In every edition of our alumni newsletter, we talk to an alumnus about their time studying at Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management (formerly iBMG and SAG) and about what they are doing now. This time, we spoke to Monica Schagen. She graduated in 2020, after completing the pre-master and her degree in Health Economics, Policy & Law (HEPL). For a few years now, she has been working for the Dutch government from Washington D.C. in the United States of America.
How did you come to the decision to study HEPL?
I was a late bloomer in terms of studying - I found it very difficult to make a choice at 16. I first did vmbo (prevocational secondary education) and after a one-year mbo (senior secondary vocational education) programme, I joined the navy. That was great fun, educational and good for my own development. It was because of that development that I became motivated to study. With havo (senior general secondary education) certificates, I managed to go to a university of applied sciences, where I studied nursing. While working as a nurse, I always felt a bit of an urge to think about the healthcare system on a macro level, in addition to my work on a micro level (and really working hands-on). That curiosity made me want to study Health Economics, Policy & Law: to engage more broadly with the subject.
What was the start of your career like after your studies?
After my studies, I soon started working at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), initially still alongside my work as a nurse. I found that very valuable and fun to combine. I could see the theory, the policy, in practice. As a result, you are more in touch with the practice you are shaping policy for. And ultimately, those policies are only effective if they are complementary and supportive of healthcare practice.
You currently work in the United States of America; how did you end up there?
Initially, my husband was asked by his work to take a position in the USA. We were excited about that move, so I also started looking for a job there. That's when I came across the vacancy for this position, representative of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) for the United States and Canada, at the Dutch embassy in Washington D.C. I already had some international dossiers at VWS, so that already helped in deciding whether the position would be a fit. I had also interned at a hospital in New York City during my nursing studies, which meant that I also already knew a bit about the US healthcare system.
Funnily enough, my husband's job did not go through and the reason for our move ended up being that I was hired there. I heard I had been hired in July, and we moved there at the end of the year!
What would you share with current Health Sciences students?
The political determinants of health and the healthcare system. Because you see that with the advent of a political appointment, the whole system can change with all kinds of (negative) health (care) effects, as is happening now in the US, for example. So political decisions affect people's lives. We know that of course, but we are now increasingly seeing how that is a reality in people's daily lives and what that means.
And do you yourself take anything from your studies into your daily work?
Because of the breadth of the programme (law, economics, the fundamentals of the system), you learn to look at how a healthcare system is created and functions in different ways. How you communicate that and how it relates to other systems is important to keep explaining. VWS is therefore also always looking for people who know practice well - there is added value in having people from practice when developing your policies.
In conversation with… you?
Do you also have fond memories of your time at SAG/iBMG/ESHPM that you would like to share with fellow alumni? Let us know by sending an email to alumni@eshpm.eur.nl.
