RVB Translational Medicine Book

“The field of medicine is changing very fast. It is difficult
to prepare our current students for future challenges, and
we need students who are able to collaborate with people
from different backgrounds to kickstart innovation.”
Annet van Royen-Kerkhof
Pediatrician, Associate Professor, Program Director of Selective Utrecht Medical Master (SUMMA)
Annet van Royen-Kerkhof speaks enthusiastically about
SUMMA, the four-year Medical Master Programme at
the University Medical Center Utrecht. “The small scale
of the program guarantees close interaction with the
students. Our students already have a Bachelor degree
in a field related to Life Sciences, so they are able to
challenge you as a teacher and add different
perspectives to the discussion.
In my opinion, the field of medicine is changing very
fast. It is difficult to prepare our current students for
future challenges, but what we do know is that we
need students who are able to interact and collaborate
with people from different backgrounds. For example
with technicians, since many innovations start at the
interface of medicine and technique.
In an ideal world, our SUMMA students would
collaborate with students from other master programs
on real life problems that cannot be solved by a single
research group. This would contribute to my main aim:
to teach students to think outside the box, to be
creative, and not to be hampered by existing
structures.”
UMC Utrecht 83