On Tuesday, we posted my Q&A with Sally Pipes, whose Benjamin Rush Society is trying to organize med-school students much as the Federalist Society has organized law-school students. The occasion was the BRS’s first event, a debate that night in New York on whether “Universal Health Care Should Be the Responsibility of the Federal Government.” Two debaters spoke in favor of the resolution, two against (including Pipes), and John Fund of the Wall Street Journal moderated. I decided to ask Sally one more question, post-debate. How did it go?

In true Oxford style, attendees voted on the proposition before and after the debate. Not surprisingly, 62 percent of those participating in the poll voted for the proposition, 25 percent against, and 13 percent were undecided. The post debate statistics were not very different. The “No” side gained two percentage points after the debate.
One thing is clear: as this country appears to be moving quickly toward an increased role for the federal government in our health care system — and ultimately a single-payer health care plan where government is the only insurer — the need for the Benjamin Rush Society and regular debates at medical colleges across America could not be more important. These students are the physicians and surgeons of the future and we want them to be able to provide the very best care for all of us. If we get a Canadian-style single-payer system with long waiting lists and rationed care, where will our best doctors – and we as patients — go to get our care?