Andy Bush will join the Tufts community as the new Health Services psychiatrist following the retirement of Andrew Gouse last year.
Gouse, the Health Services Psychiatrist for over 26 years, retired at the end of October.
According to Director of Health Services Michelle Bowdler, Gouse left under excellent terms.
"Although he was ready to move on, he knew what he'd be missing. He was ready for the next challenge and the next stage of his life," she said.
Bowdler said that Gouse showed passion and love for his work.
"I was always impressed with how fresh he was about his job," she said. "He loved working with students, no matter how busy he got or how much the job changed. He was really there for students, and was able to make it seem like their issues and concerns were nothing he couldn't handle."
A small committee reviewed candidates' resumes to decide on a replacement for Gouse.
According to Bowdler, Bush received the offer because he is "personable, [he] fit right into college health services and was familiar with college and Tufts."
Bush specializes in treating children and adolescents and has a "tremendous amount of work experience," Bowdler said, calling Bush "up-to-date and ready to make a contribution."
Impressed with his predecessor, Bush described Gouse as "a very humble, smart guy."
According to Bush, Gouse's long history at Tufts will made him a hard act to follow. But Bush said he looked forward to incorporating new advancements in psychiatric therapy and medication into his own work.
"I would hope that the students who come would feel welcomed," he said. "It's a tough thing to have to see a psychiatrist, and to acknowledge that your daily life is a struggle."
Bowdler said Bush would be integrating into the Tufts community by striving to acquaint himself with students, colleagues, cultural groups and members of the administration.
"Health Services is not a building that just waits for people to come to us," Bowdler said. "It's important to increase students' comfort with us."
Bowdler said that Health Services is exited to work with Bush. She added that Gouse's work will be missed.
Gouse was "clinically outstanding," Bowdler said, but it was his "ability to create relationships to students, staff and faculty" that was invaluable. She added that he was able to relate to the principles that Health Services stood for in the past, but was also "very positive when Health Services was ready to make changes."
Gouse continues to work in a small practice and has maintained his connection to college students by working one day a week at Boston College.
