College News - Laura

B Med (ITM)

Maastricht University, Netherlands

After submitting a competitive application, and attending interviews and assessments in the Netherlands, Laura has been offered a place to study Medicine at her FIRST-CHOICE university: Maastricht University.

The bachelor’s in Medicine addresses topical themes such as obesity and ageing. Laura will encounter real-life problems from her very first day. She will begin by acquiring different medical and practical skills in the Skillslab. In year one, she will practice with, and on, her fellow students. Additionally, Laura will learn other skills she will need as a doctor, such as conversation techniques and how to handle an emotional response of a patient. Laura can practice this on a simulation patient (an actor who acts as though he has a certain disease).

One of the most distinguishing features of the bachelor's in Medicine at Maastricht University is that it is practice-oriented. Laura will start out by practicing on fellow students and models; for example, she will learn how to inject on a fake arm, and perform a physical exam on another student. Her contact with patients will initially be of an observational nature, but as the programme progresses she will gain more responsibility towards patients. In her second year, for example, Laura will do a 4-day ‘care internship’ in a nursing home to get acquainted with ‘real’ work in healthcare. In her third year, she will spend time in outpatient clinics.

Laura will follow the English-language, international version of the Dutch bachelor's in Medicine, called ‘International Track in Medicine’ (ITM). This programme is almost identical to the Dutch degree in Medicine. The only difference resides in its focus on globalisation and international cooperation. ITM is a small-scale bachelor’s programme with year groups of approximately 40-60 students, a mixture of Dutch students, students from EU countries, and countries worldwide. www.maastrichtuniversity.nl

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Maastricht University