Holland is not a very common place for Indian students to go and study. In fact, people would have not even heard about Maastricht! However, I consider myself fortunate to have been able to come and explore an entirely different and unique place in the world.
Maastricht is one of the oldest cities of the Netherlands and has a large international student population. Maastricht is a hub of international students and hence it is not at all difficult to make friends. The University sports centre, various student bodies and parties make the student life vibrant. Studying at Maastricht University is an amazing experience with a stimulating and interactive environment. I have now an insight into the real medical research world. The competitive edge makes me go into the depth of every topic and look at it with a practical approach. The system here is totally different than back home. I have got on hands with all the basic research skills with an exposure to the advanced instruments which I could not have even thought about if I were back home.
Problem-Based-Learning, Journal Clubs, Assignments and the regular weekly grading are in particular the strengths of Maastricht University's education.
In Problem-Based-Learning, the students are presented with a case/situation and the students have to solve the case/situation and learn from the case.
This makes the students to develop a systematic approach towards problem management which is vital for a job.
Journal clubs are reading and analyzing the works of experts in the field. It means that the students learn from the experiences of the experts.
The weekly assignments and grading develop a positive pressure and also enhance the presentation skills and confidence of the students. All these three things are lacking in the Indian Education system. As a result, no real research has developed in India and the students face a lot of practical issues in the job scenario.
So guys, if you are open to exchanging cultural ideas, Maastricht is the place to be.
Pranali Buch
Research Master's in Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine,
Maastricht University
