Estefanía Callejas De Luca - Membership and Governance Officer at the European Patients' Forum
Estefania works for the European Patient’s Forum, the leading voice of patient organisations in Europe. Her role involves creating a dialogue between patient organisations and stakeholders for European projects. To uphold patient empowerment through patient advisory boards, Estefania relies on practical knowledge and tools she gained from the master’s programme Governance and Leadership in European Public Health.
The value of governance
Estefania: “My job title is Membership and Governance Officer, as an alumna for a master’s with ‘Governance’ in its name, you could say I had a head start during my job application.” Besides governance in complex European health systems, Estefania can also rely on leadership courses such as stakeholder engagement, leadership training sessions and writing policy briefs. “One of the best things the programme gave me was an internship at the European Commission, where I worked for the policy strategy unit at the Health and Food Safety department and really delved into the EU-bubble.”
Between patient communities and policymakers
Estefania now works for the European Patient’s Forum, an umbrella organisation representing 79 patient organisations at the European level. “I work in the coordination of patients advisory boards; groups of patients that provide their perspectives on European projects. Think of it as roundtables where policymakers sit alongside industry representatives, patients, patient organisations and healthcare providers - hearing all these different voices is very inspiring.” Examples of current European projects are Digital Health and Universal Access to Healthcare.
Academia in favor of real-world problems
Estefania isn’t settled in her career just yet, she aspires to conduct a PhD in the near future and become a professor. “Working at the European Patients’ Forum gives me insights into what the real-world needs are, which I can use in academia.”
If you are looking for the same insights without necessarily pursuing a PhD, the master’s programme will still suit you well. “Many cases that we discussed reappear in my job. If you hear about authentic cases taught at Maastricht University, know that they truly prepare you for the real world”
Also read
-
Interprofessional collaboration and learning in primary care
Loes van Bokhoven (CAPHRI) aims to improve care in GP practices and contribute to the personnel challenges in the region.
-
New insight into the role of brain changes in psychiatric disorders
It has long been known that in some psychiatric disorders certain parts of the brain show slight abnormalities. However, it was unclear whether these brain changes are caused by the illness itself, by medication, or by smoking. In a recent study, scientists at Maastricht University and Amsterdam UMC...
-
Diana Kramp – A contribution to care through knowledge and experience
Is improving healthcare only a task for our healthcare and academic staff? At first glance, you would say so. But sometimes there are colleagues within our health faculty who experience care themselves, and feel an urge to contribute to it from a patient perspective. You find this quality in Diana...
