Andrea Woltman wants students to grow and flourish

July 11, 2024 Much has changed since Andrea was a student herself. Fortunately, she says. 'I was raised with a lot of lectures. We now know, from research, that sitting back and listening to lectures is the least effective form of education.' Many programs are therefore now opting for more active forms of education, Andrea explains. 'Students absorb the knowledge at home, and in our education center the theory comes to life during active participation. For example, during working in groups or discussions with other students. That way they learn to think for themselves and apply the knowledge directly. That is a much more effective way of learning.’

Learning mode

Andrea herself studied biomedical sciences and received her PhD in immunology with honors. While working as a research leader, she discovered that she finds talent development the most enjoyable aspect of the job. 'My passion lies in creating an environment in which students or young researchers can get the best out of themselves.' Within Erasmus MC Andrea first was the program director of the bachelor of medicine, now she is active as the program director of the research master Infection and Immunity. Since 2023 she is also a teaching professor.

Students should not jump through hoops and check off tests, as they have done in the past decades, but really grow towards their future profession. That includes giving and receiving feedback. This way, students enter the learning mode rather than performance mode and develop all kinds of competencies that are important for the profession of doctor or researcher, such s communication, collaboration and leadership. I enjoy situations where I can guide people beyond the primary purpose of education. To make them a more complete human being,' Andrea explains.

'We know that sitting back and listening to lectures is the least effective form of education'

What does that look like in practice? 'I like to interact with the students,' she says. 'I ask them where their needs and interests lie. That way I try to spark motivation in them and help them think about how they can get the most out of themselves. Asking questions often brings you to a deeper level and allows you to give students more than just immunology lessons. Not everyone needs to become a professor, but everyone deserves attention in order to grow.

When dreams shatter

Andrea also keeps a close eye on student welfare when designing the new curriculum for the bachelor's in medicine and while developing educational policy. One example is the introduction of the nationwide binding study advice (BSA). In the BSA, students are required to pass 60 credits in the first year. “I observed that this was not working for medical students and that it was causing them too much stress.

Her research shows that for medical students, failing the BSA often means seeing their dreams shatter. 'They only want one thing: to become doctors. And there is only one way to get there: through medical school. The fear of not being able to continue was therefore incredibly high. In the end, it turns out that you can become a very good doctor even with fewer points in the first year, and it makes the process much less stressful.' The recommendation for the medical student was then adjusted to 45 credits.

A masculine and Western view

Andrea is working toward an inclusive medical student selection process that embraces and values diversity. 'With an increasingly diverse society, it is important that healthcare also reflects this.' She sees more and more diversity being lost at every step in education. ‘It starts as early as elementary school, then high school, and then college. And if you look at medical specialists, you still see very few people with a migrant background. Fortunately, we are increasingly aware of this.'

According to Andrea, this is mainly due to the way we value professional behavior. 'We all still unconsciously view professional behavior with a rather masculine and Western lens that values self-assurance and assertiveness. We must now ensure that our testing and selection instruments no longer have those lenses. We need to start valuing other talents and qualities that are also important for becoming good doctors, like cultural sensitivity and resilience.'

'There is often an incorrect image of the medical profession’

There is often also a false image of the medical profession, Andrea says. 'Especially among people with an immigrant background or parents who have done practical training themselves. That's why our medicine ambassadors visit schools with much diversity. Here, for example, they see girls who say they want to become surgeons, but whose parents say that it's not for girls.'

The combination of research, good education and a variety of selection tools is the solution, according to Andrea. 'That way certain groups cannot be disadvantaged. We also asked students themselves: what do you think the curriculum should look like? We started a project where we go to high schools looking for talents that we might not have in the picture yet. What do they think are qualities they bring to medicine studies?'

Becoming a teaching professor

The year 2023 was special for Andrea; she was appointed as the very first teaching professor at Erasmus MC. She considers that a great honor and super important. 'It's a renewed awareness of how important education is. It used to be: if it doesn't work out in research, then just do education. Now I hope to inspire people. You can choose teaching and have a wonderful academic career. Research can sometimes feel competitive and alone, and teaching is really working for the common good; I find that a very beautiful way of working. I wish that for other people too.’

 

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