Five questions for Kathrin Thiem PhD candidate, department of Internal Medicine

Kathrin Thiem (28) is a PhD candidate with the department of Internal Medicine.

1. Why did you decide to come to Nijmegen?

"I first came here as a Master student and I stayed on to do my PhD. I did my Bachelor in Hannover and wanted to study abroad but not too far away. Nijmegen fitted the bill and it also had a Medical Biology track that I was really interested in."

2. What was the most striking difference between Germany and the Netherlands?

"Working in English was something that we didn’t do in Germany. Almost everything was done in German. For my very first module here I had to write a mini-thesis in English. That was a struggle! Now, as a researcher, I appreciate how important it is to work on your command of English, as it’s the international language of research."

3. What makes you proud of your work?

"I’m doing research into atherosclerosis and diabetes, in connection with the immune system. It’s cutting-edge research, which makes it really exciting. But at the same time, it’s tangible and something I can explain to family and friends at home. I feel lucky to be able to do this."

4. What was the best piece of advice someone gave you about settling in here?

"When I was about to come here for my Master, a friend told me not to miss the Introduction Week. At the time, I felt more like staying at home for an extra week and relaxing but I took her advice and I was glad that I did! It was a truly amazing week and I made friends then who I still see now. So even if you’re shy and nervous about meeting new people, take the plunge and join in."

5. What’s your secret passion?

"My colleagues know that I like starting new hobbies and that I’m usually really enthusiastic and excited about them. My most recent hobby is jiu-jitsu. I’m sure it won’t remain a secret for long, though – I’ve been practising my moves on colleagues already!"

We help you forward

At Radboud university medical center, you build the future. Whether your heart is in healthcare, research, or education, we help you move forwards. Together we provide the best care. Are you ready to think further and work differently?

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We help you forward

At Radboud university medical center, you build the future. Whether your heart is in healthcare, research, or education, we help you move forwards. We are committed to providing the best care. And we are true to our word, because we help you develop and seize opportunities and give you the room to grow. Are you ready to think beyond the now and work differently? Come join us, and make a difference! 

 

At Radboudumc, it's all about teamwork. We need every head, and every heart. You can see and feel it when you enter our buildings. You can see it in the genuine attention we give our patients and each other. We look ahead to the future and see that healthcare can and must become smarter, better, and more sustainable. From deploying artificial intelligence to training world-class professionals. From creating future-proof healthcare to preventing disease. Will you be part of our vision for the future? Whatever your position, you can change healthcare – today and tomorrow.

 

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You shape the healthcare of the future


Make impact together

Join us in making healthcare smarter, better, and more sustainable.

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Make impact together

At Radboud university medical center, you build on your future. We offer our patients the best possible care today. But we also look ahead to the future and see that healthcare can and must become smarter, better, and more sustainable. This is what you and your colleagues are working towards every day.

Making an impact, together

The strength of our academic environment is that healthcare, research, and education are intertwined. We collaborate across departments and disciplines to make a real difference. Whether you provide direct patient care or not, by working together we can generate ideas, conduct research, and innovate – and put the results into practice quickly. 

Innovating together, for each other

Together, we develop intelligent applications to support healthcare. We use artificial intelligence to make better and faster diagnoses. We process complex data to help prevent disease. And we continue to develop our training programs to support the lifelong learning of our healthcare professionals. Whatever your role or area of expertise, we work with and for each other to improve healthcare.

A better climate for better health

The climate crisis and the energy crisis are having a major impact on health, both directly and indirectly, and will continue to do so in the future. That is why we are focused on researching the impacts and solutions of these crises, and why we are scrutinizing our own footprint. For example, did you know that our new main building is the most sustainable hospital building in Western Europe? We have a thermal storage system and a green campus with plenty of space for nature. And in our plastic-free restaurant, we serve mostly plant-based and locally produced products. This all adds up and makes a huge difference in an organization with nearly 13,000 colleagues and around 180,000 patients a year! So get involved; there are plenty of opportunities for you to come up with ideas to make our work and the organization even more sustainable!


We care for one another

An organization that is all about care obviously takes good care of you, too!

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We care for one another

At Radboud university medical center, we invest in your development as a professional and as a person. We care about how you are doing, both at work and at home. In short, we help you get what you need to stay fit and healthy, and happy at work.

Werk en privé in balans

We believe that a good work-life balance is key to job satisfaction. That is why we not only offer an excellent range of schemes and various types of leave, but in many positions you also have the freedom to set your own hours. And if you need a little extra support, you can count on coaching and training courses such as ‘Millennial Dilemmas’ and ‘Your Career After 57’, as well as personal advice, for example during one-on-one informal care consultation hours.

Healthy professionals

We encourage our patients and our employees to take good care of themselves. For example, through the Healthy Professionals program, where you can work with a coach to find ways to lead a healthier life. You can also use the facilities at the sports center and the Radboudumc Center for Mindfulness. You will always be able to find a training program or activity that suits you. How can we be so sure? There are more than a hundred to choose from!


For everyone

Each employee has unique gifts, talents and skills. We help you empower them!

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Grow with us, get involved


Grow with us, get involved

Your workplace challenges you to be better every single day. Radboud university medical center wants to be among the best of the best. So, if there is one place that encourages you to think beyond the now and to grow, this is it.

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Grow with us, get involved

Providing excellent healthcare is all about teamwork. Especially here at Radboud university medical center, where care, research, and education are more closely intertwined than in most other healthcare institutions. How does that benefit you? You often work with colleagues from other departments and disciplines. And wherever you work, and whomever you work with, you are given room to grow, seize opportunities, and play an active role in our organization. So not only will you grow as we grow and innovate, but together we will make a difference.

A wide range of training courses

Did you know that our own Health Academy alone employs more than 400 people, including educators? They work closely with more than 2,000 other trainers to develop and organize the best study programs, courses, and workshops for their colleagues. That says a lot about the range of courses on offer! From healthcare and leadership programs to courses for personal development and relaxation, and from career advice to lectures and symposiums.

Share your knowledge and inspire others

And what about our online learning environment? Here you will find not only a wealth of course material, but also learning spaces: informative pages on all kinds of topics that you can consult. You can even create your own or add to existing pages. It is a great way to learn and share knowledge with colleagues from all over the organization. This is how we help each other and ensure that together we stay ahead.