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Cees Renckens
Cees Renckens, 2014
Born	Cornelis Nicolaas Maria Renckens (1946-05-29) 29 May 1946 (age 78)
Nationality	Dutch
Alma mater	University of Groningen
Known for	Leading the Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij
Website	The voice of Dr. Cees Renckens Recorded in October 2014

Cornelis Nicolaas Maria "Cees" Renckens (born 29 May 1946) is a Dutch Doctor of Medicine, gynaecologist, and a well-known skeptical activist against quackery. From 1988 to 2011^[1] he was president of the Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij (VtdK: Dutch Society Against Quackery), which has been actively opposed to all non-science-based medicine since its foundation in 1881. Renckens has written several books about alternative medicine, pseudoscience and quackery.

Biography

Renckens studied medicine at the University of Groningen from 1963 to 1971. He became a resident surgeon and gynaecologist in the Catholic St. Joseph's Hospital in Heemskerk, and followed the national tropical course^{: what is this?} for Physicians in Amsterdam. After his work in tropical medicine in Zambia from 1973 to 1975, he became a resident in pathological anatomy at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, specialising in gynaecology at the Wilhelmina Gasthuis^{: What is this? A hospital?} in Amsterdam, and at the Elisabeth Gasthuis^{: What is this? A hospital?} in Haarlem. His areas of expertise were infertility and endoscopic surgery.^{[citation needed]}

In 1980, Renckens was registered in the list of medical specialists (MSRC), and was appointed to gynaecologist at the Westfries Gasthuis in his native Hoorn. In May 2011, he retired from his practice at the age of 65.^{[citation needed]}

Renckens' aversion to alternative medicine led him to join the Society Against Quackery in 1980, and from 1988 to 2011 he served as its president. He is known for his sharp critiques, and under his leadership the society's membership grew from almost 300 to well over 2100.^{[citation needed]}

On 12 October 2004, he graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a Doctor in Medical Sciences with his thesis Dwaalwegen in de geneeskunde ("Misguided Paths in Medicine"). Promotors were prof. dr. O. P. Bleker, prof. dr. F.S.A.M. van Dam and the members of the promotion commission were dr. E. Borst-Eilers, prof. dr. P. Borst, prof. dr. J. van Heerden, prof. dr. J.Hoogstraten, prof. dr. E. Schadé and prof. dr. F. van der Veen. His thesis was published in a commercial edition by Bert Bakker.^{[citation needed]}

On 8 October 2011, Renckens announced his resignation as president of the Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij after having run the association for 23 years.^[2]

Praise and criticism

Former emeritus professor clinical biochemistry Piet Borst expressed the opinion that Renckens deserves respect and praise for his uncompromising and determined combat against unscientific forms of care by physicians.^[3] However, his tough stance against alleged quacks has also invoked criticism of his publications from people who think differently. From the alternative medicine industry, negative commentary was expressed towards Renckens's doctoral thesis.^{[citation needed]}

Recognition

On 12 December 2002, Cees Renckens was awarded the Hector Treub Prize. This prize is awarded every two to four years to individuals who have done an important service to society in terms of healthcare, especially in midwifery and gynaecology.^[4]

For his unrelenting fight in word and writing against quackery^{: Sounds promotional. Is this a quote?}, Renckens was dubbed Knight in^{: "dubbed Knight in" seems odd wording.} the Order of Orange-Nassau on 28 April 2006.^[5]

Bibliography

Hedendaagse kwakzalverij (1992)
Kwakzalvers op kaliloog (2000), Amsterdam: Prometheus
Genezen is het woord niet: Biografische schetsen van de twintig meest notoire genezers van de 20ste eeuw (2001)
Dwaalwegen in de geneeskunde (2004)^[6]
Manuscript naast een verlostang gevonden. Casuistiek, commentaren en controversen (2011)^{: First part is a sentence (with period) but second is not?}
Er bestaat niets beters (2016) Uitgave Bijzondere Collecties UVA.^{: Is the period here necessary?}

References

^ Visser J (7 October 2011). "Renckens geen voorzitter antikwakzalvers meer". Medisch Contact (in Dutch) (40): 2398. ISSN 0025-8245. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2016. ((cite journal)): Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Webredactie (10 October 2011). "Renckens neemt afscheid als voorzitter" (in Dutch). Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2016. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Borst, Piet (22 May 1999). "Kwakzalver" (in Dutch). nrc.nl. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Koene, Rob (15 December 2002). "Hector Treub prijs 2002 voor de Heer C.N.M. Renckens, gynaecoloog te Hoorn" (in Dutch). Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ van Dam, Frits (28 April 2006). "Cees Renckens geridderd" (in Dutch). Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ Dwaalwegen in de geneeskunde. Over alternatieve geneeswijzen, modeziekten en kwakzalverij, dare.uva.nl

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Category:Gynaecologists Category:Dutch activists Category:Dutch physicians Category:Dutch skeptics