Simulation-based training (SBT) has been on the rise as a medical education methodology in Germany since the 1980s, characterising this period of change in terms of professionalisation and institutionalisation. Jasmin Dierckes illustrates how SBT reflects significant historical and contemporary shifts in education, science and technology, and the medical profession, all of which are undergoing profound, albeit incremental, changes. Her study provides insights for researchers specialising in professional development, transformation, medical materiality, or educational and institutional structures, as well as to stakeholders in medical or higher education.