My name is Leonie Abbink and I work as a donor physician (in training) at Stichting Matchis, stem cell donor bank of The Netherlands. I have studied Biomedical Sciences (Bachelor’s) and the Selective Utrecht Medical Master (SUMMA, Master’s in Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) at Utrecht University. In my job as donor physician at Stichting Matchis I ensure a safe and responsible stem cell donation process.
Meet the professional
I am a medical doctor (MD), specifically in training to become a donor physician. As donor physicians we contribute to the safety of donors and recipients of body materials - blood, (stem) cells, tissues and organs. We ensure that the donation process is safe and responsible, guarantee quality and monitor fair distribution. All of our guidelines are based on (bio)medical scientific research as conducted by (medical) doctors and (biomedical) scientists. During our education and in our job as donor physician we have to continually study this research, assess clinical relevance and implement in our guidelines as necessary.
Skills
Find out the key skills to becoming a Donor Physician. You work together in a team with donor coordinators and other (non-medical) employees of the organisation, with stem cell collection centre employees, but also with case managers and transplant centres all over the world. You have to communicate in a professional and accurate manner with donors, colleagues,and other stakeholders in the chain of stem cell donation. a donor physician has medical responsibility for the whole of the donation process, including safety of the donor and (partly) the recipient. separate main from side issues from anamnesis, physical and additional examinations and weigh interests with regards to donor safety and safety of body materials. Due to ongoing research and technological advancements in the (donor) medicine field, ethical thinking makes sure we stay on the right (health promoting) path. during the day urgent and/or unexpected situations can arise with regards to problems during donation, donor complications, logistical/planning problems that you have to tackle.Collaboration
Social Skills
Personal Responsability
Critical Thinking
Medical Ethical Thinking
Adaptability & Flexibility
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Advice to take away
Stay curious! If you find a field of study/work that you like, try to meet as many people as possible that work in that field and ask them why they do what they do. Eventually, you will find the job you’re looking for.
Disclaimer
The SEER receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme project The SEER (Grant agreement: 101058569) coordinated by European Schoolnet (EUN).
The overarching objective of the SEER project is to provide a set of roadmaps that will pave the way for the policy and institutional changes necessary for the large-scale implementation and mainstreaming of STE(A)M education in Europe. The project will synthesise the status of STE(A)M Education and evaluate gaps in European policies and initiatives while analysing the needs of teachers and schools to support the design of a set of milestones and strategies for key stakeholders, including policymakers, school decision makers, teachers, and industry.