[One hundred years of the Netherlands Association of Surgeons. I. Introduction]

On 9 February 1902, the Association of Surgeons in the Netherlands was founded--a remarkable fact. The surgeons, who formerly worked in guilds, were by no means the first to found such a society. Some specialist disciplines had already preceded them by forming an association. During the course of these 100 years, surgery has undergone vast development and progress. This has consequences for the deployment of the surgical profession. Subspecialties have arisen, increasing the quality of surgical care. Technical possibilities enhance small access surgery. This means a very different approach in the training of young surgeons in their profession, for instance through the use of virtual reality techniques.