[The detection and cultivation of the scientific talent of young doctors]

Although science is not a key issue for the general public in The Netherlands, and scouting talents is not a customary activity, it is of the utmost importance for the scientific progress to detect gifted young people and to motivate them for a career in medical sciences. The scouting of talent should start as early as possible. A working group of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences has issued a report on secondary schooling in which scouting of talent is a central issue. The modern medical curricula at the universities in The Netherlands all offer a substantial elective programme and the modern teaching in small groups also offers opportunities for teachers to detect talent. Recognition of scientific talent is further possible during the research period that every medical student has to go through. In Nijmegen, the Department of Internal Medicine organises a yearly master class at the end of the summer for the best second year medical students; in this course they are introduced to the scientific approach in medicine: from bedside to bench and vice versa. With this course we try to enforce the motivation for medical research. A prime instrument for the development of scientific talent is the nationally funded PhD track for medical specialists in training.