Here, participants in the Voluntary Scientific Year (FWJ) report on their experiences in the Department of Ethics in Medicine at the University of Oldenburg.

Why did you decide to do a Voluntary Academic Year?

I found out about the opportunity to apply for an FWJ mainly through word of mouth amongst my friends and acquaintances. As I was already very interested in academic work and research, the FWJ seemed like the ideal opportunity for me to gain an in-depth insight into student and professional life after my Abitur. Besides, I wasn’t entirely sure yet which degree programme I wanted to pursue after my Abitur, as I was still worried that I might end up studying something I’d regret later on.

Where are you based and what are your areas of responsibility?

I’m based in the Ethics in Medicine section of the Department of Health Services Research. To be more specific, I’m helping with the ‘TriaDe’ project, which looks at the provision of 24-hour care for people with dementia in their own homes by a carer from Eastern Europe. Among other things, I’m carrying out a discourse analysis together with my colleague – that is, an analysis of newspaper articles from leading media outlets over the last few years that have dealt with 24-hour home care. I’m also transcribing interviews that were previously conducted by a colleague with people affected by the condition, in order to better understand their perspective.
In addition, as part of the medical degree programme, there are modules run by my department which I can attend and take part in the discussions.

Why have you chosen to do your voluntary service at the University of Oldenburg of all places?

I think there are two reasons. Firstly, the University of Oldenburg isn’t far from my home town, which makes it very easy for me to travel home at the weekends. Secondly (and I can say this with the benefit of hindsight), it’s the many events and workshops that I can attend alongside my work in my research group. The annual Science Slam is my personal recommendation.
Ultimately, I chose the University of Oldenburg because there are so many positive and inspiring testimonials about the FWJ. :)

What challenges have you had to face so far?

At the start, it was definitely finding my way around the campus, especially the Wechloy campus. But after just a month, I’d got the hang of where to find things and where events were taking place. Don’t let the V03 building on Ammerländer Heerstraße intimidate you. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t got lost in there at least once. :) I did run into the odd technical problem now and then, but I was eventually able to sort them out with my colleague. The biggest challenge for me – one I’m honestly still struggling with – is approaching people I don’t know in the department or on campus in general, for example when I have a question. Nevertheless, I can say that in the Department of Health Services Research, people here always smile at you when you bump into them in the corridor.

What has pleasantly surprised you?

I was pleasantly surprised to find that professors aren’t the untouchable figures of authority I’d previously imagined, but people who want to engage in conversation with others and provide supportive guidance to their staff on ongoing projects. As for the ongoing ‘TriaDe project’, I was pleasantly surprised to find that, as a FWJ volunteer, I’m an important part of the team. Particularly when it comes to interpreting the interviews, it’s very beneficial for my colleagues when someone who hasn’t studied social sciences brings a different perspective to the analysis. So don’t be afraid to share your interpretations with your colleagues, even if they go in a completely different direction.

What do you think this year will bring for you?

So far, the FWJ has really helped me with my career plans. On the one hand, there’s the guest student programme, where, as FWJ participants, you’re allowed to attend lectures related to your dream degree programme thanks to a broad portfolio of options. Secondly, there are the conversations with all sorts of students and people on the campus, who have shared many of their career experiences with me and also given me advice. They’ve convinced me that, after my FWJ, I’d like to do a practical apprenticeship first before moving on to university. Furthermore, the FWJ has given me a good insight into working life, where the daily routine differs significantly from that of my school days.

What have you learnt so far during your voluntary service?

Over the past few weeks, through my work in my department and during the training days, I’ve been able to learn many things anew and in a different way to how I’d learnt them at school. This includes how to put together a good presentation, managing references in a reference management programme, and reading and understanding academic texts – essentially the ‘toolkit’ you need for your degree. Through the teaching seminars in my department, I’ve been able to explore the various areas of medical ethics using specific case studies. And through my work on the project in general, I’ve learnt where ethical conflicts can be identified and that it can be very difficult to find a good solution for all parties. What interests me most is the philosophy of the temporal structure of a good life – which includes, for example, health optimisation – and whether there is any need for it at all, given that different conditions prevail in every phase of life.

What advice would you give to future volunteers?

Don’t hesitate to give it a go if the nature of the tasks and the project’s theme appeal to you. It’s well worth doing a year of voluntary service after your Abitur to make new contacts and experience a new phase of life away from home. When it comes to career planning, the perspective you gain during the FWJ is quite different from that you get at school. During my sixth-form years, I certainly wouldn’t have thought that I’d want to do an apprenticeship before starting my degree.
In conclusion, I can only agree with the other testimonials that the FWJ will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for you. All the conversations and contacts I made with students – and above all with my lovely colleagues – will stay with me for a long time to come.

Why did you decide to do a Voluntary Scientific Year?

For many people, the question of what academic appointment they want to pursue later is decided quite early on. It wasn't an easy decision for me and I started to take an interest in a career in science towards the end of my school career. However, I was only able to find out a little about this career field, despite the current advantage of being able to enquire about everything on the World Wide Web and imagine what the everyday life of a scientist looks like. As the decision as to whether becoming a scientist would be an option for me would also have had a strong influence on my choice of degree programme, I took the chance and applied for the FWJ.

Where are you employed and what are your areas of responsibility?

I am in two departments - Ethics in Medicine and Organisational Health Services Research - where I mainly work on a project that is being carried out by both departments in co-operation. The project aims to investigate the ethical, care organisation and communication aspects of a care setting for people with dementia, their relatives and Eastern European "care assistants" (scientific term "live-in helpers") in German households. A preliminary study focussing on the relatives' perspective is planned for this project, which I am currently working on. Since the preliminary study is only supposed to last one year and has been scheduled in such a way that I can be involved from the beginning, the writing of an ethics proposal, to the end, the publication, I can experience all phases of scientific work.

Why are you doing your voluntary service at the University of Oldenburg of all places?

As I was explicitly looking for a voluntary service in academia and my interests lie in the humanities and social sciences, I could only find something suitable for me at the University of Oldenburg.

What challenges have you faced so far?

I haven't had the feeling of being confronted with challenges in my departments. I've always been well instructed in my tasks so far and have lots of nice colleagues around me who I can always ask if I'm stuck on one thing or another.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic is a particular challenge, which is probably a challenge for all of us. But I'm also glad that I'm doing the FWJ at the University of Oldenburg, as we meet regularly online and have our own online meeting rooms so that we can stay in contact even during these times.

What surprised you positively?

The fact that there is a nice and relaxed working atmosphere despite the busy everyday life - at least for my colleagues - and the exciting topics at the training days.

What do you think this year will bring you?

As almost a third of the year is already over, I would first like to say that the past time has already answered my questions about choosing the right degree programme and my career aspirations. In the remaining time, I would like to prepare myself for my studies and take the opportunity to attend lectures and seminars during working hours and acquire further skills and experience for my academic career.

What have you learnt so far during your voluntary service?

I know the phases of scientific work and have also been involved in the activities to be carried out in all of the phases so far, so I am more experienced and confident with some activities or when dealing with scientific articles. I was able to familiarise myself with the methods of qualitative research and will soon learn how to apply them in practice. I was able to acquire basic knowledge in the areas of ethics in medicine and healthcare research and learnt how to use programmes that are used in a scientific context.

I also got to know a lot of very nice people. :)

What advice would you give to future volunteers?

I think it's important to have an interest in the subjects, as you need to get an overview of the research topics from the literature at the beginning if you want to take on more demanding tasks. If you only intend to bridge the year, another voluntary service position is more suitable.

Otherwise, communication is a very important aspect, as you are in contact with others a lot, both in terms of departments and on a larger level from the department to international exchange. But you should also not be discouraged, especially to prevent your own misunderstandings regarding the execution of tasks, but approach others and ask questions. I was always met with a very friendly and understanding response.