Should all medical students still be able to take a research year?
Lise Wogensen, vice-dean for research and talent development and head of graduate school at Health, wants to see a discussion of whether the option of taking a research year should remain in place for all medical students.
The number of medical students who choose to take a research year is increasing year by year. That is one of reasons why Lise Wogensen wants to encourage a discussion with the students and their supervisors, among others.
"The increasing demand means that we must ask ourselves whether the formalised study programme has enough room for academic reflection. We also need to consider that as a consequence of the study progress reform, we lose l lose a completion bonus for each student that chooses to take a research year," says Lise Wogensen.
She emphasises, however, that the most important reason for a discussion is to define what the primary objective of a research year ought to be.
"We have just carried out both a quantitative and a qualitative study of what the students get out of a research year. We must now study the results of the surveys and use them as the basis for having this discussion," says Lise Wogensen, who envisages the discussion taking place either in the autumn or spring.
FACTS
Approximately 480 medical students are annually enrolled at Health.
129 medical students began a research year last year.
Following the first of two annual application rounds, approx. 74 medical students have enrolled for a research year this year.
Source: Graduate School, Faculty of Health.
Translated by Peter Lambourne