Exploring Bonn!

From what we’ve done so far, this is turning out to be an awesome experience! My first impression of Bonn was that it had the most beautiful little stone streets, and that the city was full of life. It’s quite funny to remember that people actually walk instead of driving cars… I wish American towns were like this, there’s a central market full of shops, food, and a gorgeous church. There’s a relaxed atmosphere despite the number of people, and it feels so homey. They also take Christmas decorating a lot more seriously. We started the first night off fantastically with schnitzel and dunkel, and headed over to the University Hospital in the morning to observe surgeries. I was able to view a coronary artery bypass, which was beyond words. I’ve got to admit the smell of burning flesh threw me off (holding your breath doesn’t quite cut it), but as the surgery got underway, I definitely developed a new sense of awe as to what medicine is able to accomplish. From seeing the inside of the thoracic cavity in person for the first time to the tiny stitches that rerouted this 78 year old’s blood supply to his heart, there was a lot to take in, and the surgeons were happy to answer our questions ( we had a ton) as they worked. It is so exciting that this patient can live for a few more years if the procedure ended well. After a lecture from Dr. Wasser on healthcare systems, and a tour of Bonn, we got to hang out and partake in some German New Years traditions.

On our second full day, we visited a history of anesthesia museum put together by Dr. Stoeckel. He traced the development of this technique from its origin in Boston to the present, and it was interesting to compare the early techniques and devices used from country to country. He played a huge part in the ease with which anesthesia can be applied and monitored today, and his passion for this area of medicine is inspiring. We also visited the Haus der Geschichte, which focused on the history of Germany after World War II. The ways in which the war has affected the development of Germany, and more importantly, the mindset of the Germans today, especially with respect to nationalism, adds another dimension to the war I had never considered, and makes it that much more a terrifying time period. One remarkable thing I’ve picked up on (among many) about Germans today is that they’re much more honest about their recent history than Americans seem to be, they accept and learn to live with successes and mistakes alike, which deserves a huge amount of respect.

On a lighter note, I love our group, and I am so excited to see more!

From Bonn to Cologne and Back!

Today, our group made our one day voyage to the nearby city of Cologne. We took a railway train car and entered the train station in under thirty minutes. From the moment we stepped foot out of the station we were confronted by the trademark of Cologne: the Cathedral. Words can't put to justice the size of this cathedral; the sheer size makes a person feel as though they are an ant among giants. And still throughout the day, the shock of this building didn't wear off. Every time I was able to glance upon it through the market buildings of downtown Cologne it still slightly took me aback. It was even more amazing that this building was erected in 1248, when the modern construction amenities of today weren't even thought of.

We had an excellent guide that showed us some of the best qualities of the cathedral and some of the surrounding areas; everywhere you looked in the cathedral there was history: from the monumental stained class panes that were hand crafted, to the gold and jewel encrusted tomb of the Three Wise Men, and to the multiple century old painting that still looks crisp to this day to name a few. Even more amazing, was the fact that this cathedral survived the onslaught of bombs dropped in the area during WWII. Despite the fact it was aimed at from above by Allied bombers, it still escaped with minimal damage.

The museum near the cathedral was also very interesting; the number of Roman artifacts found in the area is quite amazing. I think the historical piece that took me aback the most was the preserved floor that was discovered and left in its original position. This floor has been dated back to 50 AD.

After a quick lunch, we attended a museum that was transformed from the local offices of the Gestapo. This included peering into the vaults that prisoners were held in until their time came for interrogation, a synonym for torture in this time. This was one of most unique emotions I've experienced from seeing history firsthand; being in the basement where they were kept, seeing what they wrote on the walls in their last moments, and viewing the room they were tortured in, it was almost surreal. It really made the horrors and tragedies of WWII more "real" for me. It almost hurt trying to imagine what these innocent people experienced inside those walls.

Now off to Berlin.....

Days 1-3

Despite a severely uncomfortable flight, my first impressions of Germany are definitely positive. After a smooth transition to the dorm room in Bonn, we had an orientation meeting then dinner. On the first full day in Bonn, we went to the university clinic to see surgeries, and my group saw a liver tumor resection. Much of the surgery was similar to those I’ve already seen, which I was expecting. However, I was surprised that the doctors were not anticipating the patient’s atypical vein. In the US, it seemed like the surgeon would make absolutely sure that he knows where everything is before he cuts, but here in Germany, a scan probably costs money that the insurance does not cover. Since the cancer was so extensive, the surgeons did not know if they could do that resection, so between doing a cholecystectomy and waiting for the lab results of the tumor and normal liver, we had to leave before the actual removal began. After lunch on the beautiful Rhine River, we were shown around Bonn and learned about some of its important historical moments. Sometimes it can be easy to forget how extensive the Roman Empire became, especially, for example, since I don’t think of the Romans when I think about Germany. For having lived over two thousand years ago, the Romans had advanced techniques, such as heating the floors, walls and baths by a fire underneath the floors.

On the third day, after a lecture from Dr. Wasser, we headed to the Museum of the History of Anesthesia for a tour by Dr. Stoeckel. It was interesting to see the evolution of a specific part of medicine, from the machines used to deliver the anesthetic and keep the patient alive to the actual drugs. Learning about the history of something directly from a man who witnessed it himself always brings a new perspective to the subject that could not be found in a book. We also went to the House of German History Museum to learn more about what happened after World War II. Even though we studied this in world and US history classes, hearing the same stories from a fresh perspective is always an eye-opening experience. What impressed me about the museum is that is completely public, since it is so important for Germans to learn about their history.

Bonn is an amazing town, not too big and not too small. Walking through the city center looking and the stores, comparing the McDonald’s to the ones in the US and seeing a bakery on what seems like every corner have been the highlights of the free time.

Germany Trip Thus Far

My Germany travel experience got off to a great start. I had an excellent seat on the plane where I was able to lay down completely flat and watch TV and movies the whole time. Needless to say, I had a rude awakening once I stepped outside into the freezing cold. But the rest of the day got a lot better once everyone met up and we had our AIB welcome dinner.

But then the first night came, and I was awake by 2:30 and could not really go back to sleep. Freakin jet lag! Luckily, we had to be awake super early because we went to visit the University Clinics in Bonn and got to observe procedures in the OR. I got to see two orthopedic surgeries, one on a knee and another on a shoulder. It was really cool since I want to get into Orthopedics. I've seen orthopedic surgeries before in the US, so it was interesting to see what kind of protocol differences were present. I really enjoyed the group dynamic of the doctors and nurses in the OR, which showed me that even doctors can have fun. The doctors and nurses were all friendly and willing to explain things, which made observing a very enjoyable experience. After lunch, we then got a guided tour of Bonn from the boss of AIB himself. Bonn is a really a great town. Despite being a "college town", I really like the fact that the school is incorporated into the town rather than being one big campus surrounded by the city like College Station is. In addition, it is a great place to hang out but it still has places to visit that put you in awe.

The next day was just jam packed with action. After finishing up Dr. Wasser's lecture on different insurance models in the world, we went to the Museum of the History of Anaesthesia. Dr. Stoeckel, the creator of the museum, was truly an amazing guy. You could tell the guy was just so passionate about anaesthesia and medicine in general because a person doesn't just dedicate 10 years of their life for something unless they're genuine about it. The fact that he was able to recover items spanning the evolution of anaesthetic techniques is remarkable to me. It definitely gave me an added perspective of medicine since anaesthesiology is sometimes overlooked despite playing a vital role. Then, we went to the the House of German History Museum. I really enjoyed being able to see German history that was not only about the Nazis since the Nazi regime usually predominates any discussion of German history.

This morning, we went to Cologne. We got to go inside the Cologne Cathedral. It is literally the most magnificent structure I've ever seen in my life! The magnitude of its epicness cannot be put into words so here's a picture:



I really enjoyed our tour guide, Athena. She was a tiny woman that was just an Energizer Bunny. She gave us a great tour through the cathedral and the museum we went to. We finished up our scheduled day by visiting the ELDE HAUS. We were able to learn much about the Nazi movement and even got to see cells where the Gestapo kept their prisoners. It just gave me chills thinking about what went on in some of these very cells just 70 years ago. Our tour guide was cool and by cool, I mean she kept asking if anyone had questions for her, which no one did...

I wish I knew a little bit more German because many of the places we've been to so far only have German text. But despite knowing very little of the language, I've been able to respect and appreciate the profoundness of all these places.

Berlin, here I come!

First Days in Germany

So I made it safely here, thank goodness. I thoroughly enjoy traveling, but I can never help but to get a little nervous. Jet lag is now a thing of the past so I am thankful for that as well.

First of all, I love Bonn. I feel like Bonn is the perfect size town to get around in while experiencing a little German lifestyle. I hate that we can't stay here longer, but I am excited to see other places in Germany. We started off day one, Wednesday, nice and early, by heading out to the university clinics. I was fortunate to see a laparoscopic procedure - a rectal tumor removal. Having see these kinds of procedures working as a surgery tech in our large animal clinic, I was amazed by how similar everything was - from surgery prep to cautery to instruments. Of course, I'm aware that veterinary medicine looks to human medicine as a basis for developing procedures, but I have had little experience in human medicine, and I feel that the similarities between the two really speak for how far veterinary medicine has come.

Later in the day, we had a brief walking tour of the city and were able to learn bit more about its background and history. My favorite part, of course was the chapel. I love the chapels, and churches and cathedrals of other parts of the world. I always find the architecture amazing especially when you take into consideration the sometimes limited materials people had to work with at the time. Always impressive.

Thursday we visited an awesome anaesthesia museum, created by Dr. Stoeckel who gave us a tour. Anaesthesia is an interesting subject in and of itself, but the fact that he was able to research and compile all of his information and pieces is remarkable. I liked the fact that his exhibit was organized by country to show the differences between equipment developed in the different areas during the beginning of anaesthesia.

We wrapped up the day with the House of German History Museum. This was by far one of the coolest museums I have been in. You move with the layout and the use of the wall dividing items of East and West Germany aid in partially understanding a piece of history the is completely unthinkable for me. Even more difficult for me to understand is how hard Germans have had to work and are still working to come to terms with this piece of their country's past.

I am so excited for what's still to come! Be back soon!

Awesome surgeries, and one old anesthesia dude... (Blog 4)

Wednesday, December 29^th 2010

Bonn

Wednesday was pretty amazing. We got to see some surgeries and the anesthesia museum. Daniel, Chris and I got to witness an open heart aortic valve replacement. The atmosphere was so relaxed and the surgeons were quite entertaining. It was cool to see how skilled the surgeons were at technique. I grasped a better appreciation for the level of expertise they must have to be surgeons. It goes beyond just medical knowledge and application. The surgeons must have steady hands, be graceful with a needle, and have a sharp prolonged attention span.

During the valve replacement the chest was cut open and the patient put on a heart lung machine. This was interesting and lined up nicely with my track of BMEN, instrumentation. The heart was stopped and aorta clamped. Calcification occluded the chamber of the heart leading to the Aorta and had to be cut out. The surgeon held open the incisions made in the heart with a thread that was skillfully sewn so that it could later be woven into the replacement valve and cinched up tight to reseal the lesions. Amazing! Many threads going from incision flap to vise clamps encircled the heart. There were probably 20 vice clamps that caught the many different thread ends that were draped over the chest cavity in this circular pattern. After the threading was done the valve was inserted and woven into the threads. Next the valve was secured in the cavity. Its openings were covered with a gortex type material (that looked like cotton rectangular gause) that was sewn over the lip of each incision flap. This helped the thread not tear through the tissue after surgery in high stress situations. The surgeon said its to help them sleep better at night. The threads used were not the dissolvable since not enough tissue grows back in to secure the replacement valve. A few tugs on each thread and everything pulled together smoothly. It was like watching an artist. This was such a cool experience and I am excited about getting to see it again in Vienna!

After that we got to go to the anesthesia museum. The man was old and knowledgeable but very slow. It was entertaining to watch everyone try and stay focused. I really enjoyed getting to see him deliver the tour because of his joy and passion for what he does. It was hard to stay awake, but that was mostly due to everyone adjusting to the new sleep schedule and getting used to all the walking we had been doing. Another thing that stood out was how clean the museum was. I liked the white wall layout with silver paneled plaques containing descriptions of everything. Even if it was all German, it still looked cool. The glass cases with modern lighting and flooring drew the eye of the observer well. Another interesting note from the museum was how well machined the tools and devices were in the early 20^th century. They may have been restored or repainted, but they looked awesome. Overall I felt the museum was a plus and I am glad I got to experience it.

BONN aka my future home

Geez I don't even know where to begin! First of all, as you can tell from the title of this blog that I'm completely in love with the city of Bonn. There are too many reasons why this place is so perfect but I'll give you just a few of them. First off, the size of the city is perfect. There are enough people here where you feel like you're in a big city, but it's not intimidating by any means. I've only been here 4 days and I already know how to take a train to Cologne and back and take the metro in Bonn back to my dorm. That leads to my second point: transportation. I've been to Europe before so the wonderful transportation system was no surprise to me, but coming from a place where I have to drive to get to anything and everything, metros and trains are a pleasant perk to this town. Thirdly, everyone is very friendly here. I clearly can't speak German even though I'm trying my best to learn some key phrases. Right now I know how to say: please, thank you, excuse me, hello, goodybye, my name is, and rude. Oh and also how to say, "you're breakfast is the best in the world". This is a story for another time :) I honestly can't say enough good things about this place. Out of all the cities I've been to in Europe, I have never felt so comfortable so quickly. Normally I'm a little intimidated at the beginning of my trips to Europe but Bonn was the perfect place to start. I'm already trying to figure out how I can live here for the rest of my life. No joke. The German will just come naturally to me right???

Anyways, I've been very busy the past few days! I arrived in Frankfurt on Tuesday and met up with the group and our program coordinator, Nils, where we then took a bus to Bonn. Tuesday was pretty low key, due to our jet lag. We arrived at AIB, where we've had a few lectures from Dr. Wasser, and then had a traditional German dinner of schnitzel and my first German beer. Nom.

Wednesday was a bit more packed. The group started early with an excursion to the University Clinics on the outskirts of Bonn. There, I was lucky enough to watch my first surgery! The surgeons provided me with a stool so I could watch the surgery from about 3 feet away. It was pretty amazing. The surgeons were trying to remove a tumor from the kidney, which even after 4 hours was not accomplished. After this we grabbed a quick lunch on the Rhine and started on our city tour of Bonn. During this tour we saw the main cathedral, the wonderful views of the Rhine, Bonn University and the town center. After a quick cup of coffee (which I'm now drinking because I'm already exhausted), we had our first lecture with Dr. Wasser over health care comparisons between different countries. To finish off the day, Nils introduced us to feuerzangenbowle, which is a basically hot wine, rum, and sugar. Obviously extremely delicious.

Thursday, our last full day in Bonn was another wonderful day in the city! The day started with lecture and then a visit and tour to the Museum of the History of Anesthesia. The tour was given by the creator of the museum himself, Dr. Stoeckel. It was home to an amazing collection of items all describing the evolution of anesthesia. Then, we made our way across town to the House of German History Museum where Dr. Wasser and Nils gave us the history of Germany starting from the end of World War II, which I always find extremely fascinating! The group was supposed to go ice skating, but we all agreed a good German beer would be better on our feet than the ice.

So as you can see, it's only been four days and I've already done more in Germany than I've done on most trips! I absolutely love it here, more than I thought I would and I hope to travel to Bonn again in the very near future! My dorm room already feels like a home, so leaving for Berlin tomorrow will be bittersweet. But I'm positive I will be back in Bonn very soon :)

Until next time!

I'm bad with titles but really like Bonn!

It is hard to believe that we have already been in Bonn for several days, and even harder to believe that we are about to move on to Berlin. Dr. Wasser, Nils, and other AIB folk are taking good care of us and keeping us busy. One of the first things we did was make our way out to Bonn's university clinics where we traded our layers for scrubs and furry boots for clogs. We were split up to observe surgeries. Abhishek and I were sent to orthopedic surgeons where we saw a laproscopic repair of a severely damaged meniscus and then an open surgery of the shoulder to repair the rotator cuff and AC joint. We were able to follow the woman who had shoulder surgery from the time she was awake and receiving a nerve block to the time she was back awake in recovery. The doctors and nurses were excellent at explaining to us what was going on, drawing pictures and debating on the proper english word to use, at times. They are very well suited to be at a teaching hospital!
Later, we got a walking tour of Bonn complete with history and culture led by Dr. Ranier Zack. It is hard to wrap my mind around the layers of history that Bonn boasts.
On Wednesday we headed out to the Museum of the history of Anaesthesia. It was brimming with early and intermediate methods of administering anaesthesia, and it was very impressive. We also saw an Iron Lung apparatus, which I have never seen in person before. cool!
We were led by Dr. Wasser and Nils through the House of German History museum. This was an incredibly well designed museum that took you through Germany chronologically from basically WWII onward. i think i could spend a whole day there if only I could read the information.
Today promises to be a very fun and interesting adventure to Cologne. Bitta for reading!

Day 3

There's a movie on TV right now about a little boy during the Nazi regime whose father was publicly executed for not supporting the Nazis, it seems, and who has just had to kill his own horse who was shot in the leg in the process of an effort to get the little boy's non-Aryan friend across some border. But as intense as this movie is, the relevance it has to everything we've talked about today and the things we learned so far in Germany has not escaped me. First, while it is very common to discuss the pain and distress that the Nazi regime inflicted on Jews, Gypsies, and pretty much the rest of the world before, during, and after World War II, this is the first time I'm seeing an emphasis placed on how much pain some of those who were deemed "of Aryan decent" and were safe may have also suffered. This poor little 12 year old is having is entire life torn apart even though he technically was on the safe side of it all. Second, seeing atrocities through movies somehow makes them more atrocious. The museum of German history presented events in a very learnable and understandable way, but watching it in movie form seems to be the exclamation point at the end of everything we learned today that makes the history even more horrific. Third, and on a lighter note, I'm quite proud that I understood this much from a movie that was completely in German. At first, hearing the words "bitte" and "nein" was pretty darn exciting, but then the story just started carrying itself and somehow transcended the language barrier. (Granted, having no German translator here does present the possibility that I've misinterpreted this whole movie, but I like to think that I haven't.)
I'm quite satisfied with what I've been getting out of this trip so far. You wonder how much you can learn in the period of three weeks through a course that should be taught over a semester, but I'm feeling this multifaceted accumulation of knowledge that is really unparalleled by any traditional method of learning. In addition to lectures that are so immediately practical right before I enter medical school, I'm learning about culture, language, people, travel, and a lot of other things that can't be titled. I'm really looking forward to visiting Cologne today and getting a second dose of cultural inundation.

Day 2

Today was our second day in Bonn. The day started off bright and early at 5:45 am local time, so that we could have time to eat and then catch bus to the University Hospital. Upon arrival, we dressed out in gowns, and then split into smaller groups to witness different assortments of surgeries. The surgery I witnessed was liver cancer removal from a 73 yr old patient. The surgery was the first I had ever witnessed first hand, from about a foot and a half away from the open chest cavity. It was a unique experience that I thoroughly enjoyed, but also proved to me I could never be a surgeon; constantly standing and slicing and dicing patients. However it was cool to see instrumentation and tools obviously designed by Biomedical Engineers being put into hands on practice; it just shows what BMEN is all about, helping people and saving lives. After a quick lunch it was time for a tour around Bonn. We were told some fabulous history of the surrounding area, including the hills and the famous royal mansion on top of the hill where the Clintons and other world figures have stayed. I would say the highlight of the tour was the underground Roman artifacts, that were over 2000 years old. These artifacts showed how advanced the Romans were in there building design and infrastructure; from keeping the building warm through heat occurring underneath the floor to how they experienced a nice hot bath. Overall it was a great, long day, and I can't wait for more to come.

Zach

So close!

After thoroughly saturating myself with forms, pre-travel-I can’t-sleep-jitters, and wool clothing, I cannot wait to step foot in Deutschland! I feel as though the past few weeks have been hurdles to get through before this, the most incredible classroom I could possibly imagine, is staring me squarely in the face. My biggest goal for this trip is to be a huge sponge. I want to take in all I can, both of the German culture and locals, and of this new perspective into medicine. We’ve been given an awesome opportunity to consider how people worldwide have solved medical problems in the past, and how different cultures approach current problems in medicine. This alone would knock my socks off, I hope that it sheds a new light on what possible role I personally can play in helping the advance of medical technology. I guess I really would love a fresh way to think about biomedical engineering problems too; it’ll be like having a whole new set of mentors for three weeks! And, I’ve never seen a surgery on a human being in person, let alone a cardiac one, so I seriously get close to the point of jumping around whatever room I’m in when I think about it.

On top of all that, excited doesn’t even begin to describe being immersed in German culture, art, architecture, people, history, (I could list a million things here). The only thing I’ve come close to as far as cultural immersion goes is my grandfather telling stories of Sweden and the endless string of Lena and Ole jokes, which quite frankly doesn’t compare to seeing and hearing firsthand what countless generations of people have built up and accomplished so that Germany can be the intriguing and beautiful country it is today. Forty-nine hours!

Hallo Deutschland!

Our big trip is finally almost here! It seems like the build up to this day has been monumental; purchasing of plane tickets, attending numerous pre-departure lectures, shopping for necessary winter gear, and planning what to do on our free weekend to name a few. And now we are less than a week out. For me atleast there is still much to be done, packing my bag and rechecking all my luggage to make sure I have everything that is needed. But, even with the daunting tasks that remain, the only thing I can think about is boarding my plane and finally being on my way. This will be my first time to be in Europe and I think it will be a great experience; I am looking forward to be exposed to a different society and areas that are very atypical of the common US city. I think the excursion I am most looking forward to is trip to the Otto Bock Science Center in Berlin. Touring this excellent facility will allow me to see first hand what cutting edge products are in the Biomedical Engineering profession. I think this production institution will be amazing to tour and learn about. Honestly though, I think every tour on this Study Abroad trip will be something to remember and will contribute to my overall experience on this trip. I'm participating in this trip mainly to be able to travel Europe and experience some of the excellent cities that it has to over while learning about historical aspects of medicine; I think doing this through Study Abroad will be advantageous to me because I won't have to plan every aspect of the trip. Its nice that the hotels are booked, train tickets purchased, and meals planned without any stress from me. This is a great feature of this trip. I can't wait to begin this trip and start living the excursions I've seen planned out on paper.

Only Five Days Away!

There’s packing to do, travel to plan, and things to read, and the big day is just around the corner! After months of planning, the reality of the big Germany trip and how close it is seems to have just occurred to me today. I’ve been collecting everything I’ll need for Germany over the past few weeks, I’ve tested out my winter clothes against the not-quite-cold-enough Texan winter night, and I’ve studied the exciting schedule laid out for us over the next three weeks. Yet, there’s an endless stream of things that still need to be done: must buy train tickets from Berlin to Prague, must make sure my debit card arrives in the mail tomorrow, must officially pack everything and check it all thrice, just to name a few. But even as this list grows, I think the pre-departure jitters are one of the most exciting parts of trips. So much of the trip is still undetermined: Will I learn more about medicine or German culture? How much will I miss tap water? How will our group dynamic play out? In any case, I’m sure the excitement of this phase of the journey will be soon surpassed by the events of the trip itself, and I’ve compiled a short list of things I hope to have accomplished by the time our three weeks in Germany are up: first, I hope to experience Germany from more than a tourist’s perspective, second, I hope to understand the state of medicine in the US better by learning about medicine and medical history in Europe, third, I hope to make some pretty awesome friends, fourth, I hope to make the absolute most of every opportunity we are given to further explore the culture and history of Germany, and fifth, I hope to bring at least a bit of all that I gain through this experience back home. I’m really looking forward to the melding of the historical, cultural, and medical knowledge that we’ll gain in Europe and this chance to learn more about the world around as and ourselves as well.

Can’t wait to see everyone in Frankfurt!

Germany, here we come!

As our trip to Germany approaches, there is a lot to be doing and thinking about! I have just about gotten everything packed (I hope) and I'm checking it twice. I am trying to study up on a little German, but languages are not my strong suit!
I am very excited to see medical museums and facilities and by the look of our schedule, we will see a lot of awesome places. The history of medicine is such a unique context for experiencing Europe. I have been to Europe once before, the Champe Fitzhugh seminar with A&M in Italy, and I am very excited to experience Germany and Austria. I have been reading some of the articles that Dr. Wasser posted on our Elearning site and I have to say I am intrigued by the history, culture, and strength that binds Germans together. Learning some of the the German perspectives on world events has been eye-opening.
I am already feeling that blend of anxiety and excitement that tends to happen when I am asked to try something new, or moved outside my comfort zone. I'm slightly worried about the cold and the jet lag and the culture shock. I'm more than excited for the sights and sounds and tastes and smells of Germany!

My Adventures in Germany: Six days and counting!

Wow! It seems like just yesterday I was begging and pleading to my parents to let me apply for the amazing study abroad program I discovered to Germany, and now it's a mere 6 days away. I can't believe how fast time flies when you're looking forward to such an amazing trip such as this one. I can't tell you how many times people have asked me, "Are you excited?". What do you think my response is going to be? "No I really hate the fact that I have to go to Germany over Christmas and tour all of these fabulous museums and medical facilities. It's going to be awful". OF COURSE NOT. I'm so excited, it's really hard to put into words. I've been abroad twice before, both times with my family. Traveling has always been something I've grown up with. Every year my family would take a vacation somewhere in the United States, and once I turned 16, I was given the opportunity to travel to Europe for the first time. I was lucky enough to get to travel to the beautiful cities of Paris, Vienna, and my favorite, Budapest. My second trip to Southern France and Barcelona was during the month before I went to Texas A&M. And ever since then I have been yearning to go back.

I'm especially excited to go to Germany this winter because of all the wonderful trips and adventures I'll get to take part in. I've never had an opportunity to tour the major medical facilities and museums of the United States, so being able to do this in Germany is just amazing. Seeing how a different country views medicine and how their medical system operates sounds extremely fascinating to me. Go ahead, call me a nerd. And not only is Germany rich in science and education, but it's also rich in history. History has always been a love of mine, but I've never been able to pursue it as much as I would have liked to due to my degree. In high school, my favorite class was European History, especially German history. It's amazing how so much can happen to a country in a span of twenty to thirty years. And I can't wait to witness this first hand.
I'm a little apprehensive about being in a country where I don't know the language and without my parents. Yes, I know I'm 21 years old, but I've never been to Europe without my family so this is new to me. But I think that is what will make this experience all the more significant.

Traveling to Europe in previous years has opened my eyes to new cultures and experiences, and I know I will learn even more this time. I'm greatly looking forward to getting to know my fellow Aggies on this trip as well as getting to know myself a bit more. Nothing brings a group together quite like being stranded in a foreign country where one word can have five different meanings.

By the time I return from Germany, I hope to achieve these five things
1. To be well versed in the German culture, medical system, and history
2. To be able to say "Auf Wiedersehen" without thinking of Heidi Klum from Project Runway
3. To have made wonderful new friends, both from A&M and from Germany
4. To have fun. Plain and simple.
5. To be a German bier expert and have sung a German drinking song with the locals.

I am extremely excited about this next adventure in my life! Like my wise sister said to me, "No one ever regrets the things they did; they regret the things they didn't do". This will be my mantra while in Germany.

Watch out Germany, I even bought a hipster hat to fit more into your culture.

Auf wiedersehen!

Deutschland in one week!

After eagerly awaiting this trip for the entire semester, the fact that it is just under a week away is difficult to believe. I love traveling, and most of what comes with it, so what makes me nervous isn’t the fact that I’ll be in a different country; I’ve visited the UK, Egypt and India. What I’m worried about is the fact that I know what rounds to no German and I’ve never experienced actual winters, just the ones in Texas. The jacket I bought is probably too much. All but one of my experiences abroad come from elementary school, so I don’t remember them well but my most recent trip to India last year was amazing. Nothing compares to the feeling of seeing structures that are hundreds if not thousands of years old and built by the people you read about in history books. Germany, of course, should have no shortage of these.


While reading Blood and Guts, the advances in the knowledge, treatments and even culture of medicine constantly astound me. Learning about the history and current state of medicine should be a great way to spend three weeks. After shadowing doctors this summer, I found it interesting to see how different physicians have different approaches to and opinions about the same situation. Some even talked about the differences between American and European medical practices. After visiting clinics and hospitals, I hope I’ll have a better understanding of where those differences do and do not exist. Especially when it comes to socialized medicine and if it really is as evil as some tend to think.

This will be my first time abroad without family, but that shouldn’t be a problem, Aggies are great people. Riding the trains should be interesting and how can I not mention the German food and beer? Currywurst sounds pretty good.

Abroad Again

Last summer, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Spain. The experiences I had there made me that much more interested in being a part of this program. Before studying abroad, I had never left the United States, and I had not even traveled very much within the states. Being abroad made me more open-minded, and I loved seeing life from another side of the world. Emersing myself in a different culture made me that much more secure in my own feelings and beliefs, but I came to realize that areas of the world have different cultures, but we all kind of shape a little culture of our own from our personal backgrounds, beliefs, and new experiences. These new and varied experiences shape us into the stongest, kindest, best version of us, and that is what I am looking forward to. I know that Germany will be different from my previous study abroad experience, and even though my Christmas and time with my family will be cut short this year, I cannot wait to leave.

I am super excited about the context in which we will be in Germany and Austria. I cannot wait to go to the museums, and hospitals, and such and learn about the countries' histories from that viewpoint. It is always nice to get outside of the textbooks and see what all that stuff in the book is really all about. Another thing that will be nice about this program is that I get to go with Aggies, and I love my fellow Aggies. It will be nice to share similar experiences with a group of people somewhat like me.

Secret Confessions: I hate being cold, and I am a little scared about the whole I don't know German thing. The cold thing, I can deal with. I packed so many layers, I just hope they are enough. Going to Spain was pretty easy because I at least understood 90% of what people were telling me, and after about a week I was able to start conversing pretty easily. German? Not going to be that easy. I am comforted by the fact that most Germans know English, but I am still determined to start picking up as many words and phrases as I can. German has always been a language that interested me so I am going to see just how good my language skills really are.

I'm not quite to the hourly countdown yet, but give me a day or two and I'll be there. See ya'll across the ocean!

Pre-Game Throughts on the Wintermester

In less than a week I will be on a plane to the other side of the world.  In less than a week I will be leaving behind Texas, America, friends, family, and going on an adventure of sorts--to a place in some ways familiar and in other ways radically different.

It seems a bit crazy for me to speculate on what lies ahead in Germany.  I'm excited for several things, I suppose.  First, my hope is that in seeing surgeries, medical museums, and the like, I will be inspired to take on biomedical engineering again.  Every semester thus far has been enormously challenging, and a reminder of what all the work is for will refresh my winter-break collapse in motivation.  I'm excited to see how I can really help people with what I'm learning.  That it isn't just countless hours of studying and skimming for exam questions in textbooks--that it's genuinely for the benefit and service of other people.  That is something for which I'm pretty excited.

Also on the list: beer.  And, I don't mean Bud Lite.  I'm talking quality beer.  The chance to take in another culture and worldview in the company of what are sure to become close friends.  I'm excited for a period of constant learning, and to be taken out of my element.

This is a chance that many people don't get, so I'm looking forward to getting to experience so many "new" things.  Which, without sounding presumptive, seems like a guarantee.  Let's go!

Only 1 Week Left

So there's about one week left till I head off to Germany. I still have so much stuff left to get and pack since I've done absolutely nothing since school has ended. I think I've been so thrilled with the idea that I'm actually going to Germany this winter that I haven't actually taken the time to start preparing for the trip. But I guess that's what this next week is going to be for.

I'm super pumped about the trip itself. I've never been to Germany before so I'm looking forward to a unique experience. The country obviously has a very rich history and it should be pretty cool to witness some of it firsthand. I'm also interested in seeing how the "European" culture compares to that of the "American" culture. It'll be fascinating to see if the people there are as amused by us Americans as we are with Europeans here. But with all the excitement do come a few concerns. Naturally, going to a country where I do not speak the language poses an obvious challenge. Also, I realize I will have to make certain adjustments, such as the time difference, which might prove to be frustrating. In addition, the weather during the winter in Germany is not known to be merciful, and being a slender guy, this does not bode well for me.

But despite these concerns, I wouldn't have signed up to go if I did not feel that the pros outweighed the cons. The trip should provide a different kind of excitement in my life that I have not experienced before. As an aspiring physician, I think it will be pretty cool to see how medicine is practiced and has evolved in Europe. I'm hoping this experience will be able to show me another side of medicine that will in someway shape my future. I'm really looking forward to meeting and getting to know a lot of new people. I'm sure I will become close with the people I travel with, but in addition, I want to interact with the locals and really get to know more about German culture. The free weekend in Prague should also be exciting. I always see these iconic images of the Prague Castle so it's going to be pretty cool to be able to visit the city it's in and maybe even visit the castle itself.

Hopefully, the whole trip will be an awesome experience and I'll have stories to tell for a long time.