Introduction
In total, a student has to spend 66 EC for two internships: a minor internship (30 EC) and a major internship (36 EC). Both internships have to be performed at a research laboratory , clinical research group or other research department acknowledged by the Examination board Science Masters. The minor internship may be any (bio)medical topic related to oncology and has to be performed at one of the OOA Oncology Graduate School institutes (Amsterdam UMC, NKI or Sanquin). The major internship must have an oncological character and should preferentially be performed outside VU Amsterdam or abroad. Each internship needs to be approved in advance by the examiner internships.
Make sure you carefully read the Internship Regulations!
Internships figure
Orientation
Students are encouraged to look for an internship at least 3 months before the start of their internship. For clinical internships or internships abroad a period of 6 months in advance is advised. Finding an appropriate internship is part of your network skills and competencies.
Duration and content
One week full-time (40 hr. / week) is an equivalent of 1.5 EC. Therefore, the minor internship will be 20 weeks and the major internship will be 24 weeks. Interruptions need to be taken into account when calculating the total number of EC.
All internships have to include the following elements:
- Theoretical deepening in the relevant field of Oncology
- Elaboration, execution and analysis of the research question
- Formulation of conclusions and recommendations
- Written report in English
- Oral presentation in English
Amsterdam UMC Assessor
The written report needs to be verified by a second assessor from Amsterdam UMC (VU/VUMC or AMC ). This Amsterdam UMC assessor needs to be invited by the student but has to be approved by the Examiner ILS and has to work at least at the level of assistant professor (UD). He/she will critically review the report and give a mark based on the report without considering the writing process or practical skills. For external internships the Amsterdam UMC assessor is also asked to serve as backup for questions of the student and/or the assessor.
Approval and paper work in advance
Before starting an internship, a student always has to request approval of the Examination Board of the Master programme. Only students who obtained a 5.5 or higher for 3 out of the compulsory courses of the first semester of the programme can request to start their minor internship. For approval you need to completely fill out the digital approval form to allow the Examination Board to make a sound decision based on the provided information. When your internship has been approved, you and your supervisor will receive an email stating the decision of the Examination Board.
Approval of the major internship is no longer valid when the travel code announced by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the relevant country is orange or red. In that case, conducting the scientific internship in the country previously approved is not permitted. Students who nevertheless want to go abroad for their research internship under code yellow, are obliged to take this up with their study coordinator and/or internship examiner.
Any costs in the event of cancellation or early return as a result of a change to code orange or red will not be reimbursed by any fund or funds.
Internship Portfolio
During your internship, you should provide us with several documents. The Internship Portfolio contains all required forms mentioned below and information needed during your internship. Only a complete portfolio handed in via email to masteroncology.vu@amsterdamumc.nl will result in registration of your grade and credits!
During your internship
A List of Agreements (A) needs to be filled out and send to masteroncology.vu@amsterdamumc.nl within
2 weeks after starting your internship. This list describes the agreements made by the student and the supervisor about the start and ending of the internship, interruptions like optional courses, vacations/holidays or other obligations.
Within 6 weeks after starting your Internship, a Research Proposal (B) should be written and send to the internship assessor and programme coordination. In addition, it is compulsory to have an Interim Assessment (C) with your supervisor. This assessment is used to evaluate your work at the department and assess whether the internship can be finished successfully. Halfway, you should give an oral presentation to the department to present the findings you obtained so far.
Finishing your internship
At the end of the internship, an assessment form has to be filled out. The Criteria Guidelines in the Internship Regulations should be used during the assessment to ensure uniform grading. The total mark is based on the quality of the practical work (40%), the written report (40%) and the oral presentation (20%).
You have to send a PDF of your report and Internship Portfolio to masteroncology.vu@amsterdamumc.nl and to the Amsterdam UMC assessor who will review and grade the written report. The final mark of the written report will be the average of the individual marks for the report given by the supervisor and the Amsterdam UMC assessor.
Please also send the link of the second assessor assessment form to your second assessor.
In addition, you should fill in the online evaluation form.
Master Thesis
The Master thesis includes the results of the major internship, integrated with and from the perspective of the knowledge acquired in the compulsory education. The Master thesis will get a uniform cover front and back provided and designed by the Master programme.
All forms for approval and assessment, master thesis front / back, and other information can be found here.
Internship abroad
Are you planning an internship outside the Netherlands?
The International Office can assist you in finding a suitable scholarship and make sure you leave fully prepared for your internship. When you tick the box 'This internship will be conducted outside of the Netherlands' in the approval form, the International Office will automatically be notified that you will perform your internship abroad. After you have received approval from the Examination Board, you can make an appoint with the International Office, send them an e-mail.
The portfolio Science Masters Internship Abroad contains information on scholarships, visa etc. The portfolio can be downloaded from Canvas.
Internship Platform
Looking for a scientific internship? Discover the Faculty of Medicine VU Amsterdam Internship Platform.