Healthcare and the MSc Company Project #LifeasaNyenrodian

As part of the MSc in Management Company Project, a group of students is working on a project about new product innovation in the Dutch healthcare industry. Nick Rook, Full-time MSc in Maangement student at Nyenrode Business Universiteit, shares his experience.

''As students of the Full-time Master’s in Management, the MSc Company Project gives us the opportunity to work closely with a company of our choosing and develop our skills in consultancy. For our project, we (Caroline, Bart, Bono, Nick and Belle) are collaborating with a company that is developing a new medical stapler for use in gastric bypass surgery to prevent post-operative internal hernias. Our task is to dive into the rules and regulations around introducing a new medical product in the Dutch market. We are also looking to identify the various decision-making units that are involved in the process from producer to consumer, with a focus on the healthcare sector.

Industry exposure

On 24 April, we visited a hospital to see a gastric bypass surgery performed by an expert. We had the opportunity to talk with the surgeon and join him in the operating room. During the surgery, we were exposed to how the procedure is performed and what medical instruments are currently in use.

Since most of us have little experience with medical topics (except for Bono and Belle who have their Bachelor of Science in Medicine), it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness such a surgery. Besides, through this experience we learned about the use of medical instruments in the operating room which was very helpful for our project.

The consultancy work continues

The Company Project is challenging us to explore new businesses, learn new concepts and experience the challenges of working with a team of students with different backgrounds and interests. Since we were able to witness the surgery, the background of our assignment became clearer and we gained a more concrete feel for the topic.

We are very grateful with our contact person for this opportunity. We appreciate his openness and patience in explaining how the surgery is carried out and how the new medical stapler works.

For now, we will continue our work to identify the decision-making units and the relevant rules and regulations. We look forward to seeing the final product of our project, and we hope that our client can use our results to achieve success with his venture.''