‘Don’t underestimate how much you have to arrange'

Ferné opted to study abroad thanks to a VSBfonds scholarship. ‘I didn’t necessarily want to go abroad. But in Europe you can only follow a chiropractor programme in France, Spain, Denmark, or England. I opted for England because of the language barrier.’

Text Nicole Vijgen Photo Nathan Mariott

‘Before you study abroad, don’t underestimate how much you need to arrange. For me, that already started with the choice of institute. Should I go to London, Cardiff in Wales, or Bournemouth on the south coast of England? After various orientation interviews, I opted for EACC in Bournemouth. That was the only place I could start on the three-year course straight after my bachelor’s degree. What’s more, the programme in Bournemouth is regarded as one of the best.’

‘The Dutch professional association of chiropractors (NCA) really helped me. They told me everything about the application procedures for the various study programmes abroad, gave me examples for a personal statement and a reference for the admission procedure.’

2021 wasn’t the easiest year to start studying in England. Because of Brexit tuition fees were 18,000 euro per year and Ferné also needed to apply for a visa. Ferné received a 10,000 euro scholarship from VSBfonds. As he wanted to have his rent and living expenses arranged for those three years, he took on three part-time jobs. He was able to convince DUO to loan him the maximum 1,900 euro per month. Ferné’s internship supervisor put him in touch with a former Zuyd student who was already studying in Bournemouth. That’s how he found his accommodation. ‘I had extra English lessons to make sure I passed the mandatory language test with the required 6.’

Studying in England is, however, really different: ‘You need to find out everything for yourself. You get information from films, for example, within a digital learning environment. The lecturer helps you during practicals where needed. He only demonstrated treatment techniques if you asked for this. The master’s degree in England proved to be just what I was searching for. As a chiropractor you can quickly provide relief from pain by restoring proper movement and function to the joints and muscles. With this training, I want to specialize so I can help people even more. Having my own practice is my ultimate dream.’

Ferné really enjoys living in England. He shares his home with a Dutch student. They travel together on their electric scooter to the campus just outside Bournemouth every day. They also regularly make appointments with other Dutch people, organizing a Sinterklaas evening, for example. There’s also a gym on campus that I go to every week. And I’m on the beach within a five-minute walk from my home! What more could you want as a student!’