Master’s student Dian Pieters looks back on her work placement
Research project on ‘Fighting COVID-19’
At the behest of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is coordinating the research project ‘Fighting COVID-19 in animals and humans, a “One Health” approach’. As part of her One Health minor, , a student in the Companion Animal Health Master’s programme, took part in a work placement with this project. Looking back, how does she feel about the placement and what did she learn?
Dian Pieters grew up in Raalte, helping care for rabbits, hamsters and birds. From a very early age, she knew: ‘I’m going to be a vet when I grow up.’ During her time at university, however, she began to have doubts. Would she find enough satisfaction in a job as a practising veterinarian, or would she prefer to do something with a bigger impact on public health?
What made you choose the One Health minor?
‘During my degree programme, I became more and more certain that, in addition to treating pet cats, I was also interested in public health and the role of vets in that respect. The One Health minor nicely addressed this interest. One Health is wide-ranging and deals with the interdisciplinary collaboration between human medicine, veterinary medicine and environmental science. I find working at a broader scope to be really satisfying.’
How did you figure that out?
‘During my Master’s programme in particular, my focus started to shift. The clerkships made me aware of my own perceptions of veterinary practice and how far you should go in pursuing treatment. I think it’s wonderful for owners that we can do practically everything for their animals these days, but at the same time, it’s sometimes difficult to fully support an invasive or extreme treatment for an individual animal. People should take good care of their animals, but – if you ask me – at the end of the day, animals are animals. What’s more, that money could be spent in so many other ways, such as addressing public health issues in developing countries. That’s where I’m eager to put my veterinary expertise to use.’
You did a work placement with the ‘Fighting COVID-19’ project, which is certainly relevant in today’s world and has a direct link to public health. How was it?
‘“Fighting COVID-19” was set up in a hurry due to the urgency of the problems related to the pandemic. That made the project especially interesting and challenging. My placement started just as the research was beginning, so I had plenty of opportunities to contribute my thoughts. There was also plenty of consultation between the researchers and communication experts I was working with. And all of it was only online contact – a real challenge. Another thing that impressed me was that everyone involved had set aside their regular work and private lives to take part in this project.’
You have to think about the exact wording, especially on such a sensitive subject as corona.
What was your role?
‘I was involved in the communication regarding the project. I created a web page about the research project, for example, and wrote a communications plan with agreements on communication intervals, means, relevant target groups and how we could communicate efficiently with regard to the study. I served as a link between the researchers and the communication experts.’
Did you notice anything in particular?
‘Researchers want to share the research results as they are, while communication experts are fairly critical when it comes to sharing results with others. They are a bit further removed from the study, have insight into which questions might arise based on the data and how we should introduce that data to the public.’
What was it about this work placement that made it interesting to you?
‘Communication was an entirely new field for me. As a result, it was fun to see what goes on behind the scenes. It sounds so easy: you have some research results, you write them down, you make a call to the media and everything’s fine. That’s obviously not how it works.’
So how does it work?
‘There’s a lot of invisible effort involved. You have to consider the exact phrasing you want to use, especially with a topic as sensitive as COVID-19. The idea is to convey all the information clearly and to avoid causing any unnecessary panic in society.’
Looking back at your work placement, what did you learn from it?
‘How to set up a large interdisciplinary research project in a short period of time. And that there are so many parties involved, every one of which has their own opinions on the implementation and communication. In that regard, I learned how important it is to establish agreements in advance. And also to determine, ahead of time, what the research results will mean, which questions might arise as a result and the best way for you to respond to them. Before the placement, I hadn’t realised how many people think about these things. It’s completely different to the world of veterinary practice.’
And then the phone rang: the King’s Commissioner would be paying a visit.
‘Yes, that was really the icing on the cake. The King’s Commissioner visited the Faculty to learn about our work in connection with the coronavirus. For my part, I had a chance to talk about my experience with the “Fighting COVID-19” project. It was fun, and a bit nerve-racking, speaking to all those important people.’ In the picture above you can see from left to right: Renske Belt, Marketing & Communications Adviser at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Jan Henk van der Velden, Executive Director of Utrecht Science Park, Wouter Dhert, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hans Oosters, King’s Commissioner, Dick Heederik, Professor of Health Risk Analysis and chair of the Netherlands Centre for One Health, Dian Pieters, Master’s student in the Companion Animal Health programme and Joost van Rooijen, animal caretaker and lecturer on pigs at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
How do you see your future after graduation?
‘I hope to find a job in primary veterinary practice first. Then, after two years, I might want to combine that with working a couple of days a week at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, or at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), or as a lecturer. While I really enjoy personal interaction with animal owners, I think I’ll find greater satisfaction in contributing to the larger whole. I want to use the time I’m given to reach as many people and animals as possible.’