By Jeannette Bylov, AAU Communication and Public Affairs. Photo: AAU

They have been eagerly waiting for a while at the Department of Clinical Medicine at AAU, but now the decision has been made. Jette Kolding Kristensen will be the permanent head of department in the new year. 

With her solid academic and clinical background as well as many years of experience both at the university and in the healthcare system, the Department of Clinical Medicine will have a leader with a strong focus on quality, collaboration and development in research and education.

"The Department of Clinical Medicine plays a key role in aligning research, education and clinical practice. In my new role as head of department, I look forward to further strengthening this interaction. In conjunction with both staff and students, I will also ensure a solid framework for high academic quality, strong collaborations and good well-being for everyone," says the new head of the Department of Clinical Medicine at AAU, Jette Kolding Kristensen.

Jette Kolding Kristensen has served as acting head of department at the Department of Clinical Medicine for some time. Since 2021, she has served as vice head of department for teaching and as of 2022 was head of studies for the medical programmes where she has had a central role in the development and quality assurance of the MedIS and medical programmes.

Jette Kolding Kristensen has also focused on building close collaborative relationships both internally at the university and externally with actors in the primary and secondary healthcare system.

Well equipped for future tasks

At the Faculty of Medicine at AAU, Dean Karina Dahl Steffensen is delighted with the appointment and points out that with the new head, the department is well equipped for future tasks.

"We are very pleased to welcome a head of department with both in-depth insight and extensive management experience. The combination of clinical understanding, research expertise and focus on collaboration is a great asset for the Department of Clinical Medicine and for the faculty as a whole," says Karina Dahl Steffensen, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at AAU.

The new head of department's focus will be on strengthening the department's core activities and on further developing the interaction between the university and the clinical environment. For Jette Kolding Kristensen, it is important to continue to strengthen student well-being and the learning environment, to further develop the PBL case model and to emphasize coherent transitions between degree programme levels. 

It is important that the Department of Clinical Medicine continues to appear as a strong, competent and credible partner for clinicians and other actors in the healthcare system.

In light of the upcoming health reform, the Department of Clinical Medicine and general medicine will have a particularly important role. Here, the new head of department, Jette Kolding Kristensen, believes that the department can contribute with research-based knowledge, education and skills development that supports a more coherent and accessible healthcare system. 

"We have strong links with general practice, hospitals and municipalities. Therefore, the Department of Clinical Medicine at AAU is well placed to contribute actively to the development and implementation of the reform's ambitions – including a strengthened sector transition, quality in the local healthcare system and better coherence between clinical practice, research and education," says Jette Kolding Kristensen.