On
Wednesday, we left Germany for Austria, though it seemed at the time as though we
had just gotten to Hannover. We only
spent one night in Hannover; however, the medical school hospital and research
center have left lasting impressions.
Two presentations we heard were especially motivating and memorable.
On Tuesday afternoon, we heard from
the chief cardiology resident about a specific type of cardiac implant to
assist the heart’s pumping. Since I am
planning on specializing in cardiology after medical school, being able to see
a patient and hearing exactly how the procedure was performed was
fascinating. Moreover, she made me think
about other types of cardiac surgery other than heart transplants, and
honestly, it made more excited to get to residency.
Then, on Wednesday morning, we heard
a presentation from a research team working with axolotls and spiders. When working with the axolotls, they research
the biology behind limb regrowth and regeneration. However, even more fascinating to me was
their research with spiders. The group
harvests spider silk, which is surprisingly strong for its diameter. The aim of their research is to repair nerve
damage. In one trial, the patient was
unable to move his arm due to nerve damage.
Spider silk was used to connect the nerve ends and provided physical
scaffolding for nerve cells to follow in order to repair the nerve. Nerve cells can divide just like other cells,
but cannot reconnect separated ends if the damage is too extensive. Now, the patient has regained some functional
use of his arm and hand. I am excited to
see whether research like this will be applicable to spinal cord injuries in
the future.
Overall, our time in Hannover has
solidified my desire to become a physician.
Research and medical treatments are advancing by leaps and bounds, and I
cannot wait to become a part of it in the coming years!
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