University Hospital Heidelberg
Encyclopedia
The university hospital
of Heidelberg
is one of the largest and most renowned medical centers in the Federal Republic of Germany
. It is closely linked to Heidelberg University Medical School (Heidelberg University Faculty of Medicine
) which was founded in 1388 and is thus the oldest within the Federal Republic of Germany.
The university hospital is actually made up of 12 hospitals, most of them being situated on the New Campus (University of Heidelberg)
, about 10 driving minutes away from the old town.
Therapy). HIT utilises scanned beams of heavy ions, like carbon ions, and is thought to be superior in the treatment of some cancers compared to normal photon radiation. The new facility at University Hospital Heidelberg is unique in the world. The HIT radiation beam is directed by a 600 metric ton gantry which is rotated to focus the beam. Despite this enormous mass the deviation of the beam is less than ½ millimeter. In order to achieve this accuracy the whole gantry has to be maintained at a constant temperature. The total cost of the facility amounted to more than 100 Million Euros (2009).
, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research
and European Molecular Biology Laboratory
.
Undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programs of Heidelberg University Medical School have played a fundamental role in Heidelberg being awarded "University of Excellence" status by the German Universities Excellence Initiative
.
It's medical degree program (2 years of basic science - followed by the first of two steps of the German medical licensing examination - and 4 years of clinical studies) has undergone a fundamental reform in 2001:
From 2001 on, all medical students at Heidelberg University, University Hospital Heidelberg (as opposed to the Heidelberg University Faculty of Medicine in Mannheim
) pursue a reformed 6-year-long course named "HeiCuMed" ("Heidelberger Curriculum Medicinale").
This degree course is an adapted version of the Harvard Medical School
curriculum.
Developed the Troponin T Test (biochemical detection of a myocardial infarction)
Professor at Heidelberg University and is an Emeritus Scientific Member of the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg
From 1983 until 2003 zur Hausen served as a chairman and member of the scientific advisory board of the German Cancer Research Center in
Heidelberg and professor of medicine at the University of Heidelberg.
University hospital
A university hospital is an institution which combines the services of a hospital with the education of medical students and with medical research. These hospitals are typically affiliated with a medical school or university...
of Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
is one of the largest and most renowned medical centers in the Federal Republic of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is closely linked to Heidelberg University Medical School (Heidelberg University Faculty of Medicine
Heidelberg University Faculty of Medicine
The Faculty of Medicine is one of twelve faculties at the University of Heidelberg. It was one of the four original faculties of the university in 1386...
) which was founded in 1388 and is thus the oldest within the Federal Republic of Germany.
The university hospital is actually made up of 12 hospitals, most of them being situated on the New Campus (University of Heidelberg)
New Campus (University of Heidelberg)
The New Campus of the University of Heidelberg is located in the newest district of Heidelberg called Neuenheimer Feld. It is today the larger part of the university, and the largest campus for natural sciences and life science in Germany. Many buildings of the science faculties and institutes, the...
, about 10 driving minutes away from the old town.
Patient Care
Per year about 700.000 patients are treated at University Hospital Heidelberg. The Hospital is especially renowned for the treatment of cancer. A recent innovation in the care of cancer patient is the foundation of the National Center of Tumor Diseases (NCT) in cooperation with German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). The goal of NCT is an interdisciplinary collaboration between various clinical and basic science disciplines and the fast implementation of new and innovative therapeutic procedures. A good example for the Heidelberg's leading position in innovative cancer research and treatment is HIT (Heavy IonHeavy ion
Heavy ion refers to an ionized atom which is usually heavier than helium. Heavy-ion physics is devoted to the study of extremely hot nuclear matter and the collective effects appearing in such systems, differing from particle physics, which studies the interactions between elementary particles...
Therapy). HIT utilises scanned beams of heavy ions, like carbon ions, and is thought to be superior in the treatment of some cancers compared to normal photon radiation. The new facility at University Hospital Heidelberg is unique in the world. The HIT radiation beam is directed by a 600 metric ton gantry which is rotated to focus the beam. Despite this enormous mass the deviation of the beam is less than ½ millimeter. In order to achieve this accuracy the whole gantry has to be maintained at a constant temperature. The total cost of the facility amounted to more than 100 Million Euros (2009).
Research
Heidelberg University School of Medicine is one of the most active biomedical research centers in Germany. Close ties exist between it, the University Hospital and different research institutions in Heidelberg; e.g. German Cancer Research CenterGerman Cancer Research Center
The German Cancer Research Center , is a national cancer research center based in Heidelberg, Germany...
, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research
Max Planck Institute for Medical Research
The Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, Germany, is a facility of the Max Planck Society for basic medical research. Since its foundation, six Nobel Prize laureates worked at the Institute: Otto Fritz Meyerhof , Richard Kuhn , Walther Bothe , André Michel Lwoff , Rudolf...
and European Molecular Biology Laboratory
European Molecular Biology Laboratory
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory is a molecular biology research institution supported by 20 European countries and Australia as associate member state. EMBL was created in 1974 and is an intergovernmental organisation funded by public research money from its member states...
.
Medical Education
Heidelberg University Medical School is the most competitive and hardest German medical school to enter into, with an acceptance rate of 3.6 percent (2008).Undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programs of Heidelberg University Medical School have played a fundamental role in Heidelberg being awarded "University of Excellence" status by the German Universities Excellence Initiative
German Universities Excellence Initiative
The Excellence Initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the German Research Foundation aims to promote cutting-edge research and to create outstanding conditions for young scientists at universities, to deepen cooperation between disciplines and institutions, to...
.
It's medical degree program (2 years of basic science - followed by the first of two steps of the German medical licensing examination - and 4 years of clinical studies) has undergone a fundamental reform in 2001:
From 2001 on, all medical students at Heidelberg University, University Hospital Heidelberg (as opposed to the Heidelberg University Faculty of Medicine in Mannheim
Heidelberg University Faculty of Medicine in Mannheim
The Faculty of Medicine in Mannheim is one of twelve faculties at the University of Heidelberg. It was founded in 1964 and is located in Mannheim. It comprises 11 institutes....
) pursue a reformed 6-year-long course named "HeiCuMed" ("Heidelberger Curriculum Medicinale").
This degree course is an adapted version of the Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
curriculum.
Notable researchers and physicians affiliated with the Research Cluster Heidelberg in recent time
- Prof. Dr. med. Hugo A. Katus (cardiologist)
Developed the Troponin T Test (biochemical detection of a myocardial infarction)
- Bert SakmannBert Sakmann-External links:*...
(Nobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineNobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineThe Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
, 1997)
Professor at Heidelberg University and is an Emeritus Scientific Member of the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg
- Harald zur HausenHarald zur HausenHarald zur Hausen is a German virologist and professor emeritus. He has done research on cancer of the cervix, where he discovered the role of papilloma viruses, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2008.-Biography:Zur Hausen was born in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, went to...
(Nobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineNobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineThe Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
, 2008)
From 1983 until 2003 zur Hausen served as a chairman and member of the scientific advisory board of the German Cancer Research Center in
Heidelberg and professor of medicine at the University of Heidelberg.
History of the Hospital – Short facts
- 1386: Foundation of the Universität Heidelberg by Elector Palatine Ruprecht I.
- 1388: Heidelberg School of Medicine commences education
- 1899: For the first time women are allowed to study Medicine in Heidelberg
External links
- Heidelberg University Hospital's Website for International Patients
- Heidelberg University Hospital German Website
See also
- List of university hospitals
- University of Heidelberg