“Even though we were spread across five continents, there was a strong sense of connection.”

You are one of the first students to graduate from this relatively new Master's programme. Why did you decide to follow this Master's programme?

“I have been working as a pharmacist in hospital and community pharmacy for several years. In my work, I often encounter hematological disorders. Hematological disorders are diseases of the blood, bone marrow or lymphatic system (such as the lymph nodes and spleen). They range from malignant diseases (such as leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma) to non-malignant disorders (such as anemia and coagulation disorders). As a pharmacist, I mainly look at this from my own field of expertise, for example medication. At the same time, I became increasingly curious about the entire process that a patient goes through: from diagnosis to treatment. This involves looking at the entire process from development to the administration of blood products, cell and tissue therapy and immunotherapy. The Master's programme is a collaboration between Leiden University/LUMC and the Autonomous University of Barcelona. These institutions are doing groundbreaking scientific research in this field, and you get to learn from the best experts. I immediately thought: I don't want to miss this!”

In what way do you think the Master's programme makes a unique contribution to healthcare or the professional field?

“The Master's programme has many different modules. You learn about the subject matter and are completely up to date on the latest developments. In addition, you work on clinical cases and consider ethical issues: when do you do something, when don't you, and why or why not? Entrepreneurship also comes to the fore. For example, we set up our own fictional blood bank. What's more, we had a group with many international students from all kinds of different specialisations: doctors, researchers and, of course, myself as a pharmacist. That means you learn different perspectives. That broad view helps me to look at a situation from multiple angles and apply the latest innovations and developments to it.”

The lessons are mainly online. What did you think of that?

“I normally prefer to see each other “live”, but this Master's programme was incredibly well organised. The lecturers and experts were very approachable. Questions were answered quickly and we had a learning portal where you could send messages to your lecturers and fellow students. In the lessons, we were also encouraged to work together interactively. We had a very international group spread across five continents. Despite that, there was a strong connection. We also met each other in person during a large international conference. We still have a chat group where we regularly share new scientific articles. In that regard, we have already built up a small international network.”

What really stood out for you in the Master's programme?

“I was really drawn to clinical reasoning based on different case studies. For example, you are given an assignment about a patient of a certain age. You are shown lab results that you have to interpret together with the patient's symptoms and clinical picture. Based on a number of questions, you make certain choices for the best treatment for the patient. These choices then lead to other developments, which in turn present you with new choices. I am completely at home with the pharmaceutical part, but at the same time I learned much more about the treatment process. That's how it all comes together.”

What are you most proud of?

“My Master's thesis. It's about finding the optimal mobilisation strategy (the treatment plan for releasing stem cells) for stem cell transplantation in diseases such as acute myeloid leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In acute myeloid leukemia, abnormal precursor cells (immature blood cells) divide uncontrollably in the bone marrow, disrupting normal blood production and causing symptoms such as anemia and infections. In non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, abnormal lymph cells grow mainly in lymph nodes and other lymphatic tissue, often leading to enlarged lymph nodes. In these diseases, a stem cell transplant may be necessary to restore disrupted blood production.”

“First, the stem cells are released from the bone marrow so that they enter the bloodstream (mobilisation). They are then collected using a special blood filter (apheresis) and usually frozen. Depending on the condition, this involves the patient's own stem cells (autologous transplant) or those from a donor (allogeneic transplant). The patient usually undergoes intensive treatment beforehand, often with chemotherapy, after which the stem cells are administered to restore blood production and the immune system.”

“Many scientific studies have been published on this subject. I have looked at how we can bring all this together so that we can optimise treatment. The process is quite complicated and takes a long time. This is obviously most unpleasant for the patient, but it is also inefficient for the organisation. If we can shorten the sessions, for example by using a different medication or other measures, we can improve this process. What I like most is that it doesn't just remain theoretical, but that you can make a contribution in the clinic. Both for the patient and for the organisation.”

What developments have you experienced on a personal and professional level?

“Personally, thanks to the international nature of the programme, I have become more culturally sensitive, for instance. I have gained a much better understanding of how healthcare is organised in other countries and cultures. Of course, you don't know in advance who you will meet in the group, but everyone learns from each other. In my work, the Master's programme has made me more critical, because I now think even more from the patient's perspective than before. I look more at who the patient is and what the entire treatment process looks like. That helps me to understand much better why certain choices are made.”

What are your own plans for the future?

“I would like to build bridges between pharmacy and transfusion medicine. There are many different ways to do this: in the clinic, the pharmaceutical industry or in policy. In my role as a pharmacist and with the new knowledge I have gained during my Master's programme, I can contribute a great deal to optimising processes and quality control. I want to be close to both the patient and the latest developments. That combination would be ideal.”

Curious about the Master's programme in Transfusion Medicine and Cellular and Tissue Therapies? Take a look at the Leiden University website.

The LUMC offers lifelong learning. From training programmes to specialisations and continuing education: we have it all under one roof. In this section, a student or course participant explains how the programme is helping them advance their career.