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Year 4 exchange at VUmc Amsterdam
This exchange is available to a limited number of students in the BMSc program and takes place in first-term (September - December) of Year 4 at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The Minor Literature Essay from VUmc must be completed in January, in addition to Western courses, when students return to Western.
Eligibility
BMSc students going into Year 4 of a Double Major Combination are eligible to apply. Students completing Double Majors must ensure they are in a combination for which required modular courses are offered in second term at Western.
Note: the 2022-2023 Academic Year was the last opportunity for students in the Honours Specialization IMS to participate in this exchange.
Application Deadline
The deadline to apply for September 2024 is January 15, 2024.
Students approved for the exchange must then submit an application to VUmc for the Minor Module they wish to complete between February 15 - March 31, according to the information on the VUmc webpage for the International Minor. Registration in a particular Minor module is not guaranteed - see VUmc webpage for details.
Exchange Details
Students will take one "Minor Module" at VUmc and then complete the Minor Literature Essay in January, when they return to Western. These will transfer back to Western as 2.5 credits as indicated under each Minor Module below. The transfer of credit indicated for each Minor Module is what has been granted in the past and could change in the future.
- one "Minor Module" - 2.0 credits (see below for details)
- Minor Literature Essay - 0.5 credit (see details)
Minor Modules at VUmc
Students will complete one of the Minor Modules below (VUmc will determine if a particular Minor module is available and suitable for each student). See below for a brief description of each Minor Module and the credits (including the subject areas) that will transfer back to Western.
Global Health Amsterdam (GHA) focuses on primary and community care from a gender and diversity perspective. Based on the principles of Community Service Learning, students will conduct student-generated participatory projects in collaboration with community partners, gain meaningful learning experiences, and provide practical support to community organizations.
More details are available on the VUmc website for Amsterdam Global Health.
The transfer of credit indicated below is what has been granted in the past and could change in the future.
Amsterdam Global Health will transfer to Western as:
- 1.0 4000-level Epidemiology
- 0.5 4000-level Medical Sciences
- 0.5 3000-level Science
Minor Literature Essay will transfer as a 0.5 course (3000-level Writing).
The minor is completed with the new role of Medical Imaging and Nanomedicine in the context of personalized therapy. Patients are different in their genetic DNA profile, immune system, microbiome and metabolism, so if possible, treatment should be optimized by accounting for these personal characteristics. You will learn advanced imaging techniques such as Nuclear Medicine and MRI, which are used to assess if your patient is responding to the given therapy.
More details are available on the VUmc website for Cancer-Immune Diseases - Personalized Therapies.
The transfer of credit indicated below is what has been granted in the past and could change in the future.
Cancer-Immunity-Personalized Therapies will transfer to Western as:
- 0.5 4000-level Microbiology and Immunology (use in place of Micro Imm 4310A)
- 0.5 4000-level Biochemistry
- 0.5 4000-level Anatomy and Cell Biology (use in place of Anat Cell Bio 4461B)
- 0.5 3000-level Science
Minor Literature Essay will transfer as a 0.5 course (3000-level Writing).
The minor is composed of various topics, which are related to research themes within the Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences (ACS) research institute. In interactive lectures and working groups, knowledge will be gained about state-of-the-art diagnosis tools (imaging, biomarkers), and current and new treatment options.
More details are available on the VUmc website for Cardiovascular Challenges and Organs.
The transfer of credit indicated below is what has been granted in the past and could change in the future.
Cardiovascular Challenges and Organs will transfer to Western as:
- 0.5 4000-level Pathology
- 0.5 4000-level Pharmacology
- 0.5 4000-level Physiology
- 0.5 3000-level Science
Minor Literature Essay will transfer as a 0.5 course (3000-level Writing).
Neurological topics include the histopathology, clinical findings and treatment options for disorders such as epilepsy, childhood white-matter disorders, multiple sclerosis, neuro-oncology, Parkinson and Alzheimer’s disease. You will meet patients and their treating physicians, visit a juvenile justice institution, a center where they treat depression with ECT, the epilepsy center “SEIN”, learn all about how brain networks relate to cognition and disability, learn how to look under the microscope at brain tissue and how to interpret functional and structural brain scans.
More details are available on the VUmc website for Hot Topics in Neurology and Psychiatry.
The transfer of credit indicated below is what has been granted in the past and could change in the future.
Hot Topics in Neurology and Psychiatry will transfer to Western as:
- 0.5 4000-level Anatomy and Cell Biology
- 0.5 4000-level Medical Sciences
- 0.5 4000-level Pathology
- 0.5 3000-level Science
Minor Literature Essay will transfer as a 0.5 course (3000-level Writing).
Move Your Body will start with defining and analyzing normal movement and musculoskeletal health and fitness. There will be focus on the prevention of sedentary behavior and physical inactivity and the moving healthy body during sports and physical performance. We will continue with clinical biomechanics and address how to optimize movement and physical performance of adult patients and children with musculoskeletal and neurological disorders. Diagnostics of the body in motion, surgical and therapeutic options to optimize movement and physical performance, will be presented by both physicians and researchers from several clinical fields.
More details are available on the VUmc website for Move your body.
Move Your Body will transfer to Western as:
- 0.5 4000-level Medical Sciences
- 1.0 4000-level Physiology
- 0.5 3000-level Science
Minor Literature Essay will transfer as a 0.5 course (3000-level Writing).