Now that I have been back in the States for a few days, my European adventures are really starting to soak in. The trip still feels like a distant dream that was way too awesome for someone to actually experience, but the pictures keep reminding me that it was real. I am forever grateful for this experience and I've learned so much that I know I have been changed for the better. Since I have been back, I have been sure to be extra thankful for air conditioning, ice, and free chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants.
I was not sure what to expect of our last week in Berlin but I was definitely not disappointed. I loved the city and it was awesome to be able to see the history we've learned about for so long. It's completely different listening to my Papa's stories from the war when I have now seen and explored the places he's always talked about. I think what surprised me most about Berlin was that the effects of WWII and the Nazi Regime are still everywhere you look. It is clear that the wounds inflicted on the city still have not healed, and maybe they never will, maybe they're not supposed to. I actually think this may be better - it really puts things into perspective when you can see a physical structure or damage rather than hearing a tour guide tell you "well fifty two years ago this was the place where xyz happened...."
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| Berlin Wall |
I think this was really evident in our visit to Sachsenhausen. To take the same train and walk down the street through town just like prisoners of that camp would have, provides an eerie feeling. To know that thousands marched to their death along that same road is a bit hard to imagine but the visit inside the camp made it all real.
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| Gates to Enter Sachsenhausen |
On a lighter note, the trip to Ottobock was awesome!! The technology they have developed there has already and will continue to benefit thousands of people and will allow them to regain their sense of physical freedom. Knowing that I could one day benefit people the way they are makes me glad to be an engineer! I was astounded at how far prosthetic technology has come and how many options and so much hope patients have now.
Of course I could not come to Germany and leave without buying a nutcracker! Nutcrackers have been a big tradition in my family for many years and we currently have a few hundred that we put out for decoration every Christmas. Several of them are very old and have been passed along several generations so they've become pretty important to us. With a German family heritage, German nutcrackers are a family favorite and definitely the most sought after. We can just all pretend I'm not a bit of a nutcracker expert...
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| Unfortunately he would not fit in my suitcase... |
Visiting the Charité was also an unforgettable experience! Here I learned about intubations and sutures which are both things I've yet to experience. It was cool to be able to learn how to do these things because they are such common practices in medicine and people sometimes forget that just because we are studying medicine, doesn't mean that we know how to do everything already.
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| Hard at Work! |
It was hard not to be sad at our final dinner together at Kasbah. It was nice to come home but I definitely miss Germany and the people who made the trip everything that it was. I am so glad I decided to go on the study abroad trip in the first place. It was everything I thought it would be and more. The experiences I've had definitely changed me for the better and made me realize that medicine is definitely my passion. Because of the program, I am now exploring several different career options that I previously never thought possible and I plan to take advantage of several opportunities I had not seriously considered before. I am forever grateful for Dr. Wasser and Olivia Schaefer as they both did so much to make this program a success. Can't wait to see what lies in store next!
Tschüss,
Emily Thompson
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