Category: MSc International Health Management

Some Highlights.

Some highlights of the past two weeks:

Left to right, top to bottom

Picture 1:

Big moment today: officially had the last day of classes for my MSc International Health Management. During this day we presented our findings on the healthcare consultancy project we have been working on for the past weeks (and obviously I needed a new suit for that – left on the picture). My group worked at Charing Cross Hospital looking at operational (in)efficiency at a cancer outpatient clinic. It was very interesting to do and staff at the clinic was very nice. What our group found particularly enjoyable but also challenging was applying the models from theory to the ‘chaos’ of the real world.

Imperial College Muay Thai

This year I started following Muay Thai practices at Imperial College. Muay Thai or Thai boxing is a highly dynamic form of martial arts, utilizing knees, elbows, shins and fists. I have been really enjoying it, it is not only great for your fighting skills, but also builds your mental strength and improves your fitness.

Last week, I filmed one of the practice to make a little video of what a Muay Thai training at Imperial is like and I would like to share the result with you (see the video below).

Muay Thai practices are held twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays in Union Gym 3 at Beit Quadrangle.

Finding your balance … Mind the Gap!

Hi all, First of all, my sincerest apologies for posting after such a long time…. procrastination got the better of me! I hope 2013 is off to a wonderful start for you all! Second semester, the first half has flown by… I can’t believe it! 5 weeks since exams ended… Which I realise, I didn’t even tell you about …. So will do a quick note on the exams. In short, 5 days, 5 exams …back to back! Hell. ‘Nuff said. No but seriously, would strongly recommend keeping on top of your notes and reading if possible because I found it significantly easier to revise for the exams I had done this for, than those that I hadn’t.

Spring Term

Hey all,

So after only a short weekend break (I think many of us could have used a week-long break) the time came to start the second semester, the spring term of my MSc. This module we’ll be following five different courses, one of which will last the whole semester, and the other four half a semester. I now following Health Economics, Management Challenges, and Managing Change and Innovation. Let me give you a brief overview of what it’s about:

Health Economics: as the name already says so, you will be studying economics. Mostly related to health care, but also a lot of wider applicable topics such as supply and demand curves.

Study Galore

First of all, I hope you all had a great start of the new year! My NYE celebration was magnificent, the idea of having to study on the day afterwards a bit less though.. Anyway, on the 4th of January I had to leave the lovely Netherlands again to go back to London for a final weekend of studying before the exams. After that one weekend, of which you will probably spend half talking to class mates on the phone about how crazy much work you have done and/or still need to do, it is time for the exams… The first day can be terrifying, since you don’t know what to expect, luckily my best friend from Amsterdam sent me lucky socks (see photo), hahaha!

Merry Christmas from Amsterdam!

Hi all,

Just a short post to wish you all a happy Christmas from Amsterdam. I hope that you all have had a wonderful Christmas eve; unfortunately, we had no snow here on Christmas eve, just rain.. Anyway, if you are applying for Imperial, be prepared that your Christmas break will be filled with studying. Seriously. Studying is what you will do during your break. Of course you’ll have (to make) time to meet up with some friends and see your family etcetera, but don’t expect to be chilling next to the Christmas tree and not think of your course work at all, haha!

Visiting Synergy Health

When you arrive at Imperial College, you will immediately notice that there is much more to do than just follow lectures related to your studies. There are many social events, but also a wide range of formal events. The Imperial College Business School organises, for example, employer events on weeknights during which various companies give talks on their company or business they are involved in or on topics related to their business/company. For students of the Business School this is a great opportunity to gain more insight in the business world and to learn a bit more about possible future employers.

Applying mgmt to life in gens!

This post of mine won’t give you immense insight into my day-to-day life at the Business school but will give you a glimpse into the amazingly awesome education that we receive on the International Health Management course at Imperial College Business School. Here are the top three pieces of wisdom from the modules:

Accounting:

  • The Rule of One: Some things, cannot be reduced below one… deal with it!
  • The Will Sutton Rule: Will Sutton was a bank robber and during his forty-year criminal career he stole an estimated $2 million and eventually spent more than half of his adult life in prison.

a bit late to the party

23 hours of flight time, four inflight movies, two Bloody Marys, and five questionably edible economy class meals is what it takes to get from Middle Earth to the Old Smoke.  Me being excited about getting off the plane as we land on the Heathrow runway is probably an understatement. Not only was my back sore, but I was beginning to think that my seat had permanently contorted the shape of my backside. 

I quickly make my way through customs and out of the airport. As I walked around like a headless chicken looking for anything that marginally resembled a shuttle or taxi, I had my first opportunity to soak in the atmosphere. 

Nobody Canna Cross It.

Hey all,

We’re a good six weeks into the programme now and I figured I’d share some advice with you. When I arrived at Imperial, I had no clue what the UK labour market was like. I figured it would be quite similar to the one in Holland and did not give it much thought, since I was also trying to complete a maths and accounting primer. Anyway, apparently all major consulting jobs open their applications for 2013 already almost a year in advance. This means that if you want to work for eg. McKinsey in September 2013, you will already have to apply somewhere between September and November 2012.