Amsterdam University Medical Center

Amsterdam UMC
Map
Geography
LocationMeibergdreef 9, 1105AZ (AMC) & De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV (VUmc), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Coordinates52°17′40″N 4°57′27″E / 52.29444°N 4.95750°E / 52.29444; 4.95750 & 52°20′04″N 4°51′36″E / 52.33444°N 4.86000°E / 52.33444; 4.86000
Organisation
FundingPublic Hospital
TypeTeaching
Affiliated universityUniversity of Amsterdam & Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Services
Emergency departmentLevel 1 Trauma Center (location AMC), Accident & Emergency (location VUmc)
Beds1700
HelipadYes (location AMC)
History
Former name(s)Academic Medical Center & VU University Medical Center
Opened1983 (location AMC) & 2001 (location VUmc)
Links
Websiteamsterdamumc.org
ListsHospitals in The Netherlands

Amsterdam University Medical Center, often shortened to Amsterdam UMC, is a collective of two teaching hospitals in Amsterdam. Formed, in 2018,[1] after the administrative merger of the city's two university medical centers: the Academic Medical Center and the VU University Medical Center.

The Academic Medical Center functioned as the University of Amsterdam's teaching hospital, while the VU University Medical Center acted as the teaching hospital for the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Both medical centers are now known as Amsterdam UMC, location AMC and Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc respectively.

In 2022, Newsweek ranked Amsterdam UMC as the world's 38th best hospital and the best in the Netherlands.[2]

Administrative Structure

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The two university medical centers, administratively, merged on 7 June 2018. This means that both medical centers remain as independent legal bodies, however both executive boards are composed of the same five individuals.[3] Including the Dean of the University of Amsterdam's Faculty of Medicine and the Dean of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam's Faculty of Medicine. On 1 January 2024, the two hospitals completed a legal merger.[4]

A logical conclusion of the merger is the spread of forms of health care, research and education across both locations. At Amsterdam UMC, location AMC health care will be concentrated around three themes: Women & Child, Emergency Medicine and Cardiovascular Care. While at Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, the departments of Oncology, Neurology and Public Health will be concentrated.[5]

Medical Research

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Medical research in Amsterdam stretches back to the time of Dr. Nicoleas Tulp, the University of Amsterdam's first anatomist, whose work was captured in the Rembrandt painting, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. In 2023, Research at Amsterdam UMC is led by more than 440 professors and consists of eight research institutes:[6]

  • Amsterdam Neuroscience
  • Amsterdam Public Health
  • Amsterdam Movement Sciences
  • Amsterdam Institute of Infection and Immunity
  • Cancer Center Amsterdam
  • Amsterdam Reproduction & Development
  • Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism
  • Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences

Across these eight research institutes, researchers with a medical background work with researchers from other fields across both the University of Amsterdam and the Vrije Universitiet Amsterdam. This level of collaboration is also supported by the Amsterdam Institute of Global Health and Development.[7]

In the three years from 2015 to 2018, Amsterdam UMC contributed to more than 22,000 scientific publications. The most of any university medical center in the Netherlands and the second highest in Europe, behind University College London.[8]

Education

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Amsterdam UMC's two medical faculties are consistently ranked in the world's top 100 medical schools by both the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and by QS Rankings. In 2023, the University of Amsterdam's Medical Faculty was ranked 1st in the Netherlands, 10th in Europe and 30th in the world by QS.[9] The Medical Faculty of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam was ranked 7th in the Netherlands, 42nd in Europe and 87th in the world by QS.[10]

Currently both faculites are home to more than 2500 students each. In total there are also more than 3000 PhD students across Amsterdam UMC's eight research institutes.[5]

History of Location AMC

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Previously in the centre of Amsterdam were there two large hospitals, both built in the 1800s: the Binnengasthuis and the Wihelmina Gasthuis. Due to aging state of the Binnengasthuis it was decided, together with the University of Amsterdam, to build a new campus, where patient care, research and education would take place in one building.[11]

Designed by Dick van Mourik and Marius Duintjer, Location AMC opened in 1984 and consists of multiple independent buildings that are connected by various open, roofed streets with squares in between. The buildings architecture is characterised by the use of raw concrete, both inside and outside.[12]

Location AMC is also home to the Museum Vrolik, a collection of more than 10,000 anatomical preparations.[13] As well as more than 7,000 pieces of art, placed inside and outside.[14]

History of Location VUmc

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VU University Medical Center opened in 1964 as the teaching hospital of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the city's second university. In 2001, it became a fully fledged university medical centre by merging with the medical faculty of the Vrije Universitiet Amsterdam.

VUmc, and subsequently Amsterdam UMC, is known for it Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria (CEGD). Opened in 1972, the centre is one of the largest and oldest in the world and has treated more than 10,000 transgender patients in the previous 50 years.[15] The centre is the home of what has now become known as the "Dutch Protocol".[16]

De Anatomische Les

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In honour of Dr. Nicoleas Tulp, Amsterdam UMC hosts its own yearly Anatomy Lesson (de Anatomische Les, in Dutch) in the Concertgebouw, where a medical anatomy lesson is combined with a live cultural programme.[17]

Previous speakers include Anthony Fauci, David Page and John Ioannidis. In 2024, the lesson will be delivered by Sadaf Farooqi.

Notable faculty & alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "AMC en VUmc gaan verder onder Amsterdam Umc". NRC.
  2. ^ Newsweek (2022-03-02). "World's Best Hospitals 2022 - Top 250". Newsweek. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  3. ^ "Amsterdam UMC Executive Board, in Dutch".
  4. ^ Budding, Redactie Medicalfacts/ Janine (2024-01-01). "Amsterdam UMC officieel één organisatie". MedicalFacts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  5. ^ a b "DigiMV". digimv8.desan.nl. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  6. ^ "Smart Health Amsterdam". Smart Health Amsterdam. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  7. ^ "Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD)". Nature Index. 2023-07-31. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  8. ^ Iping, Rik; Kroon, Marielle; Steegers, Chantal; van Leeuwen, Thed (2022-10-31). "A research intelligence approach to assess the research impact of the Dutch university medical centres". Health Research Policy and Systems. 20 (1): 118. doi:10.1186/s12961-022-00926-y. ISSN 1478-4505. PMC 9620620. PMID 36316736.
  9. ^ "QS World Rankings 2023, Medicine".
  10. ^ "QS World Rankings 2023, Medicine".
  11. ^ Gulik, T.M. (2012). AMC 30 Jaar: Metamorfosen van een Amsterdams Gasthuis. Boom Uitgeverij. ISBN 9789461059604.
  12. ^ Mens, Noor (2011). Aaibaar Beton: Dertig jaar bouwontwikkeling in het AMC. Kunststichting AMC.
  13. ^ "Museum Vrolik". I amsterdam. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  14. ^ 8bahn.be. "Amsterdam UMC". vbcn.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-08-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Wiepjes, Chantal M.; Nota, Nienke M.; de Blok, Christel J.M.; Klaver, Maartje; de Vries, Annelou L.C.; Wensing-Kruger, S. Annelijn; de Jongh, Renate T.; Bouman, Mark-Bram; Steensma, Thomas D.; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy; Gooren, Louis J.G.; Kreukels, Baudewijntje P.C.; den Heijer, Martin (2018-04-01). "The Amsterdam Cohort of Gender Dysphoria Study (1972–2015): Trends in Prevalence, Treatment, and Regrets". The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 15 (4): 582–590. doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2018.01.016. ISSN 1743-6109.
  16. ^ Klotz, Frieda (2023-04-28). "A Teen Gender-Care Debate Is Spreading Across Europe". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  17. ^ "Anatomische les". www.amsterdamumc.org (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  18. ^ Palm, Tobiah (2023-09-20). "Louis Gooren begon de eerste transpoli ter wereld. 'Ik zag dat ze het nodig hadden'". Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-10-28.