In Aalborg, the announcement from authorities that all resources would be needed to cope with the coronavirus/COVID-19 situation was met with lightning speed. Within a few days, medical students at Aalborg University (AAU) in conjunction with the university and Aalborg University Hospital put in place a clear plan for their role the crisis response.
71 MED STUDENTS ALREADY IN SERVICE - 188 MORE ON THE WAY
- Aalborg University's special learning model means that our Master’s students in the medical programme spend every day in the hospital or in general practice. With relatively little extra effort, they will be able to contribute substantially in this situation, says Lars Hvilsted Rasmussen, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at AAU, adding that the close interaction between students and society's real problems is the 'Aalborg model'.
THOROUGH UPSKILLING
The classes that began on Monday, 16 March are taking place in a close partnership between AAU, Aalborg University Hospital, University College of Northern Denmark, and the Danish Medical Student Association, says Sten Rasmussen, Senior Physician and Vice Head of Department in the Department of Clinical Medicine, AAU:
- We’re upgrading the skills of the medical students so that they’re fully ready to be involved in patient care. The advanced medical students are qualified to serve as temporary doctors while others are trained to handle ventilators or substitute as nurses.
WILLING MEDICAL STUDENTS
- I’ve always been of the opinion that I have some very adaptable fellow students – that is indeed something that PBL (AAU's learning model) prepares us for. In the last 10 days they’ve really demonstrated they’re ready to help when the healthcare system needs it. It is enormously uplifting to see how much we can accomplish when we work together, says Phillip Sperling, Master’s student in the medical programme at Aalborg University, and continues:
- I think it has been important for us to have such a well-functioning relationship between all parties – the university, the hospital and of course us students. When the students know that they are represented in the important decisions, they also feel that they are part of the overall response effort.
AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW
There is a consensus among the country's four deans of medical programmes that mobilising the medical students of the four universities in the crisis response is the right thing to do in this serious situation. The four Danish medical programme deans have a close and coordinated partnership, and invite all regions to include the medical students in the acute crisis response where they will have a decisive effect.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
- Press contact (and contact for Professor Lars Hvilsted Rasmussen, Dean): Lone Bechmann, Strategic Advisor, Faculty of Medicine, AAU, Mobile: +45 22 19 12 53, email: lbec@adm.aau.dk
- Sten Rasmussen, Senior Physician, Vice Head of Department, Department of Clinical Medicine, AAU, Mobile: +45 25 52 04 62, email: s_rasmussen@dcm.aau.dk
- Phillip Sperling, Medical Student, AAU, Mobile: +45 21 14 14 11, email: psperl16@student.aau.dk
Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication