Health Economics student Dominiek Rutten, who has now graduated from his master's degree, was awarded summa cum laude this year. This is a fantastic achievement that we and the school are very proud of. That is why we are putting Dominiek in the spotlight with this interview.
Let’s jump right in by asking, what is your secret for graduating summa cum laude?
“Choosing a study programme that you really like. I had also already been studying for several years, which makes it easier to absorb information and filter out the really important matters. Finally, it involves hard work, of course, and ensuring that you really understand the subject matter so you can not only reproduce it but also apply it. Then you remember it much better.”
What did you think of the study programme?
“I feel it is a really interesting master's degree. I had already completed the bachelor's degree and master's degree in Medicine in Nijmegen, which meant I could have started working as a doctor, but found that it was not my passion. I had previously studied Business Administration at the bachelor level, so I was looking for a master’s degree that combined all these interests. The quantitative approach and the inspiring lectures of the lecturers were really good in this master's programme.”
What was your greatest benefit from the programme?
“I wrote my thesis at the CPB about recoding patients with an adjustment disorder in the GGZ after this disorder was no longer being reimbursed in the basic health insurance package. I found that research to be fascinating, and I was supervised really well by Rudy Douven and Minke Remmerswaal, who taught me a lot.”
What was your biggest challenge?
“Halfway through the year, the pressure increased, because you had to get started on your thesis and still had 2 electives to complete, so I really had to buckle down. Then corona broke out and studying at home became a new challenge. I much prefer going to the campus or studying in the university library.”
What are you going to do now and what are your plans for the future?
“On 1 September I started working at Menzis as an Intelligence Analyst. After all these years of studying, I was ready to start working, and I really like this position!”
Last question, what is your dream job?
“I don’t really have a dream job in mind. I am ambitious and certainly want to continue advancing in a career. I shall find out what my ceiling is at some point.”
