Information for students

Members of the Department of Genetics are involved in providing genetics education to different groups. We participate in teaching various Bachelor- and Masters-level courses for Biology, Medicine and Dentistry students. We also develop new courses, especially for University College Groningen and for the G2020 Learning Communities. And we have developed two online tools for our students: LabBuddy is used as a modern lab manual and LetsGetWiser+ is a tool for the first step towards our goal of providing a 'Virtual Clinic for Precision Medicine'.

Tour of department: We now offer the opportunity to take a guided tour and see behind the scenes of genetics in patient care and research. More information

BSc and MSc courses

The Department of Genetics is involved in teaching the following BSc and MSc courses (in Dutch) for students in the life sciences:

Medische genetica
Humane genetica & genomics

Links: (click on the language button in top right-hand corner of each page for Dutch or English)

MD Courses

G2020 - The new Groningen Medical Curriculum

Learning Communities: In G2020 a cohort of ~400 students is divided into four Learning Communities (LCs). Each LC has its own focus - Global Health, Sustainable Healthcare, Intramural Care or Molecular Medicine - as well its own dean and teaching staff. The LC provides the academic-medical context in which the ambitions mentioned above are realized. During the selection process for the degree programme, students choose one of the LCs. Once they have been admitted, they complete their Bachelor’s degree programme within their chosen LC. The small-scale nature of the teaching and the direct contact with a limited group of lecturers creaties ties amongst students and within the community.

Bachelor projects: The G2020 curriculum is a bachelor programme for all students. To successfully graduate, G2020 students must complete a 14-week Bachelor Project. This project is the culmination of the Bachelor’s degree programme, where students put what they have learned into practice for the first time. During the Bachelor Project, students focus on a specific medical problem (i.e. the topic has a clear link with a patient's clinical problem or with a group of patients' clinical problem). Students will work in small groups on the project. There is a syllabus summarizing the goals and criteria for the G2020 Bachelor Project and it is relevant for both students and the departments looking to submit a proposal for a Bachelor Project. Please email Helga Westers for further information.

Mentor groups

Senior staff act as mentors for small groups of students. See comments from participants in a mentor group (in English, in Dutch).

JSM News flashes win prizes (2014): Two first-year JSM (Junior Scientific Masterclass) students in Sebo Withoff's mentor group won prizes at the concluding symposium on May 12. One of the students' exercises was to write and present a Newsflash (2-3 pages on a scientific breakthrough, written for the layman). The students could choose a recent paper to base their newsflash on. Seth Tabishgou won the report prize (€250). Bob Schut was runner-up for the presentation prize. See their JSM newsflashes:

Franken yeast: The man-made chromosome by Seth Tabishgou
Drug holiday by Bob Schut, read about his 1st year research training project experience

Internships in genetics

The Research section in the Department of Genetics has 12 places available for student internships. For more information on possible projects please contact the student coordinator: Dr. Helga Westers

For examples, see these links to current projects (in the Wijmenga/Withoff group, email): http://tinyurl.com/74at7j2, http://tinyurl.com/7vbjdp4, http://tinyurl.com/88hbrat
ELSI. The ELSI research team is supported by a changing group of short-term researchers, interns and trainees. The team is always looking for enthusiastic students who want to perform research on ELSI aspects of genetics. In recent years, students with very different backgrounds have been trainees in the ELSI group (with backgrounds in medicine, psychology, human technology, science business and policy and communication sciences). Contact Dr. Mirjam Plantinga (m.plantinga umcg.nl) for more information.

Research lines. The Department of Genetics is working on the following research lines. See also the systems genetics and Franke lab's projects.

Student internship reports. See a list of students (stagestudenten) and short reports on their work experience and projects

Impressions of the department, lab and ERIBA

See news clips on the 2015 Spinoza award to Cisca Wijmenga here (select language flag at top right of webpage) and a short film
See film about the Dept of Genetics made for the American Society of Human Genetics 2015 conference
"It Is What It Is" A personal comment on genetic counselling. Oosterwijk JC. J Clin Oncol. 2016;34(11):1278-80

Thinking of a career in science?

Prof. Ritsert Jansen, Dean of Talent Development, University of Groningen, has written two books for young researchers.

Developing a talent for science (Cambridge University Press, 2011) useful for MSc and PhD students and other scientists starting on an academic/research career.
Funding your career in science (Cambridge University Press, 2013) explains the process of applying for grants and how applications are assessed.