This week we spent time in Vienna,
as an excursion with our program. This excursion, from the history of medicine
standpoint was my favorite so far. We got to go to the Josephinum, a museum
with a large collection of anatomical wax models. It was a truly amazing collection
that they had, showing various body systems, and pathophysiology. The obstetrics
room was really cool to see and learn about, and definitely a deterrent from
childbirth in the near future. (ouch) My favorite thing we saw during out time
in Vienna was the Fools Tower. The exhibit they had was just fascinating, with
skeletons, wax molds, and preserved organs showing different pathophysiology. Our
tour guide was great, a young, very knowledgeable medical student from Vienna.
It was an amazing opportunity because this tour was something that without the
program, I would have never been able to experience. I hope for the sake of my
family they are prepared because if we go back to Vienna, I will be sure to
insist on us going back to the Fools Tower!! We got to see a beautiful
classical music concert, in a church one of the nights we were there. It was a string
quartet that played a mixture of Mozart and Beethoven, they were extremely
talented.
We had a three-day weekend, better
described as an Eastern European adventure. This was my first time in what I would
consider to be Eastern Europe, and I didn’t really know what to expect, or how
different it would be from what I know of Europe. Surprisingly, there were very
much the same, I would say however that it was a little less touristy that
western Europe and wayyyyyyy cheaper. We started off in Budapest, which was
amazing. It was an absolutely beautiful city. We spent the first day seeing the
top sites, the architecture there was just stunning. We spent the afternoon at
the Szechenyi Baths, which Budapest is famous for. It was beautiful, but had
nothing on the Bath House we visited in Norderney. We didn’t get to spend a ton of time there, so
I am excited to visit it again at some point in my life! We then took off to Poland,
where we stayed in Krakow. It was an awesome city, with a lot of culture. It
was fun spending the day walking around, and enjoying the city.
On Sunday, we went to visit
Auschwitz, which was a very sobering experience. You learn about World War II,
and the horrors committed against mankind throughout your education growing up.
Going to Auschwitz though, seeing where it happened, and learning about what took
place there was a completely different experience. It really makes you realize that
this was not something that happened hundreds of years ago, this happened in recent
history and there are people alive who lived through it. I think the most surprising
thing about my visit there was the proximity to the city. In my mind, I always assumed
that the concentration camps were in such isolated places, far away from
people, out of sight, but they are so close to communities’ and families’ houses.
People live a five-minute drive from Auschwitz, and to me that is just something
that I never realized, or understood. Auschwitz is a place that I personally feel
everyone needs visit and experience at least once in tier life. As it truly
puts the genocide and persecution of the Nazis into perspective.
“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat
it”- George Santayana
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