Table 1 Technical Medicine in the Netherlands

Technical Medicine is a 6-year university bachelor (undergraduate) and master (graduate) curriculum resulting in a Master of Science degree. In the first three undergraduate years, the curriculum is system-based and students acquire basic knowledge and skills concerning all human subsystems, such as the cardiorespiratory system, digestive system, urogenital system, and neural system. Cognitive integration is used to foster understanding of each system including relevant technology and guides the presentation of the information in an integrated way. Students learn about anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, and technology for each subsystem in a systematic and structured manner. In the first year of the master, students follow technical-medical specialization courses, such as Segmentation and Visualization, Biological Control Systems, and Surgical Navigation Technology, and clinical skills and diagnostic reasoning courses covering injections, punctures and catheterizations, surgical skills, emergency reasoning, and endoscopic skills. In the two final years, students do clinical rotations in hospitals. Since 2003, over 600 Technical Physicians graduated. In 2013 a second Technical Medicine program in the Netherlands started at the Delft University of Technology in collaboration with the Erasmus Medical Center and Leiden University Medical Center. Most TPs hold research positions in hospitals. Next to their contribution to the diagnosis and treatment pathways of patients, TPs often have research and education tasks and are involved in the implementation of technical innovations. About 80% of the TPs are doing a PhD after their graduation as part of their specialization within the technical-medical domain. However, most TPs still need to follow a clinical fellowship before becoming part of the medical staff.