD. If the successful ones are taking longer to finish, and many others are not getting their degrees at all, then it might seem that we are doing something wrong.
But it is far from obvious that these facts are symptoms of a problem. Perhaps longer times to completion and some amount of dropping out are optimal.
Consider time to completion. There is no doubt that economics is still a young science and there is much we do not know. But there is also no doubt that research is continually adding to our stock of knowledge. Perhaps students are taking longer to earn PhDs because there is more for them to learn. It may well be optimal to spend six rather than five years in graduate school before our profession releases students into the world with our highest level of certification.
Another relevant fact is that most students, when they get their first academic jobs, end up at colleges and universities with lower ranked departments than where they earned their PhDs. Why hurry the process of moving to a less vibrant intellectual environment? It may well be better for the professional development of the candidate to spend an extra year or so in graduate school.
Consider now the fact that many students drop out of graduate school without a PhD in hand. While many of these students are disappointed by this outcome, it is likely that in many cases their choice to drop out is optimal. They entered graduate school without fully knowing what it was like and whether it was a good match for them. After a couple of years, they decided it wasn�t. In light of the inherent uncertainty when choosing a path in life, a bit of experimentation is desirable.
My own life is a case in point. When I left college, I was unsure what career path I wanted to take. I therefore enrolled in two graduate programs�the PhD program in economics at MIT and the law program at Harvard Law School�thinking I might finish both. In the end, however, I dropped out of law school after three semesters. Looking back, the decisions to enter and drop out of law school were the right choices. I started because I thought a legal career might be best path for me, and I stopped when I learned it wasn�t.
The question we face as designers of educational programs is how to structure them in light of the longer times that PhDs take and the fact that some students who start these programs may rationally choose not to complete them. The answer may be to divide current PhD programs into two chunks. The first chunk would be a two-year master�s degree focused on taking advanced courses. The second chunk�appropriate for only a subset of master�s students�would be a research degree culminating in the PhD.
Many programs in effect already do that. But the master�s degree is too often viewed as a consolation prize for a PhD dropout. Perhaps we should instead encourage people to view the master�s degree in economics as a fully respectable terminal degree. Moreover, having finished a master�s degree, PhD candidates would be treated as professionals�more like the most junior faculty and less like the most senior students.
Many students leave college wanting to learn a bit more economics. But a PhD may be more than they want or need for their careers. An expansion of master�s programs in U.S. economics departments may offer many students the stepping stone they need.
Comments on �Completion Rates and Time-to-Degree in Economics PhD Programs� by Wendy A Stock, John J. Siegfried, and T. Aldrich Finegan
This paper is a contribution to an important line of work. As economists, we often remind policymakers that their decisions should be based on objective, empirical research rather than uninformed supposition. Yet when we are the decision makers, as we are when we run our own educational programs, we often have little data-driven analysis on which to base on our judgments. This kind of research should, over time, lead to a better educational system.
I would like to take note of two facts highlighted in this study and to tentatively discuss what they might mean. The first fact is that it is taking longer for students to earn their PhDs in economics. The second fact is that a sizeable percentage of students who start PhD programs do not finish.
It is tempting to interpret these facts as a sign of educational failure. After all, students enter these graduate programs to earn a PhD. If the successful ones are taking longer to finish, and many others are not getting their degrees at all, then it might seem that we are doing something wrong.
But it is far from obvious that these facts are symptoms of a problem. Perhaps longer times to completion and some amount of dropping out are optimal.
Consider time to completion. There is no doubt that economics is still a young science and there is much we do not know. But there is also no doubt that research is continually adding to our stock of knowledge. Perhaps students are taking longer to earn PhDs because there is more for them to learn. It may well be optimal to spend six rather than five years in graduate school before our profession releases students into the world with our highest level of certification.
Another relevant fact is that most students, when they get their first academic jobs, end up at colleges and universities with lower ranked departments than where they earned their PhDs. Why hurry the process of moving to a less vibrant intellectual environment? It may well be better for the professional development of the candidate to spend an extra year or so in graduate school.
Consider now the fact that many students drop out of graduate school without a PhD in hand. While many of these students are disappointed by this outcome, it is likely that in many cases their choice to drop out is optimal. They entered graduate school without fully knowing what it was like and whether it was a good match for them. After a couple of years, they decided it wasn�t. In light of the inherent uncertainty when choosing a path in life, a bit of experimentation is desirable.
My own life is a case in point. When I left college, I was unsure what career path I wanted to take. I therefore enrolled in two graduate programs�the PhD program in economics at MIT and the law program at Harvard Law School�thinking I might finish both. In the end, however, I dropped out of law school after three semesters. Looking back, the decisions to enter and drop out of law school were the right choices. I started because I thought a legal career might be best path for me, and I stopped when I learned it wasn�t.
The question we face as designers of educational programs is how to structure them in light of the longer times that PhDs take and the fact that some students who start these programs may rationally choose not to complete them. The answer may be to divide current PhD programs into two chunks. The first chunk would be a two-year master�s degree focused on taking advanced courses. The second chunk�appropriate for only a subset of master�s students�would be a research degree culminating in the PhD.
Many programs in effect already do that. But the master�s degree is too often viewed as a consolation prize for a PhD dropout. Perhaps we should instead encourage people to view the master�s degree in economics as a fully respectable terminal degree. Moreover, having finished a master�s degree, PhD candidates would be treated as professionals�more like the most junior faculty and less like the most senior students.
Many students leave college wanting to learn a bit more economics. But a PhD may be more than they want or need for their careers. An expansion of master�s programs in U.S. economics departments may offer many students the stepping stone they need.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Yet Another Ranking
A new ranking of economics departments, based on online voting. Thanks to Tyler Cowen for the pointer.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Taking Vitmain D3 Prevents Falls
"To help prevent falls, the elderly should cut down on meds, alkalizie their body with green foods and drinks, decrease acidic foods and drinks, and increase vitamin D3," states Dr. Robert O. Young, Director of the pH Miracle Living Center.
By Katherine Harmon
January 13, 20114
How many late-life declines can be traced back to a fall? Whether or not it involves a fractured hip or just a general shake-up, even a minor spill can precipitate a rapid loss of function and independence or even death in seniors.
"Falls are one of the most common health problems experienced by older adults," Mary Tinetti, of the Yale School of Medicine's Program in Geriatrics, said in a prepared statement. The majority of falls in older adults (some 70 percent) occur when no one is looking, and about 60 percent of older adults with cognitive impairment suffer at least one fall each year, according to a new reportTinetti co-authored. These tumbles often lead to an extended hospital stay or an assisted living admission. "Given their frequency and consequences, falls are as serious a health problem for older persons as heart attacks for strokes," she said.
The report features a set of guidelines for preventing falls in the elderly, updating formal recommendations from the American and British geriatric societies for the first time in 10 years. The new recommendations were published online January 13 in theJournal of the American Geriatrics Society.
To reduce falls among community-dwelling older adults, Tinetti and her colleagues recommended:
� Working with a doctor to reduce the number and dosage of medications, especially antidepressants (including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), sedatives and antipsychotics;
� Increasing vitamin D supplementation to 800 international units per day if a person is likely deficient or seems to be a risk for falls;
� And careful physical activity, such as physical therapy or tai chi to improve balance, flexibility and mobility.
These interventions and others (including assessing footwear, physical environment, visual acuity and circulatory health) can help reduce a senior's risk of falling, Tinetti and her colleagues found after reviewing nearly a decade's worth of literature on the subject. Older adults are often on a host of prescription medications to address physical and psychological ills, and despite their recommendation to reduce the number and dosage of medications, the research team acknowledged that in some cases, "discontinuation of a particular high-risk is not possible because of medical conditions."
Rather than focusing on just one of the recommendations, as previous studies have suggested, the researchers assert that the guidelines should be considered en masse. "Because we looked at not only what recommendations were given, but also which [were] carried out, we're confident that multifactorial interventions is the best course of action," said Tinetti.
Other recent research has suggested that avoiding alcohol and listening to music while exercising have helped to keep seniors standing.
Reference: http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=to-help-prevent-falls-elderly-shoul-2011-01-13&WT.mc_id=SA_CAT_MB_20110119
\Medicine\To Help Prevent Falls - Vit. D - 01.13.11.doc
By Katherine Harmon
January 13, 20114
How many late-life declines can be traced back to a fall? Whether or not it involves a fractured hip or just a general shake-up, even a minor spill can precipitate a rapid loss of function and independence or even death in seniors.
"Falls are one of the most common health problems experienced by older adults," Mary Tinetti, of the Yale School of Medicine's Program in Geriatrics, said in a prepared statement. The majority of falls in older adults (some 70 percent) occur when no one is looking, and about 60 percent of older adults with cognitive impairment suffer at least one fall each year, according to a new reportTinetti co-authored. These tumbles often lead to an extended hospital stay or an assisted living admission. "Given their frequency and consequences, falls are as serious a health problem for older persons as heart attacks for strokes," she said.
The report features a set of guidelines for preventing falls in the elderly, updating formal recommendations from the American and British geriatric societies for the first time in 10 years. The new recommendations were published online January 13 in theJournal of the American Geriatrics Society.
To reduce falls among community-dwelling older adults, Tinetti and her colleagues recommended:
� Working with a doctor to reduce the number and dosage of medications, especially antidepressants (including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), sedatives and antipsychotics;
� Increasing vitamin D supplementation to 800 international units per day if a person is likely deficient or seems to be a risk for falls;
� And careful physical activity, such as physical therapy or tai chi to improve balance, flexibility and mobility.
These interventions and others (including assessing footwear, physical environment, visual acuity and circulatory health) can help reduce a senior's risk of falling, Tinetti and her colleagues found after reviewing nearly a decade's worth of literature on the subject. Older adults are often on a host of prescription medications to address physical and psychological ills, and despite their recommendation to reduce the number and dosage of medications, the research team acknowledged that in some cases, "discontinuation of a particular high-risk is not possible because of medical conditions."
Rather than focusing on just one of the recommendations, as previous studies have suggested, the researchers assert that the guidelines should be considered en masse. "Because we looked at not only what recommendations were given, but also which [were] carried out, we're confident that multifactorial interventions is the best course of action," said Tinetti.
Other recent research has suggested that avoiding alcohol and listening to music while exercising have helped to keep seniors standing.
Reference: http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=to-help-prevent-falls-elderly-shoul-2011-01-13&WT.mc_id=SA_CAT_MB_20110119
\Medicine\To Help Prevent Falls - Vit. D - 01.13.11.doc
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