The fourth class of fellows (2002-03) completed a productive year, ending with a final reporting seminar in Nashville, Tennessee, in June 2003. The year included several opportunities for fellows to meet with leading U.S. and international policy experts. In October, fellows attended the Fund's International Symposium on Health Care Policy and participated in a visit to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. A Washington policy briefing in February gave the fellows exposure to the political process and the views of a wide range of senior policymakers and stakeholders. In March, the fellows spent a day at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, where experts reviewed the state of quality in the U.S. health care system. Joining the Harkness fellows were two U.S. journalists from the Kaiser Media Fellowships in Health.

In May, the fellows traveled to Ottawa and Montreal for briefings with senior government officials and health care leaders and a closer look at the Canadian health care system. Also, two Canadian Harkness Associates, selected in collaboration with the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation, participated throughout the year in the fellowship seminars, adding a valuable Canadian perspective.

The 2003-04 Harkness Fellows in Health Care Policy arrived in the United States beginning in July to undertake research projects under the guidance of a distinguished roster of U.S. and home country mentors. Their topics are highly synergistic with the Fund's national program areas, and most include comparisons between the United States and the United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand. A publishable paper or report for senior policymakers is the end product expected for each fellowship.