Today more than ever, collaboration is essential, especially in the medical sector. Via the Medical Student Platform (GSP), students from VUB are being deployed in a variety of areas at UZ Brussel. There is direct contact between the GSP – which officially represents medical students and is leading this voluntary collaboration from the student side – the UZ Brussel management, and Prof Steven Raeymaeckers, one of the project’s coordinators.
VUB alumnus Steven Raeymaeckers is a radiologist affiliated to UZ Brussel. He’s also the internship coordinator for medical studies and supports master’s students as they put their theoretical knowledge into practice. In his spare time, he’s also busy on the front line as a firefighter and paramedic.
How are the current circumstances affecting your function?
This situation is unique, that much is certain. This is the first time that we as a society have had to experience the negative consequences of an almost entirely open world. And it clearly shows that we have learned very little from previous experiences with the Sars and Mers outbreaks. We have the misfortune to be living through history: who doesn’t remember where they were the moment the Twin Towers fell? And I clearly remember being barely able to take in what was happening on that awful morning, 22 March. It’s the same here: a world-changing event.
While we can be sure that this epidemic will go down in history, we as healthcare providers are looking uncertainly towards the future. It feels as if we’re on the beach, staring into the distance, directly after an undersea earthquake. You know that something terrible is on the way, you see the water receding as proof. This tsunami is coming, regardless. How big, what the consequences will be, we’re all guessing.
What is the collaboration between UZ Brussel and the medical students and what is their role?
We fear a scenario like in Italy or Spain, in which we are forced to call on all the professionals we can find, whatever their experience. In that scenario, senior medical students are naturally an ideal partner. What’s great, however, is that nobody has had to ask – students in the faculty, united in VUB’s Medical Student Platform (GSP), have spontaneously volunteered their support.
In record time, the students themselves created a body that established the needs of the various services at UZ Brussel and external partners such as local general practitioners. Students who no longer have lessons or internships can offer themselves as volunteers and take on various tasks to support the medical services. In just a few days, they created a network of more than 250 students, primarily from the medical campus but also other VUB students such as those studying physiotherapy.
This is entirely separate from the volunteers who offered to help hospital staff with childcare, or with sewing crucial face masks. It’s a great example of how VUB is a real community, driven by its students and supported by those around them.
“As CEO of UZ Brussel, I’m hugely grateful and impressed by this spontaneous effort (and organisation) by and for our students,” adds Marc Noppen. “For me, this proves two things: the future of the profession is assured by such human capital, and VUB delivers not only good doctors but good people. And that is perhaps the most important thing.”
How are the students finding the current circumstances?
Our students are now getting a unique insight into what medicine could be like in a world without vaccines or expensive equipment. Operations that aren’t urgent have been postponed. The “nice operations” that some students would be observing or taking part in, depending on their knowledge and skills, are no longer happening. Instead, we all realise more than ever that caring for patients is a shared concern. That the role of the telephone operator can be as crucial as the treatment by a doctor. That we should be exceptionally proud of the maintenance and technical teams that help us by cleaning and servicing our research rooms or reorganising the flow of patients. It’s a lesson in humility – though I don’t think that’s something that VUBers often experience.
“Some of the students have seen their internship go up in smoke because of the Covid-19 crisis and are also having to stay at home,” adds GSP. “For others, internships have changed because the doctors are occupied with treating the Covid-19 patients. But every student feels affected by what is happening in our hospitals, and they feel useless having to just sit at home. That’s why so many have put themselves forward to contribute to the work being done at UZ Brussel.”
What extra challenges are medical students facing?
On the one hand, for some of our students it might be a bit dull, given that we don’t want to deploy any more people than is necessary. For their own safety, and just to have them in reserve during the peak of the epidemic. So we’re asking lots of students to keep working on their portfolio or their master’s thesis, until the point that we look like needing their help en masse.
On the other hand, it can be frightening to realise that in the hospital where you work, there’s an army of invisible enemies – mainly in the isolation wards where the infected patients are, but through carelessness these particles can be spread and cling to door handles, keyboards or lift buttons. They are also seeing many more sick people than usual come in via the emergency room, where students play an important role in distinguishing Covid and non-Covid pathologies. We all have to be conscious of the psychological stress that these experiences can cause.
“Many medical students are now in a slightly calmer period because of the cancellation of certain internships,” says GSP. “So spending this extra free time in a constructive way is a challenge. Lots of enthusiastic students are actively asking us if they can help somewhere. This motivation is of course great to see. Some of them prefer to stay in their kot and not go back home to their families, because of the increased risk of infection. Not being able to see or hold your family and friends obviously takes its toll on your mood.”
What do you want to emphasise?
This epidemic is actually a great leveller. Rich or poor, right now it doesn’t make much difference, unless you’re rich enough that you can hide away and sit out the storm on your own private island. While this health crisis is placing enormous demands on our hospitals, thanks to the huge efforts of our healthcare workers and through respecting the enforced safety measures, we can probably cope. There will be deaths to mourn, just as with any epidemic. But there will also be many lives saved, thanks to an exciting mix of students, nurses, cleaners, paramedics, doctors and all the other roles I’ve forgotten to name here. We can get through this, together.
“We also want to thank everyone who is applauding for all health and social care workers at 20.00 every night,” say the students. “It’s appreciated.”
UZ Brussel appreciates all financial support towards the purchase of necessary medical equipment, such as face masks and ventilators. Advanced ventilators are very expensive and can easily cost between €50,000 and €60,000 each. It goes without saying that any help is more than welcome. Support UZ Brussel during the coronavirus crisis and find out more about the UZ Brussel Foundation.