Nice to meet you!
After a very nice and tropical summer, ESP was fully prepared and ready to welcome another generation of ESP students! During the summer, the NVAO (Dutch and Flemish Accreditation Organization) has adviced positively about the quality of our program as beautiful conclusion of our accreditation, including a life-long extension of our special feature of “Small Scale and Intensive Education” by the Dutch government. “Yes, we had a great summer”, says Bas Moed, program coordinator of ESP. “Together with the large number of applicants and this wonderful confirmation, we are looking forward to the next years. Class of 2021 had already started their ESP career with our summer course, through which we could already feel their positive energy and excitement to get started. For me personally, the first day of the intro week is always one of the highlights of the year. The new students are nervous yet excited, and my colleagues and me are full of energy to start teaching”
It’s been lovely getting to know everyone and fascinating to hear about people’s diverse background and experiences! It’s been a great week and it feels like an international family already
ABOUT THE WEEK
Our intro week is not just a regular intro week as many universities have. Yes, many social activities are scheduled to get to know each other, but we also have real content, real patients and real information about our curriculum and all clinical internships, elective credits and other opportunities. Click through the slides below to get an impression of each day and how it’s presented to class 2021.
Monday through Friday
What was the biggest culture shock?
Understanding the Dutch and the Dutch directness is for many students a culture shock, but at the same time, many appreciate the honest and open mind-set of Dutch people. For many students the real shock was a positive feeling towards their new family, so that was great to hear!
Lost as a kid of 3 years old during his first day at school. But amazingly surprised to meet very nice classmates and teachers in a very nice atmosphere.
What do you expect to be the hardest part of the program?
One of our students mentioned the intensity and the pace of the next few weeks and months, although a few students made some remarks about anatomy, teamwork, clinical sessions, and active participation.
The biggest culture shock..? The Dutch weather
Which part do you look forward to most?
The international internships are always mentioned first by ESP students as the highlight of their career. On top of this, class of 2021 referred to their fellow students many times. They are all looking forward to spend time with each other and learn from each other!
The hardest part will be to say goodbye to this (already) wonderful family after three years
Which people did you meet?
Again, we have collected a group of students, literally from all over the world. The 78 students that attended the intro week, had 89 passports in total. Bas Moed, program coordinator: “Usually, if you go abroad and meet people, you can easily ask them, where they are from, and you will get one simple answer. With ESP students, that is often not the case. If you ask where they are from, you often get an answer that includes multiple passports, many languages and even more places they have lived or traveled to”
I enjoyed the presentation we did together. It allows us to truly get to know one another and have fun. I’m looking forward to classes next week.
#espamsterdam
especially for you!
I am looking forward to creating lots of memories with everybody and treating our future patients!
ABOUT CLASS 2021
Basic
- 78 students
- 89 passports
- Average age: 24 yrs
Fun facts
- Very first Syrian student ever
- France remains our top student supplier
- Second Danish student every after 8 years without
Monday was nervous and daring, Friday was simply amazing, next week? inspiring.
Special thanks to
Larissa, Ray and Loic who were a huge help in the organization. They took the role of father, mother, leader, drill instructor, party planner, shopper, tour guide and drinking buddy throughout the week.
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