To do:

The road to obtaining your PhD can be challenging, but you don’t have to face it alone! The PhD advisors provide confidential support and coaching on personal challenges, stress, supervisor or team dynamics, workload, work-life balance, and project management. They are there to help with any issue during your PhD – big or small, work-related or not. Our PhD advisors Jordi and Mandy both have a PhD and a training in coaching. In one or more sessions they will use their experience to give you tools to tackle your problems. Contact them by sending an email to phdadvisor@amsterdamumc.nl

Jordi Cabanas-Danés: “During my career as PhD candidate and later as postdoctoral fellow, I have always been interested in the persons behind the researchers, and what are the challenges they need to overcome. After completing my training as coach in 2019 I decided to join the Doctoral School as PhD advisor. During conversations my approach begins with genuinely listening and connecting in an accessible yet safe environment. Once your objective is clear, I will guide you further to discover your own unique tools to cross the bridge towards solutions.”

Mandy X. Hu: “I completed both my PhD and coach training in 2018. In our conversations, I focus on getting to the core of your challenges, helping you gain clarity, and guiding you in making authentic choices. My method combines mindfulness-based techniques with a pragmatic, solution-focused strategy to help you achieve both personal growth and practical results. I believe in a comprehensive approach that supports not only your progress in your PhD, but also your well-being and other important areas of your life — including your relationship with yourself."

Necessary documents:

Tips:

  • PhD Safety & Support Guide

    The PhD advisors are there to help with any issues you experience during your PhD. In addition, Amsterdam UMC offers a strong safety net. Check out this PhD Safety & Support Guide to see which resource suits your needs best.

  • PhD Advisors’ Role in Support Conversations

    At the PhD candidate’s request, and with the agreement of all parties involved, the PhD advisors may attend meetings with their supervisory team or colleagues to provide mental and emotional support. Read about the PhD Advisors’ Role in Support Conversations.

  • Signaling, Escalation and Action (SEA) plan

    PhD advisors are attentive to patterns or recurring challenges within supervision or departmental processes. When helpful, the Doctoral School can activate the Signaling, Escalation and Action (SEA) plan – a collaborative approach aimed at creating positive and sustainable improvements.

                    Downloads:

                    Every month the PhD advisors will blog about their experiences here:

                    Previous blogs may be found here.