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An up-close look at the Personal Professional Development (PPO) learning track offered as part of the new Master's in Veterinary Medicine. is a veterinarian and one of the programme's external lecturers. She is also the owner of Bureau Raak, a training, coaching and consulting firm. Master's student has been taking this new module since September. They both share their experiences of the first few months.

"Today, we're going to do a card game that's designed to teach you how others see you," Chantal Duijn starts her lesson. "There's a different quality on each of the cards. You'll be working in small groups and figuring out which of those qualities describes each of you best and why." The individual reflection competence lesson has begun. The students have created a "Reflection" e-module at home in preparation for the lesson. So, what is reflection exactly and how do you go about it? The students practice on each other during the lesson, applying their newly acquired knowledge. After moving the tables and chairs around a bit, the students get started. Everyone is a bit hesitant at first, but they're all focused on the cards in no time and enjoying themselves. "I think this teaching method really gets you thinking," Duijn says. "At first, students tend to expect the kind of teaching you'd get at a Bachelor's programme where the lecturer tells you what to do. But these lessons are different: they get to choose what they want to learn. That took some getting used to for the students."

At home, we divide up tasks and each do what suits us best. Why don't we do the same thing at work?

Discussing real-world experiences in class

"These lessons just felt like something you had to do when I was still taking the Bachelors," explains Master's student Babanne van de Burgt. "I figured I was already good at it and thought the theoretical subjects were more important. If I had to miss a class, it would always be PPO." These days, she sees things differently. Especially since she took part in the 'The labour market for veterinarians' study as a student assistant. "I was really shocked by the answers vets gave in the survey. A lot of them stated they'd left the profession because of self-assertive pet owners, or – another frequently mentioned factor – the generation gap: generations' different expectations in terms of work-life balance. I just thought: oh my God, is that what it's going to be like for me? That definitely motivated me to want to prepare for it all."

One of the groups is handed a card with the core value: modesty. Everyone is quiet for a bit, and then they all start laughing. "Well, who's going to take this card?", one of them jokes. "I hope these lessons will help students discover who they really are, and figure out that they're all different and that that's actually a good thing" Duijn says. "The great thing about the new Master's is that students already get external training in the first year. Being exposed to the reality of the workplace helps students to prepare for the future and the demands of the profession more effectively. Still, you obviously can't experience the kind of responsibility you'll ultimately have as a vet by practicing in advance. That's something you can only really experience when you actually start working. But external training can give you the opportunity to experience things like putting down a dog as its heartbroken owners look on. We can discuss those kinds of experiences during lessons, and that also helps students to prepare more effectively for the real world."

"I can't think of anything I'd rather do than being a vet, but I also don't want to end up sitting at home all stressed out," Van de Burgt says. "This learning track has helped me realise that I have choices and don't have to stick with one decision for the rest of my life." When I ask if PPO classes would still be the first thing she'd drop today, Van de Burgt starts laughing. "I'd definitely think twice now! Some students still think it's pointless, but doing assignments and discussing them constantly forces you to reflect on your development, and that's really important."

Making clear choices for greater job satisfaction

Duijn sees these classes as life lessons. "Get to know yourself. What are you good at and what are your weaknesses, because you'll have to deal with those no matter what. I want students to learn to recognise stress, make tough choices and have conversations about what they want. You don't have to be great at everything. I don't like vacuuming, so my boyfriend does that. But I always do the laundry, because that's something he hates. So we divide up the tasks and each do what suits us best. Why don't we do the same thing at work? It's not realistic to expect that you'll enjoy everything or be great at everything. We should be honest with each other, make clear choices and communicate our needs. That will automatically make our jobs more pleasant."

These classes force you to reflect on your development and that's really important.

At the end of the lesson, Duijn asks everyone what they learned and what they will be taking away from the experience. "I had a hard time assigning myself cards, even though I thought some characteristics applied to me more than anyone else," one student says. "The way I see myself doesn't always match up with the way others see me," another student admits. The last student to share says: "No one in our group chose the gratitude card" "We're all grateful, but not as much as we should be. I think we could be a bit more grateful for the things we have in life." Duijn ends the lesson. She's clearly proud. "That's great, right? The students are developing themselves and that makes me happy."

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