Our activities

Take a look at an overview of our activities. 

Bias Check Selection Bachelor's Studies uitklapper, klik om te openen

In 2019, a bias check was performed on the selection procedures for the Biomedical Sciences bachelor’s and Medicine programmes. The selection instruments were extensively inspected by a diverse team of researchers and employees on different aspects of possible bias. No direct forms of bias were detected. We did, however, find several subtle forms of possible bias, particularly in word choice, sentence structure, and case histories in the non-cognitive test. Based on the results, adjustments have been made to the selection instruments.

In the Biomedical Sciences bachelor’s programme, a bias check was performed on the mandatory personality test which was part of the application process.  Based on the findings, we have decided to:

• No longer include the personality test in our selection procedure because it contained questions which displayed implicit bias. These questions could be interpreted in multiple ways and overlapped with other selection tools. The selection process will now include  information from VWO grades and how well students prepare for the selection test. Student effort and commitment will also now be part of the selection process. We hope to increase our diversity intake through these changes. 
• Always check the motivation answers of a candidate by two different assessors.

In the Medicine programme, a bias check was performed on the non-cognitive test and the candidates motivation assessment. Based on the findings, we have decided to:

• Adjust case descriptions, sentence structure, and word choices in the non-cognitive test and we will re-evaluate the case studies used in the assessments. 
• Change sentence structure and word choices in the candidates motivation assessment. 
• As of 2021, three assessors have been appointed to review motivation letters for the applicants who have scored lower in the non-cognitive test. We hope these changes will  help reduce selection biases.

Updates and continuation

On 11 March 2021, we hosted a workshop during the Diversity: Inflow and Selection symposium. In this workshop, we reflected and discussed with participants potential biases in various selection instruments and possible solutions. The session was a great success and we gained helpful insights to add to our future inclusion agenda.  

An Inclusive Information Event uitklapper, klik om te openen

For the information event held by the bachelors in Biomedical Sciences, we wanted to highlight the diversity of our students body within the department.  It is something we are very proud of and like to showcase. This year, our programme director gave the information talk for the open day together with a student who came to the Netherlands a few years ago as a refugee. Her presentation was insightful and her enthusiasm was contagious. She also assisted during the open days, answering candidates’ questions. 

New Course: “Unraveling Bias in Science” uitklapper, klik om te openen

In the next academic year, a new optional course Unravelling Bias in Science will be offered in the bachelor programme for Biomedical Sciences. This course will focus on the one-sided nature of clinical trials and therapies along with how to address patients from different backgrounds and cultures.  

Low literacy within communication education uitklapper, klik om te openen

Communication education

Today's medical students are the doctors of our future. Within the subject of communication education, the UMC Utrecht has added an important subject, low literacy. Maaike Kok is a teacher of Communication Skills and Attitude Education in the Medicine program. In this position she teaches students to communicate with patients. In this course, students learn the communication skills they need to have a conversation with patients, and to deal with the emotions of patients and themselves.

Maaike: “In year 2 of the bachelor, students learn from us to provide information to a patient. Explaining something to a patient in a good, understandable way can be quite a challenge for doctors and doctors to be. Students are trained in medical terms and often quickly forget to explain things in layman’s terms. We explain in the theory that it is important to take into account the patient's level of understanding. We want to make students aware that there are many people in the Netherlands who have low health skills and also people who are low literate. The theory about this is interesting, but we thought it would be even more interesting for students to enliven this theory by interacting with real people. People who have to deal with this and who also have to face barriers due to the fact that they are low literate in healthcare. ”

Language ambassadors visit

Every year in early January, all second-year medical students (approximately 300 students) meet a Language Ambassador. A Language Ambassador is an expert by experience in the field of low literacy. The Language Ambassadors will enter different classrooms spread over these days to answer questions from students about low literacy. The students are particularly curious about the Language Ambassadors and their experiences with low literacy in healthcare.

Experiences of students

Maaike: “The students are very impressed. For students, it will be now much more clear what is means to be low literate. They really get a glimpse of the life of a low-literate person. It is very educational, they never realized that low literacy is such a problem. What impact this has in daily life and in the consultation room and how large the size of this group is. For example, the shame people experience and the ways they use to disguise that they are low literate. In addition, the students are given concrete tools to identify low literacy and to support people who have to deal with this. I am also very impressed by it every year. I realize that I myself use a lot of language that is difficult to understand. I had to search for words sometimes to keep talking intelligibly. Moreover, I thought it was great to see the diversity within the group of language ambassadors. Both in how a language delay arises and in how the language ambassador dealt with it and still deals with it. Every patient is unique and has his/her own story. It is beautiful and impressive to hear those stories”.

Updates and continuation

• The UMC Utrecht has included low literacy as a standard part of the communication education curriculum. All second-year medical students receive theoretical lessons about low literacy, combined with a meeting with a Language Ambassador.
• At the moment we are busy to offer digital education about low literacy and low health skills that we give every year to all students in communication education. Because the lessons are offered digitally this year, we will try to have the language ambassadors participate digitally.
• More information? Maaike Kok, teacher Skills Education, M.Kok-5@umcutrecht.nl.

Summer Bridge Program “K.I.C.K. start” uitklapper, klik om te openen

For every first-year university student, the start of their study can be very exciting. Especially when you are the first in the family to attend university. However, it can also be a bit daunting to not understand what to expect and/or what is expected of you. That is why our colleague Cecily Stolte from the Diversity and Inclusion Platform has organised a summer bridge programme for first-year incoming students. 

In this programme, first-year students will be taught everything they need to know before they start their studies. They will be guided by senior student mentors with the support of study advisors, instructors, and coaches. Some of the themes that will be addresses are: 

• Learning to Study
• Culture at the University
• Your Motivation
• Dare to ask! Orientation and Support

The summer bridge programme takes place the week before study begins and aims to help orientate incoming students with the faculty and their new surroundings. It is hoped that this programme will help new students feel more at home and welcome. Regardless of their prior knowledge or background, we feel it is important incoming students understand and are informed about all possibilities concerning support and personal development that the university has to offer. 

Please note: This event will be in Dutch, only!

Updates and continuation

• A brainstorming session with multi-year students will take place in early January 2021. We think, given our current situation, it is very valuable to collect new and relevant opinions and ideas about this project from current students before developing a detailed programme. They know much better than we do what it is like to make a new start within our faculty right now. In this brainstorming session, students will be asked what they would have liked to have known at the start of their first year, along with what went well and what could have been improved? Their answers will help inform our faculty in designing the best orientation programme. 
• After the brainstorming session, student advisors will agree upon a schedule and student mentors will be recruited.  

Training Student-Mentors for an Inclusive Environment at the Start of Academic Education uitklapper, klik om te openen

Gisela van der Velden, John Meeuwsen, Cecily Stolte, Gönül Dilaver

An inclusive academic environment is pivotal to ensure student well-being and a strong sense of belonging and authenticity. In particular, during a student’s transition to higher education specific attention for an inclusive learning environment is important. At our faculty, explorative interviews with students from minority groups indicated that they did not always feel included during the orientation programme of their academic education. We therefore developed a bias training with theoretical and practical components on diversity and inclusion for peer-mentors who are assigned to each first-year student at the start of university. At the end of the orientation programme, we investigated the effectiveness of the training for two consecutive years. Additionally, we measured the perceived inclusion of the first-year students, divided into belonging and authenticity. 

Results

Our results show that peer-mentors found the training useful and indicated it enabled them to create an inclusive atmosphere. Overall, students experienced a high level of inclusion during the introduction programme. After the first year, the bias training was adjusted based on the evaluations. This had a positive effect, as mentors felt they were significantly more able to provide an inclusive introduction in the second year. In line with this, students experienced an increased level of authenticity specifically due to the peer-mentor in the second year as compared to the first. We conclude that training peer-mentors is an effective way to increase awareness and to ensure an inclusive atmosphere during the start of higher education.

Updates and continuation

• Our research has been submitted for publication. We are currently waiting for a response.

VR-Tour uitklapper, klik om te openen

What can an outreach coordinator do when students cannot physically come to UMC Utrecht due to the current Covid-19 situation? Well, why not bring UMC Utrecht to the students! That is exactly what our colleague Cecily Stolte decided to do on 17 October alongside two of her colleagues from “onderwijstechnologie”, Daan van der Ham and Kelly Kwant.  In a virtual 360-degree walking tour, Cecily and her colleagues take students to some of the nicest and most interesting places on campus.   

Working alongside the Science Hub of Utrecht University,  the test recorded tour will be shown in our classrooms early 2021.  Students will view the tour with the help of VR glasses to get the full visual experience of the UMC Utrecht campus.

We would love to open our doors to UMC Utrecht students, even if that is only possible online. In this tour, student will be able see the diversity of working spaces UMC Utrecht has to offer and the multitude of occupations within the filmed environments.  After all, it is not just the doctors and the researchers who walk around UMC Utrecht. There are a number of different  professions spread across the campus, some of which will be showcased in this virtual tour.

We would like to thank the UMC Utrecht employees who were so flexible and gave us the time to film in their departments!

Updates and continuation

• The tour is filmed. At the beginning of 2021, the recording will be uploaded to the VR glasses and then tested in a number of classrooms in Utrecht.
• At the moment, we are working on solving some technical problems with the VR glasses.