One last week in Bonn

This week of the program left me with the realization that our program is slowly starting to come together at the seams and that our time left in Germany is limited and precious! It hit me about Tuesday that in spite of y excitement about venturing to Switzerland and Berlin, that I would be saying goodbye to Bonn on Thursday evening. This week started out with three lectures from Dr. Wasser, which allowed us the chance to sit down and absorb everything that we had been taking in over the course of the program. Tuesday morning was a climactic event in the scope of this trip, having the opportunity to observe surgeries at the university clinic of Bonn. I was able to observe a spinal surgery as well as a general surgery to improve the state of a intensive care patient who was suffering multiple system organ failure. Both procedures were an incredible privilege to be able to observe. It was the first time that I had seen procedures of that caliber and specialization. It was interesting to see that in sight of the differences in the healthcare systems of the U.S. and Germany, when it comes to the inner workings if the OR, the surgical team that surrounds the patient speaks a universal language of precision and efficiency that guide the line of patient care. Its days like that which assure me that what I'm working towards is not in vain and that slowly but surely, I'm getting there. Wednesday was he bike ride to Remagen, which proved to be nothing short of an Olympic feat. After arriving in Remagen, 22 kilometers down the Rhine from Bonn, we ate lunch, enjoyed a quick afternoon nap, and headed over to the peace museum. The museum’s exhibits are housed in the towers of the bridge at Remagen follow the origin of the bridge, what it was used for, and its history as it stands today.  Thursday was a full day, starting out with the visit to the museum in Bingen to see the exhibit on Hildegard von Bingen. The Rhine cruise took us from Bingen to St. Goar, where we hiked up to Rheinfels Castle. When we were asked to get creative and give a tour of a section of the castle, I cringed a little at first. I’m not one for impromptu situations, but it turned out to be the highlight of the day. We’re always learning great things about the history of medicine throughout this program and travelling and gaining a new sense of independence, but I appreciated this opportunity to just be a kid and have fun.  With the week coming to a close, I am looking forward to a beautiful weekend in Switzerland as well as our final week of the program in Berlin!