My PREMIUM experience: the Mix & Match Event.

One key part of the PREMIUM selection is the Mix & Match event. This event marks the first meeting with the potential clients. It provides the opportunity to ask questions about different the projects and organisations participating. This is helpful when it comes to compiling the final preference list.

This year, due to Corona regulations, the event was held on the online platform, REMO. Before the start of the event, we had some time to socialize with other PREMIUM students in small video-conference rooms. I recognized some of the people from the previous selection rounds. A lot of students had made a list of their preferred projects. After a central kick-off by the PREMIUM team we had 8 rounds with each 15 minutes to talk with potential clients.

Overall, this was a great experience. The clients laid out their idea for a project and we were able to ask more specific questions about the clients desired practical approach, goals and expectations. My personal preference for a project changed a lot during the event. At the end, when we had to give our final project preferences, 3 out of my top 4 preferences had changed.

[…] Situations that bring unexpected changes taught me to keep an open mind and that eventually things will fall into place. This is one of the most important lessons I got out of PREMIUM up to now and I will surely carry this forward in my professional career.

This is a characteristic of the PREMIUM experience as a whole that transcends the different parts of the programme: the importance of keeping an open mind and changing course based on new information. For example, during the coaching sessions the coach may suggest new learning goals or a new approach to the project. Different team members may also suggest new ideas that might seem unlikely to succeed or difficult to implement. However, situations that bring unexpected changes taught me to keep an open mind and that eventually things fall into place. This is one of the most important lessons I got out of PREMIUM up to now and I will surely carry this forward in my professional career.

Jarn Theunissen, Premium Student, Master of Medicine