After the program ended on January 16, I went to Paris straight afterwards on the 17th. That night, Amanda and I went to visit the Eifel Tower! It was so beautiful during the night. I was so glad we went during the night instead of during the day, I thought it was a much better experience. The next day, which was my 20th birthday, we first went to Notre Dam Church, where we actually attended mass, and I even had communion, in the Notre Dam. It was so cool. Then we went to the Louvre and saw a bunch of famous paintings, then the Tuilieries (spelling?), then shopping, then the famous gate where the Tour de France ends, and finally, the next day, I went back to the States.
I must say it feels really weird being back here. Everything is in English, I'm using American dollars, I get free refills in restaurants, and I get to sleep in my own bed. I miss Germany already, but at the same time I am glad to see my friends again as well. This experience was absolutely amazing and I'm thankful that I went through with it. I think everyone should travel overseas somewhere once in their lives, and there is no better time to do it than in college. My memories in Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Holland, and France are priceless!!! Maybe one day, I'll return to Europe and have another adventure... But for now, I enjoy being back home in College Station.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The hills are alive with the sound of music...
So amidst the chaos that was unpacking, I found my "blog draft" (aka scattered notes) that I wrote the last day in Vienna. It goes a little something like this:
[Children:]
There's a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall
And the bells in the steeple too
And up in the nursery an absurd little bird
Is popping out to say "cuckoo"
[Marta, Gretl, Brigitta:]
Cuckoo, cuckoo
[Children: Marta, Gretl, Brigitta: ]
Regretfully they tell us Cuckoo, cuckoo
But firmly they compel us Cuckoo, cuckoo
To say goodbye . . .
[Marta, Gretl, Brigitta:]
Cuckoo!
[Children:]
. . . to you
[Children:]
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night
[Marta:]
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight
[Children:]
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
[Friedrich:]
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu
[Children:]
So long, farewell, au revoir, auf wiedersehen
[Liesl:]
I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne
[Children:]
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
[Kurt:]
I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye -- Goodbye!
[Brigitta:]
I'm glad to go, I cannot tell a lie
[Louisa:]
I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly
[Gretl:]
The sun has gone to bed and so must I
[Children:]
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
[Guests:]
Goodbye!
I felt like this was the most appropriate ending to a wonderful journey and farewell to an amazing city. Vienna has such rich medical and cultural history, beautiful architecture, and glamorous lifestyle that I have made a vow to return....sometime in the summer. I would have to say my favorites were the catacombs, the Freud museum, and the Belvedere Palace, but to be honest, there wasn't one thing I didn't enjoy.
I hope this blog finds everyone safe and well rested in "good 'ol" College Station. I am already working on a final blog draft and for that I might even find a good graphic to post so get ready. Good luck on your first days of class!
[Children:]
There's a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall
And the bells in the steeple too
And up in the nursery an absurd little bird
Is popping out to say "cuckoo"
[Marta, Gretl, Brigitta:]
Cuckoo, cuckoo
[Children: Marta, Gretl, Brigitta: ]
Regretfully they tell us Cuckoo, cuckoo
But firmly they compel us Cuckoo, cuckoo
To say goodbye . . .
[Marta, Gretl, Brigitta:]
Cuckoo!
[Children:]
. . . to you
[Children:]
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night
[Marta:]
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight
[Children:]
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
[Friedrich:]
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu
[Children:]
So long, farewell, au revoir, auf wiedersehen
[Liesl:]
I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne
[Children:]
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
[Kurt:]
I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye -- Goodbye!
[Brigitta:]
I'm glad to go, I cannot tell a lie
[Louisa:]
I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly
[Gretl:]
The sun has gone to bed and so must I
[Children:]
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
[Guests:]
Goodbye!
I felt like this was the most appropriate ending to a wonderful journey and farewell to an amazing city. Vienna has such rich medical and cultural history, beautiful architecture, and glamorous lifestyle that I have made a vow to return....sometime in the summer. I would have to say my favorites were the catacombs, the Freud museum, and the Belvedere Palace, but to be honest, there wasn't one thing I didn't enjoy.
I hope this blog finds everyone safe and well rested in "good 'ol" College Station. I am already working on a final blog draft and for that I might even find a good graphic to post so get ready. Good luck on your first days of class!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Bubble Bath & Chicken-Ex
I can’t believe it is already over. The amount of preparation and money that went into this class was completely worth it. The people were some of the coolest people I have ever met. I am currently on a huge train ride to my flight to USA because I messed up on scheduling. To say that traveling alone is boring is the understatement of the year. I just spent 75 minutes next to a lady who knew no personal space. I would like to take this time to reflect on the past week in Vienna.
I was not really looking forward to going to Vienna because of the amount of things I still wanted to do in Berlin. Besides the fact that the doners in the city had a different kind of flavor, the city itself was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The streets were incredibly clean and the feel of the city was comparable to some stereotypical shopping centers in the United States.
My favorite group of things to see in our travels has to be the cathedrals. These architectural masterpieces are so grand and large I am considering Catholicism. I wish that we would pull our resources in America and make some structural giants equal to the technology and luxury we live in today. The Saint Stephens Cathedral in particular was my second favorite cathedral (first being the cathedral in Cologne) because of its size and location. I do feel it lacked the history of the Cologne cathedral. Every single detail in Cologne was masterfully carved and thought out. Saint Stephens is a beautiful church but I feel they did not put everything they could into it.
The doners. The doners. The doners. Without a doubt my favorite food of the trip was the doners. The textbook synergistic flavor of the onions, tomatoes, lettuce, mystery meat and ranch dressing-esque sauce hit the palette in a way that cannot be duplicated. After I messed up on my plane ticket and wasted a good 350 dollars, I decided the only thing I would eat from then on was the delicious doners. The doners in Berlin were good but lacked the spice that the Viennese utilized to perfection. I am tempted to drop out of TAMU and become the prince of doners.
The people in this class defiantly made this a trip to remember. When we started this trip I thought everyone was super quiet and this worried me. I am very quiet in real life but when I get comfortable I talk way too much. I was not expecting to make friends on this trip so I brought 4 large books and multiple ipods . To my surprise everyone ended up being friendly and welcoming. It was also great to get to know Dr. Wasser and learn from him. This has been a trip of a lifetime and I am so glad that I took a blind leap and went to a foreign country with people I did not know.
PROUST!
Sir Brian Gibson
I was not really looking forward to going to Vienna because of the amount of things I still wanted to do in Berlin. Besides the fact that the doners in the city had a different kind of flavor, the city itself was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The streets were incredibly clean and the feel of the city was comparable to some stereotypical shopping centers in the United States.
My favorite group of things to see in our travels has to be the cathedrals. These architectural masterpieces are so grand and large I am considering Catholicism. I wish that we would pull our resources in America and make some structural giants equal to the technology and luxury we live in today. The Saint Stephens Cathedral in particular was my second favorite cathedral (first being the cathedral in Cologne) because of its size and location. I do feel it lacked the history of the Cologne cathedral. Every single detail in Cologne was masterfully carved and thought out. Saint Stephens is a beautiful church but I feel they did not put everything they could into it.
The doners. The doners. The doners. Without a doubt my favorite food of the trip was the doners. The textbook synergistic flavor of the onions, tomatoes, lettuce, mystery meat and ranch dressing-esque sauce hit the palette in a way that cannot be duplicated. After I messed up on my plane ticket and wasted a good 350 dollars, I decided the only thing I would eat from then on was the delicious doners. The doners in Berlin were good but lacked the spice that the Viennese utilized to perfection. I am tempted to drop out of TAMU and become the prince of doners.
The people in this class defiantly made this a trip to remember. When we started this trip I thought everyone was super quiet and this worried me. I am very quiet in real life but when I get comfortable I talk way too much. I was not expecting to make friends on this trip so I brought 4 large books and multiple ipods . To my surprise everyone ended up being friendly and welcoming. It was also great to get to know Dr. Wasser and learn from him. This has been a trip of a lifetime and I am so glad that I took a blind leap and went to a foreign country with people I did not know.
PROUST!
Sir Brian Gibson
Friday, January 16, 2009
Auf Wiedersehen Wien, auf Wiedersehen Europa! (じゃまたウィエン、じゃまたヨローパ、ね！)
January 16th, 2009 - The day this trip comes to an end.
It is sad, yet exciting to go back to the US, though I will miss all the places I visited a lot. No problem, I will do my best to be back and see them again!
Our last day in Vienna. What a better way to close than with a visit to the Spanishe Hofreitschule (Spanish Riding School) where the Lipizzaner horses are kept, trained, and exhibited. We took a tour, where we learned a great deal about the school. For instance, it is the oldest riding school that practices the High School of Riding. This type of riding focuses on the natural movements of the stallion (sorry, no girls allowed, well mares) and uses them to create a beautiful dressage. It was founded by Ferdinand I, a Spanish Habsburg who had Spanish horses brought to Lipizzer where he bred them with other horses ultimately creating what we now know as the Lipizzaner horse. The town of Lipizzer is now in Slovenia, so the horses are bred in Piber, a town in southern Austria. The school has 20 riders of different ranks: élèves, assistant riders, riders, and chief riders. They have morning excercises every day, and during the winter they use the Winter Hofreitschule (Winter Riding School) Building. In this building, in the past, the royal family used to have balls, piano recitals and other such parties. In the Summer ring, which is surrounded by a trotting track that moves around and fits 20 horses, the stallions can trot alone. The rink was used to hold reenactments of sea battles at times. All Lipizzaners are white, but the ones that remain black or dark brown are considered lucky, and they say every Lipizzaner stable should have at least one dark horse for luck!
We then met the horses! Most majestic and beautiful animals I have ever seen! They have girl names because their names are actually a combination of the mother and the father. They retire at around 25 years of age, some older, return to Piber and die naturally at age 35 or so.
The saddles used are handmade in Switzerland from white deerskin and are about 20kg each. It was simply beautiful to have the opportunity to see these famous animals live.
Our farewell dinner was very good. I had cordon bleu chicken and Almdudler, an exquisite lemon soda with herbs typical of Vienna. Now the time has come to say "Auf Wiedersehen Europa" (『じゃまたヨローパ』) and to hope I can be on this land some time in the near future!
So:
Auf wiedersehen Europa!
¡Nos vemos Europa!
Ci vediamo Europa!
Au revoir Europe!
Until next time Europe!
じゃまたヨローパ、ね！
Bis nächste monat!
It is sad, yet exciting to go back to the US, though I will miss all the places I visited a lot. No problem, I will do my best to be back and see them again!
Our last day in Vienna. What a better way to close than with a visit to the Spanishe Hofreitschule (Spanish Riding School) where the Lipizzaner horses are kept, trained, and exhibited. We took a tour, where we learned a great deal about the school. For instance, it is the oldest riding school that practices the High School of Riding. This type of riding focuses on the natural movements of the stallion (sorry, no girls allowed, well mares) and uses them to create a beautiful dressage. It was founded by Ferdinand I, a Spanish Habsburg who had Spanish horses brought to Lipizzer where he bred them with other horses ultimately creating what we now know as the Lipizzaner horse. The town of Lipizzer is now in Slovenia, so the horses are bred in Piber, a town in southern Austria. The school has 20 riders of different ranks: élèves, assistant riders, riders, and chief riders. They have morning excercises every day, and during the winter they use the Winter Hofreitschule (Winter Riding School) Building. In this building, in the past, the royal family used to have balls, piano recitals and other such parties. In the Summer ring, which is surrounded by a trotting track that moves around and fits 20 horses, the stallions can trot alone. The rink was used to hold reenactments of sea battles at times. All Lipizzaners are white, but the ones that remain black or dark brown are considered lucky, and they say every Lipizzaner stable should have at least one dark horse for luck!
We then met the horses! Most majestic and beautiful animals I have ever seen! They have girl names because their names are actually a combination of the mother and the father. They retire at around 25 years of age, some older, return to Piber and die naturally at age 35 or so.
The saddles used are handmade in Switzerland from white deerskin and are about 20kg each. It was simply beautiful to have the opportunity to see these famous animals live.
Our farewell dinner was very good. I had cordon bleu chicken and Almdudler, an exquisite lemon soda with herbs typical of Vienna. Now the time has come to say "Auf Wiedersehen Europa" (『じゃまたヨローパ』) and to hope I can be on this land some time in the near future!
So:
Auf wiedersehen Europa!
¡Nos vemos Europa!
Ci vediamo Europa!
Au revoir Europe!
Until next time Europe!
じゃまたヨローパ、ね！
Bis nächste monat!
A little Geschichte der Medizin made with wax!
Today in Vienna, mostly cloudy, a bit cold, no more snow. Lucky for us we had to be indoors, and what a better place than Museum des Instituts für Geschichte der Medizin der Universität Wien in the Josephinum... yup long name. Well, a few posts back I wrote about Joseph II and the Allgemeines Krankenhaus. This museum, actually the medical school that this museum is now a part of, was founded by him. It was called the Josephinum Akademie.
We started our rounds with an old friend, Leopold Auenbrugger. He was the man responsible for the first use of percussion. He took this idea from his father who tapped on wine barrels to see if they were empty or full. But, no one paid attention to him and his book Inventum Novum was forgotten until many years later. The museum held a vast collection of medical instruments used back in the day. This included heatable cups for bloodletting, saws for fast amputation, even homeopathic kits! They also had the "Medical kits" that students bought, or received to practice medicine. The next area of the exhibit had pictures of a medical hero, Dr. Sammelweiß, the "savior of mothers." With his hygienic rules, he reduced mother mortality from puerpereal feverby an enormous margin. He also practiced antiseptic techniques during operations. He is, in some ways, the father of antisepsis. We saw pictures of the old anatomic theaters where dissections took place and a specimen of the stomach of a lady. This stomach had sutures on it, because Theodore Bilroth performed an operation and removed a cancerous growth from it. The patient survived for three months. Throughout this exhibit we saw pictures of important medical figures such as Gustav Riehl, dermatologist, Wilhelm Winternitz, father of scientific hydrotherapy, and Karl Koller, who discovered the anesthetic properties of cocaine (Coca Cola = Cocaine Koller, if you think about it).
The second half of the exhibit was a little bit more anatomical. We walked through halls full of old instruments, shelves full of them from top to bottom: Prostheses, new and old, scalpels, microscopes, percussion hammers, everything and anything ever used in medicine. We finally got to a room full of 'cadavers.' These, however, were actually Venetian wax models especially designed for the medical school. They were crafted in traditional Venetian poses and had real hair (blonde for German-speaking countries). Each model, depending on size and intricacy took anywhere from 2-4 months to complete. They have been at the university since 1785 and have seen countless generations of medical students. They had the lymph vessel body, which portrayed this newly discovered body system, though perhaps not accurately. They also had the first ever gynecology section. Here we saw how a baby is carried and how it is born, including a birth by forceps. We also saw possible pregnancy complications and siamese twins. The story says siamese twins were often aborted along with any baby that put the mother's life at risk.
After our museum journey we once again went around Vienna, especially Stephansplatz until 7PM when we met at the hotel to go celebrate Krystynas Birthday at a local restaurant, and end the night at a karaoke bar... it was fun, though I did not sing.
We started our rounds with an old friend, Leopold Auenbrugger. He was the man responsible for the first use of percussion. He took this idea from his father who tapped on wine barrels to see if they were empty or full. But, no one paid attention to him and his book Inventum Novum was forgotten until many years later. The museum held a vast collection of medical instruments used back in the day. This included heatable cups for bloodletting, saws for fast amputation, even homeopathic kits! They also had the "Medical kits" that students bought, or received to practice medicine. The next area of the exhibit had pictures of a medical hero, Dr. Sammelweiß, the "savior of mothers." With his hygienic rules, he reduced mother mortality from puerpereal feverby an enormous margin. He also practiced antiseptic techniques during operations. He is, in some ways, the father of antisepsis. We saw pictures of the old anatomic theaters where dissections took place and a specimen of the stomach of a lady. This stomach had sutures on it, because Theodore Bilroth performed an operation and removed a cancerous growth from it. The patient survived for three months. Throughout this exhibit we saw pictures of important medical figures such as Gustav Riehl, dermatologist, Wilhelm Winternitz, father of scientific hydrotherapy, and Karl Koller, who discovered the anesthetic properties of cocaine (Coca Cola = Cocaine Koller, if you think about it).
The second half of the exhibit was a little bit more anatomical. We walked through halls full of old instruments, shelves full of them from top to bottom: Prostheses, new and old, scalpels, microscopes, percussion hammers, everything and anything ever used in medicine. We finally got to a room full of 'cadavers.' These, however, were actually Venetian wax models especially designed for the medical school. They were crafted in traditional Venetian poses and had real hair (blonde for German-speaking countries). Each model, depending on size and intricacy took anywhere from 2-4 months to complete. They have been at the university since 1785 and have seen countless generations of medical students. They had the lymph vessel body, which portrayed this newly discovered body system, though perhaps not accurately. They also had the first ever gynecology section. Here we saw how a baby is carried and how it is born, including a birth by forceps. We also saw possible pregnancy complications and siamese twins. The story says siamese twins were often aborted along with any baby that put the mother's life at risk.
After our museum journey we once again went around Vienna, especially Stephansplatz until 7PM when we met at the hotel to go celebrate Krystynas Birthday at a local restaurant, and end the night at a karaoke bar... it was fun, though I did not sing.
Jus Jon 12
Hello. Sorry about the first Jus Jon 12 being empty. I pushed the enter key before I began writting. Today, is the day everybody gets ready to leave for home. When I first thought about it, I didn't think it would be to much of a big deal, but I realize it is. Some of the group has already left and I feel really sad because I mis them a lot. I didn't think we had gotten that close at all. To reflect on this trip, I have had the time of my life here in Europe. I have found what I want to do with myself, who I want to be, and alot more stuff that I had in question when in the states. I am absolutely thankful for having the opportunity to come on this trip. I have meet some nice people and learned a lot from each one. I know we have a blog in a month, but for what it is worth, everybody together made the trip what it was. Well, until next time, peace.
and I can be on the last train home
Just a short blog before most of us leave tomorrow :(... Although I will be extremely happy to be back in familiar old Texas, I am a little sad to be leaving Europe. I know everyone is saying this, but it did not feel like 3 weeks to me! I have had so many fantastic experiences on this trip, and I have 3 weeks' worth of memories that will, pardon the cliche, last me a lifetime. I think I am finally used to the German keyboard, and going back to QWERTY will be odd... I am looking forward to tonight's farewell dinner, although we will be missing Brian and Will. One last authentic European meal for me! Today was a great last day, mostly because we had the chance to relax for most of it. This program had so many visits and activities packed into it that it was nice to be able to sleep late and eat a nice leisurely brunch with friends. I really liked the Spanish riding school; seeing how much attention is paid to every little detail for the horses and riders was crazy! But the pictures of them performing were spectacular. If I ever have a chance to come back to Vienna in the spring (cross my fingers), I will definitely want to catch one of their morning exercises or performances. And I'd like to see a Mozart/Strauss concert (sad face to Lauren Lewis because we missed out). Also, if I ever come back, I would like to go back to Hannover and Prague. Until then, Auf Wiedersehen Europe!
A Boy Named Sue
It's almost over, what a trip. Probably the longest and most physically taxing of my life, but most definitely the most eye-opening and educational. Our time in Vienna has been fantastic, I love the city, as does everyone else, and have had some of the best times of the trip here. I realized I didn't fill you in on our first day here so I'll start there. We took a tour of the Vienna Museum and St. Stephen's Cathedral including the catacombs underneath. Vienna is actually an extremely important city historically, moreso for religion, as the two Ottoman seiges against the city in the 16th and 17th centuries which failed and prevented a possible global Muslim present. St. Stephen's is a beautiful gothic cathedral in the middle of the city, which is an interesting location since the middle of the city contains the major shopping district of Vienna. But it was great, not quite as breath-taking as the Dom Cologne but close. The catacombs were the coolest part though. The huge mass graves with bones stacked like firewood and the multiple tombs of the Hapsburgs and modern-day Bishops were awesome.
The next day, after a lot of sleep, we took a walking tour of the medical history of Vienna led by Dr. Wasser and saw a few very interesting sites. After lunch, we headed to the Freud Museum where we had our last lecture from Dr. Wasser on the man, myth, and legend himself. Freud is an extremely interesting character, mainly because his theories on psychoanalysis can agruably be traced back to his own childhood. This is still being debated according to Dr. Wasser, but some believe that only Freud and a few others, because of their situations in their childhood and early adulthood, could have formulated the ideas and theories that eventually became the first descriptions of the human psyche. After the lecture, we toured his old apartment where he lived and practiced. Although a lot of it was originally furnished, the famous couch resides in London, where he died. Freud, with his wife and daughter Anna, had fled Austria one year before his death as the Nazis began their campaign on Eastern Europe.
That night, we were treated to an operetta at a nearby theater. The title was Die Fledermaus (I think that's right) which means "The Bat". It was a pretty interesting, comedic story that we were all able to understand due to the synopsis we read beforehand and the subtitles given during the performance. Along with the story, the music and singing were impeccable. I can't remember the last time I heard someone sing in perfect pitch like that for 2 hours. Yesterday was an easier day, we went to the medical history museum that housed rooms and rooms of wax models showing different anatomical structures. Having just recently finished anatomy, I was eager to compare humans and dogs anatomically. I'll just say they are surprisingly similar, with a few exceptions.
We had free time for the rest of the day, which I used mainly to sleep some more and ponder my medical school choices. The deadline for the Texas Medical School match was on the horizon and to be honest I'm still weighing my options, but will most likely accept my offer at UTMB. Anyway, last night was maybe the most fun night of the trip. Right across the street from our hotel was a karaoke bar, which combined with college students equals attemps at singing to great songs for hours on end. At this point in the trip, everyone is getting pretty close, so for our last night we enjoyed each other's company, sang some great songs, and celebrated Krystyna's birthday. Today we had the morning off, which we all used to sleep in. Jared and I saw Brian off early as he's taking a train to Bonn where his flight leaves from tomorrow. We just took a tour of the Spanish Riding School, the oldest riding school in the world I believe, and are about to head to the final banquet.
All in all, this trip has been a much needed leave of absence from the United States. I think all of us have become at least a little more knowledgeable, a little more grateful, and much more independent. It's impossible not to do so over here. I feel that I've come to understand the German culture pretty well with the help of Dr. Wasser and AIB, who have been fantastic. Hopefully, now I'll be able to navigate my way around Europe on my own someday, preferably sooner than later. But this trip has shown me, if anything, the importance of going through difficult and uncomfortable experiences, and the importance of being on your own and discovering a different culture that questions your own beliefs and feelings. I feel I've accomplished that to some extent here. I've wrestled with a few things here, but feel I have come to a more personal understanding and acceptance of the relationship between myself and the rest of the world that I believe is more mature, well-rounded, and confident.
So for that, I thank everyone: AIB and Dr. Wasser for this incredible experience, the rest of the students on the trip for growing with me during these last 3 weeks (y'all are awesome), and my family and friends for supporting me heavily during this trip. I miss and love everyone back home, and I'll see you all very soon.
PEACE
Asher
The next day, after a lot of sleep, we took a walking tour of the medical history of Vienna led by Dr. Wasser and saw a few very interesting sites. After lunch, we headed to the Freud Museum where we had our last lecture from Dr. Wasser on the man, myth, and legend himself. Freud is an extremely interesting character, mainly because his theories on psychoanalysis can agruably be traced back to his own childhood. This is still being debated according to Dr. Wasser, but some believe that only Freud and a few others, because of their situations in their childhood and early adulthood, could have formulated the ideas and theories that eventually became the first descriptions of the human psyche. After the lecture, we toured his old apartment where he lived and practiced. Although a lot of it was originally furnished, the famous couch resides in London, where he died. Freud, with his wife and daughter Anna, had fled Austria one year before his death as the Nazis began their campaign on Eastern Europe.
That night, we were treated to an operetta at a nearby theater. The title was Die Fledermaus (I think that's right) which means "The Bat". It was a pretty interesting, comedic story that we were all able to understand due to the synopsis we read beforehand and the subtitles given during the performance. Along with the story, the music and singing were impeccable. I can't remember the last time I heard someone sing in perfect pitch like that for 2 hours. Yesterday was an easier day, we went to the medical history museum that housed rooms and rooms of wax models showing different anatomical structures. Having just recently finished anatomy, I was eager to compare humans and dogs anatomically. I'll just say they are surprisingly similar, with a few exceptions.
We had free time for the rest of the day, which I used mainly to sleep some more and ponder my medical school choices. The deadline for the Texas Medical School match was on the horizon and to be honest I'm still weighing my options, but will most likely accept my offer at UTMB. Anyway, last night was maybe the most fun night of the trip. Right across the street from our hotel was a karaoke bar, which combined with college students equals attemps at singing to great songs for hours on end. At this point in the trip, everyone is getting pretty close, so for our last night we enjoyed each other's company, sang some great songs, and celebrated Krystyna's birthday. Today we had the morning off, which we all used to sleep in. Jared and I saw Brian off early as he's taking a train to Bonn where his flight leaves from tomorrow. We just took a tour of the Spanish Riding School, the oldest riding school in the world I believe, and are about to head to the final banquet.
All in all, this trip has been a much needed leave of absence from the United States. I think all of us have become at least a little more knowledgeable, a little more grateful, and much more independent. It's impossible not to do so over here. I feel that I've come to understand the German culture pretty well with the help of Dr. Wasser and AIB, who have been fantastic. Hopefully, now I'll be able to navigate my way around Europe on my own someday, preferably sooner than later. But this trip has shown me, if anything, the importance of going through difficult and uncomfortable experiences, and the importance of being on your own and discovering a different culture that questions your own beliefs and feelings. I feel I've accomplished that to some extent here. I've wrestled with a few things here, but feel I have come to a more personal understanding and acceptance of the relationship between myself and the rest of the world that I believe is more mature, well-rounded, and confident.
So for that, I thank everyone: AIB and Dr. Wasser for this incredible experience, the rest of the students on the trip for growing with me during these last 3 weeks (y'all are awesome), and my family and friends for supporting me heavily during this trip. I miss and love everyone back home, and I'll see you all very soon.
PEACE
Asher
So Long, Farewell
After spending nearly a week in Vienna, all I can say it is absolutely AMAZING!!!! Vienna is my favorite city that we visited on this trip. The architecture is gorgeous, a perfect blend of the modern and the historic, and I find myself very comfortable in this clean and spacious environment. Vienna's style of high society, sophistication and class that give the city its extra appeal. Nevertheless the abundant cafes are quite inviting and cozy, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my diet of chocolate, hot chocolate, chocolate crepes, chocolate cakes, bread, and sugar!
Before I continue on with the highlights of Vienna, I must mention the our day trip to Bad Oeynhausen at the begining of the week. I think the opportunity to observe an open heart surgery, might be one of the best way to shake the Monday blues. To begin with, the Heart and Diabetes Center in Bad Oeynhausen was the nicest hospital I have ever been in. The many large windows, contempary paintings and sculpture art spread throughout the hospital gave it a happy upbeat feel; a vibe I generally dont get from a typical hospital. Consistant with all of the other hospital visits/ physician lectures on this program, I was very impressed by the doctors that we met. They were very encouraging and excited for us to learn and experience their trade first hand. But, the best part was definitely watching open heart surgery. Despite the fact that I have seen countless operations, nothing compares to seeing a chest split wide open to expose a beating human heart! The heart was much larger than I expected, and beat in a more violent fashion than I had assumed. While in the OR I thought it was a pretty impressive sight, but my enthusiasm only intensified as the day went on. At the Heart and Diabetes Center I also learned a lot about VADs (Ventricular Assistance Devices). From both a medical and engineering stand point I find these devices fascinating and I am eager to do some follow up research on VADs when I return home.
Back to Vienna...
On our first day here, we went to see St. Stephen's Catherdral. The cathedral is breathtaking in all of its traditional gothic splendor, but the dark and damp catacombs with thousands of dead bodies buried in mass graves, left the largest impression on me!
Highlights from day two would include the Freud museum and the operetta. I am very intrigued by Freud but know less about him than I would like. I am fascinated with dreams (their meaning and interpretation) and the power of the subconsious. I received a good background of information from the museum and Dr. Wasser's lecture, but I am excited to read the book I purchased at the museum on the analysis of the Freud's "The Interpretation of Dreams" and the history of psychoanalysis.
Since I found out about our planned trip to the Operetta, I have been very excited. But I must admit I was excited for the cultural aspect of it, and I was apprehensive as to whether I would actually enjoy the performance. I loved the comedy and entertainment of the show and am forever grateful for the supertitles!!
Yesterday might have been one of the greatest days of my life...seriously! I went to the Belvedere, to see "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimpt!!! Art history is a true passion of mine and my ABSOLUT'E FAVORITE painting in the world is The Kiss. When I was first introduced to this painting in high school, I wonder if I would ever actually have the opportunity to see it in person, being that its permanent home is in Vienna, and I could not imagine what might bring me to this wonderful city. So when I saw it yesterday, I wasn't quite sure how I should respond, but I can just say it was a very great moment!!!!!
Today I enjoyed Viennese sights and sounds as I wonder through the streets, visitied a large market area that I highly recommended, and browsed in and out of shops in the SUNSHINE!!!! (the first in 2 weeks!)
As my trip comes to a close, I am ready to go home but definitely sad to leave . It has been the most wonderful experience, and I hope to come back in the near future (but hopefully in the summer so I can further enjoy the landscapes and parks in full color!)
Fortunately, I still have a lot to look forward to! In a few hours I board a train for a quick weekend visit to PARIS!!!!
Before I continue on with the highlights of Vienna, I must mention the our day trip to Bad Oeynhausen at the begining of the week. I think the opportunity to observe an open heart surgery, might be one of the best way to shake the Monday blues. To begin with, the Heart and Diabetes Center in Bad Oeynhausen was the nicest hospital I have ever been in. The many large windows, contempary paintings and sculpture art spread throughout the hospital gave it a happy upbeat feel; a vibe I generally dont get from a typical hospital. Consistant with all of the other hospital visits/ physician lectures on this program, I was very impressed by the doctors that we met. They were very encouraging and excited for us to learn and experience their trade first hand. But, the best part was definitely watching open heart surgery. Despite the fact that I have seen countless operations, nothing compares to seeing a chest split wide open to expose a beating human heart! The heart was much larger than I expected, and beat in a more violent fashion than I had assumed. While in the OR I thought it was a pretty impressive sight, but my enthusiasm only intensified as the day went on. At the Heart and Diabetes Center I also learned a lot about VADs (Ventricular Assistance Devices). From both a medical and engineering stand point I find these devices fascinating and I am eager to do some follow up research on VADs when I return home.
Back to Vienna...
On our first day here, we went to see St. Stephen's Catherdral. The cathedral is breathtaking in all of its traditional gothic splendor, but the dark and damp catacombs with thousands of dead bodies buried in mass graves, left the largest impression on me!
Highlights from day two would include the Freud museum and the operetta. I am very intrigued by Freud but know less about him than I would like. I am fascinated with dreams (their meaning and interpretation) and the power of the subconsious. I received a good background of information from the museum and Dr. Wasser's lecture, but I am excited to read the book I purchased at the museum on the analysis of the Freud's "The Interpretation of Dreams" and the history of psychoanalysis.
Since I found out about our planned trip to the Operetta, I have been very excited. But I must admit I was excited for the cultural aspect of it, and I was apprehensive as to whether I would actually enjoy the performance. I loved the comedy and entertainment of the show and am forever grateful for the supertitles!!
Yesterday might have been one of the greatest days of my life...seriously! I went to the Belvedere, to see "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimpt!!! Art history is a true passion of mine and my ABSOLUT'E FAVORITE painting in the world is The Kiss. When I was first introduced to this painting in high school, I wonder if I would ever actually have the opportunity to see it in person, being that its permanent home is in Vienna, and I could not imagine what might bring me to this wonderful city. So when I saw it yesterday, I wasn't quite sure how I should respond, but I can just say it was a very great moment!!!!!
Today I enjoyed Viennese sights and sounds as I wonder through the streets, visitied a large market area that I highly recommended, and browsed in and out of shops in the SUNSHINE!!!! (the first in 2 weeks!)
As my trip comes to a close, I am ready to go home but definitely sad to leave . It has been the most wonderful experience, and I hope to come back in the near future (but hopefully in the summer so I can further enjoy the landscapes and parks in full color!)
Fortunately, I still have a lot to look forward to! In a few hours I board a train for a quick weekend visit to PARIS!!!!
Snow tour, Freud, "bats and champagne"! all I have to say is "Chacun à son goût!"
A very cold, yet interesting day here in Vienna. We had our second medical walking tour, this time led by non other than Dr. Wasser himself and his guide of "Medical Vienna." As we walked around we discussed that Vienna was the place where in 1549, Matthias Kornaks (or Kornax, can't do much honor to the spelling) performed the first Cesarean Section (Kaiserschnit). The infant was stillborn however. We looked for the Wien Ärtzekammer (Vienna Doctors Chamber), we saw the Franciscaner Platz, a site of the first physicians, Franciscan monks and we wandered into an alleyway until we emerged in front of a house with a plaque that said "This is the place where Mozart died." From the top of this now department store, we had a beautiful view of the rooftops of Vienna. As we continued, we discussed that Maria Theresa, empress of Austria, had a 'chastity commision' replace all the nude statues with clothed ones at the Neuermarkt. We then wandered into yet more catacombs under the Agustinum I believe... Well, all the Habsburgs are buried in these catacombs with impressively ornate coffins. Among the most important Habsburgs and dukes was Archiduke Francis Ferdinand and Kaiserin Elisabeth (aka Sisi, or Sissi), both of them murdered. We talked about the Allgemeines Krankenhaus as the first hospital for the poor established by Joseph II, son of Maria Theresa. Then we concluded the tour at the Pestzoiler, a commemorative column to the victims of the Black Plague.
Our second stop after lunch was the Freud house and museum. Our visit began with a lecture by Dr. Wasser about Sigmund Freud. We had this lecture in one of the rooms of the house, very befitting! Sigmund Freud was born Sigismund Schlomo Freud in Moravia (Now in the Czech Republic). He was born to Jewish parents but he always called himself the "Godless Jew" since he had atheist views. As we know he was the father of psychoanalysis, but he was actually a neurologist; he had a medical degree. He researched the effects of cocaine as an analgesic. in 1884 he worked with biologist, and hypnotist, Jean Martin Charcot. From these experiences and after seeing patients he developed the Seduction Theory, which stated that all patients with neurosis had it because of an abuse in the past. He established that humans pracice sexuality even in the womb and especially at puberty and that any repression is bad for this and causes neurosis. In 1895, on July 23rd, he interprets a dream he had titled "the Dream of Irma's Injection," shortly after he coined the term psychoanalysis. In 1900 he published his famous book The Interpretation of Dreams and tried to state that daily events influence our dreams at night and the way we live in general. Other famous works include The Psychopathology of Everyday Life. As he said himself, he was "born to disturb the dreams of mankind." He had to work in close company to non-Jews so that his work could become acceptable. He worked with Carl Jung, with whom he had differing ideals, and then he broke with him. So did Alfred Adler.
In 1923, he published another famous book, The Ego and the Id, the structural basis of the mind. Freud described the structure of the human mind as having three basic parts that check each other. The Id, is the unconscious not governed by laws. It is the impulse with no morality, ethics or values that aims to obtain satisfaction for instinctual needs. The Ego is the executive of personality. It checks and controls the id and the superego. It is governed by the reality principle. The Superego is the judicial and moral system. It works with the ideal not the real and strives for perfection. It has two branches, the ego-ideal and the conscience. The ego-ideal is the parents' conception of the morally good, whereas the conscience is the morally bad conveyed from parent to child. Freud contracted squamous cell carcinoma from smoking 30-40 cigars a day. He had his right jaw removed and a prosthesis placed in. He emigrated to London during the Nazizeit. At the end of his life, Dr. Schun agreed to administer 3cg of morphine to ease his passing. Freud was euthanized by these high doses on morphine and left this world at 3:00AM on September 23rd, 1939 at age 83.
In the museum, we saw a few pieces of original furniture and part of Freud's antique collection (60 of his total 3500 pieces) donated by his daughter Anna. "The Couch" is in London, so we could not see it. In the waiting room, every Wednesday the Wednesday Evening Psychological Society met to discuss relevant issues on psychology. Freud also loved traveling, and when he met Martha, he became an avid letter writer, cranking out almost 1,400 letters in 4 years and averaging 12 pages a letter... yeah, and I thought I wrote a lot for these blogs. Lastly, we saw portraits by Ferdinand Schmutzer, who drew portraits of important people who held correspondence or some relation to Freud. The last part was very funny, however some words are not apt for this blog.
We ended our day at the Volksoper where we saw "Die Fledermaus" ("The bat") an Operetta by Johann Strauß (The younger). It was a very complex plot that revolved around a 'revenge' for an old joke and the effects of champagne on the events that took place. The music was amazing and though the operetta was in German, the subtitles (yes, subtitles) helped enormously. I think that the trip to the Opera was a great way to begin saying goodbye to Europe.
Our second stop after lunch was the Freud house and museum. Our visit began with a lecture by Dr. Wasser about Sigmund Freud. We had this lecture in one of the rooms of the house, very befitting! Sigmund Freud was born Sigismund Schlomo Freud in Moravia (Now in the Czech Republic). He was born to Jewish parents but he always called himself the "Godless Jew" since he had atheist views. As we know he was the father of psychoanalysis, but he was actually a neurologist; he had a medical degree. He researched the effects of cocaine as an analgesic. in 1884 he worked with biologist, and hypnotist, Jean Martin Charcot. From these experiences and after seeing patients he developed the Seduction Theory, which stated that all patients with neurosis had it because of an abuse in the past. He established that humans pracice sexuality even in the womb and especially at puberty and that any repression is bad for this and causes neurosis. In 1895, on July 23rd, he interprets a dream he had titled "the Dream of Irma's Injection," shortly after he coined the term psychoanalysis. In 1900 he published his famous book The Interpretation of Dreams and tried to state that daily events influence our dreams at night and the way we live in general. Other famous works include The Psychopathology of Everyday Life. As he said himself, he was "born to disturb the dreams of mankind." He had to work in close company to non-Jews so that his work could become acceptable. He worked with Carl Jung, with whom he had differing ideals, and then he broke with him. So did Alfred Adler.
In 1923, he published another famous book, The Ego and the Id, the structural basis of the mind. Freud described the structure of the human mind as having three basic parts that check each other. The Id, is the unconscious not governed by laws. It is the impulse with no morality, ethics or values that aims to obtain satisfaction for instinctual needs. The Ego is the executive of personality. It checks and controls the id and the superego. It is governed by the reality principle. The Superego is the judicial and moral system. It works with the ideal not the real and strives for perfection. It has two branches, the ego-ideal and the conscience. The ego-ideal is the parents' conception of the morally good, whereas the conscience is the morally bad conveyed from parent to child. Freud contracted squamous cell carcinoma from smoking 30-40 cigars a day. He had his right jaw removed and a prosthesis placed in. He emigrated to London during the Nazizeit. At the end of his life, Dr. Schun agreed to administer 3cg of morphine to ease his passing. Freud was euthanized by these high doses on morphine and left this world at 3:00AM on September 23rd, 1939 at age 83.
In the museum, we saw a few pieces of original furniture and part of Freud's antique collection (60 of his total 3500 pieces) donated by his daughter Anna. "The Couch" is in London, so we could not see it. In the waiting room, every Wednesday the Wednesday Evening Psychological Society met to discuss relevant issues on psychology. Freud also loved traveling, and when he met Martha, he became an avid letter writer, cranking out almost 1,400 letters in 4 years and averaging 12 pages a letter... yeah, and I thought I wrote a lot for these blogs. Lastly, we saw portraits by Ferdinand Schmutzer, who drew portraits of important people who held correspondence or some relation to Freud. The last part was very funny, however some words are not apt for this blog.
We ended our day at the Volksoper where we saw "Die Fledermaus" ("The bat") an Operetta by Johann Strauß (The younger). It was a very complex plot that revolved around a 'revenge' for an old joke and the effects of champagne on the events that took place. The music was amazing and though the operetta was in German, the subtitles (yes, subtitles) helped enormously. I think that the trip to the Opera was a great way to begin saying goodbye to Europe.
Wilkommen in Austria, the land of Edelweiß.
Well, 4:00 AM... definitely not fun to wake up so early. The plane ride was nice though, I got to catch up on sleep for an hour or so; there is really not a lot to see at 4AM anyhow. Arriving in Vienna meant two things, first, we left Germany and got to Austria, and second this was the end of the trip :-(
We had a great breakfast at the Café der Provinz, close to the Hotel Zipser. Best crêpes I have ever had! Then we took the subway to Karlsplatz and went to the Wien Museum. Here we met with our tour guide who took us back 2000 years to Vindobona, the Roman outpost that was to become the modern city of Vienna. Vindobona was a military camp to fend off against Germanic tribes from the northeast. Eventually it became a city and as such received fortifications during medieval times. The wall was completed by the end of the 12th century with funds obtained from the ransom of Richard the Lionheart... yes, the Richard the Lionheart from the Crusades. Then St. Stephen's (Stephansdom) was also completed, with only one spire. The roof burned down during WWII so the church that stands today is reconstructed. Vienna survived two Turkish raids, and story says that during the first siege, the cathedral had a symbol that resembled that of the Turkish flag. The Turks actually retreated due to winter the first time and did break through the wall the second time. The wall the second time was better built and was finished barely in time to try to repel the Ottoman empire. The use of tunneling and gunpowder, however, allowed the Turks to break through it. In the end the king of Poland and other allies helped the Viennese drive the Turks back.
We then went to St. Stephen's, where we visited the cathedral and the catacombs. This was a very interesting tour. Most bishops and cardinals are buried underneath the church and a few Habsburgs and Dukes are buried there, with their bodies mummyfied and their organs in vases. But, there were also the 'new' catacombs, which actually look a lot older that the 'old' ones (confusing, huh?). These were used as mass graves and as a public cemetery. In essence you can see EVERYTHING, including the mass graves used during the Plague. Here around 41,000 people were buried. We were prompted to imagine the nice smell on a hot summer day at that time. There was a plaque commemorating Mozart there, but he was actually buried in a mass grave because he was poor.
Our first day in Vienna ended with free time, and many of us decided to rest up from the trip, while others, like myself, went shopping and walking around. For now, that is all.
We had a great breakfast at the Café der Provinz, close to the Hotel Zipser. Best crêpes I have ever had! Then we took the subway to Karlsplatz and went to the Wien Museum. Here we met with our tour guide who took us back 2000 years to Vindobona, the Roman outpost that was to become the modern city of Vienna. Vindobona was a military camp to fend off against Germanic tribes from the northeast. Eventually it became a city and as such received fortifications during medieval times. The wall was completed by the end of the 12th century with funds obtained from the ransom of Richard the Lionheart... yes, the Richard the Lionheart from the Crusades. Then St. Stephen's (Stephansdom) was also completed, with only one spire. The roof burned down during WWII so the church that stands today is reconstructed. Vienna survived two Turkish raids, and story says that during the first siege, the cathedral had a symbol that resembled that of the Turkish flag. The Turks actually retreated due to winter the first time and did break through the wall the second time. The wall the second time was better built and was finished barely in time to try to repel the Ottoman empire. The use of tunneling and gunpowder, however, allowed the Turks to break through it. In the end the king of Poland and other allies helped the Viennese drive the Turks back.
We then went to St. Stephen's, where we visited the cathedral and the catacombs. This was a very interesting tour. Most bishops and cardinals are buried underneath the church and a few Habsburgs and Dukes are buried there, with their bodies mummyfied and their organs in vases. But, there were also the 'new' catacombs, which actually look a lot older that the 'old' ones (confusing, huh?). These were used as mass graves and as a public cemetery. In essence you can see EVERYTHING, including the mass graves used during the Plague. Here around 41,000 people were buried. We were prompted to imagine the nice smell on a hot summer day at that time. There was a plaque commemorating Mozart there, but he was actually buried in a mass grave because he was poor.
Our first day in Vienna ended with free time, and many of us decided to rest up from the trip, while others, like myself, went shopping and walking around. For now, that is all.
Post 7
So the trip is coming to a close, unfortunately, with today being our last day. We spent the past several days in Vienna and it was as amazing as the rest of the trip. We first learned about the history of Vienna and visited the cathedral in the center of town. It was all really interesting, and the crypts of the cathedral was what I had wanted to see at the previous crypt visited. There were rooms filled from top to bottom with bones. It's unlike anything I've seen before. Of course, we didn't just learn about history, as we are on a trip aimed towards medicine. We visited Freud's house and the History of Medicine museum, which were incredible. The detail of the wax figures in the medicine museum were something else, and the size and variability of their antique medical tools was impressive. Some people have already had to leave which is why we celebrated our last night all together yesterday at a karyoke bar. Needless to say everyone there had a blast. It was one of the best nights of the trip, and a great note to end on together. We still have the official farewell tonight at the banquet dinner, which will mark the end of a winter break spent having one amazing time!
... Und vor mir, ein schlagendes Herz! - ... And in front of me, a beating heart!
The most awaited visit yet, perhaps the most amazing experience during this entire trip! We visited the Herz und Diabetes Zentrum Nord-Rhein Westphalia (HDZ-NRW) in Bad Oeynhausen and we did a lot that day! I think our day trip was about much more than just being in one of the most prominent cardiovascular and diabetes centers in Germany, it was an experience we will hardly ever forget.
Our day began with our arrival by train to Bad Oeynhausen and our bus trip to the HDZ, a part of Rühr Universität, Bochum. This center is about 100 miles from the university but nontheless it is a center for research and surgery unrivaled by others. Our visit began in a conference room where we were introduced to the basics of the hospital.
First and foremost it is a 500 bed specialty hospital. The departments handled are thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, cardiology, and congenital heart disease (formerly the children's hospital). It is a not-for-profit organization owned both by the state as well as by private individuals (50/50). It was founded in 1984 and appointed a university hospital five years later. Today, it alone performs around 6000 operations a year, an impressive number for a hospital in Europe. The main focus of the hospital is ventricular assist devices (VADs) with about 60 implants a year. These devices prolong the lives of patients with cardiac insuficiency or failure until a heart can be transplanted. By consequence, orthotopic heart transplantations are also numerous (n=1679). There are 6 ORs equipped to perform open-heart surgeries and one room for pacemakers and smaller surgeries.
Once we were introduced to the hospital we were taken to see a surgery. Oh yes, a surgery... Once again I felt the same excitement I felt when I went to see one in Mexico, except this time, I was not prepared for what I was about to experience. In our group of 12 pre-meds (Well, 10 pre-med, 1 pre-pharm, and 1 undecided) we had the option of watching 6 different surgeries, 2 students per operating theater. Dr. Mirow, gave us a brief introduction to each procedure and showed us angiograms... then we chose.
Theater 1- Bypass (revascularization) due to coronary stenosis
Theater 2- (The one I chose) Aortic -- and mitral -- valve replacement with the possibility of removal and revascularization of the ascending aorta.
Theater 3- Mitral valve replacement and coronary bypass on a pacemaker patient.
Theater 4- Double bypass of the Left Anterior Descending artery and Right Coronary a.
Theater 5- Aortic valve replacement and coronary bypass
Theater 6- Bypasses of the Left Anterior Descending artery and Right Coronary a.
I chose theater number 2. We dressed and walked into the anesthesia room. There we 'met' the patient, and older man who was already under anesthesia and ready to go in. So we walked into the OR, stood to the side and waited. Then the anesthesiologist came and told us "you will be watching the surgery where I am standing at." Wow! It was like a little stage where all the machines for anesthesia and monitoring were! We had the clearest view of the patient anyone could have ever imagined, and it was THE MOST AMAZING EXPERIENCE EVER. When the chest was opened and the heart exposed, we saw that the diameter of the aorta was almost double its normal size. Dr. Murshuis, the surgeon, told us that maybe he would replace the aorta, but that it was a very dangerous procedure for a 70 year old man. This is because circulation needs to be completely arrested (stopped) in addition to the cardioplesia for at least 10 minutes while the aorta is dissected and the anastomosis done. So he began with the repacement of the aortic valve, finished all the guide sutures and then moved on to and fully completed the replacement of the mitral valve... Sadly, this is all we had time to see, so I don't know how the aortic valve fit and if he decided to do the aortic dissection. Nevertheless, it was amazing and exciting to be so close to the patient and observing every single move the surgeon made.
After lunch, we toured the ICU. It sees almost 36 post-op patients per day and around 4000 per year. There are usually 2 people per bedroom unless there is risk of infection (like MRSa... ok Methicillin Resistant Staphilococcus aureus) or unless they are transplant patients. We say patients that have VADs, including a woman with both a left and right VAD - of course, she was confined to her bed. We then saw the different, newer devices that are implanted and talked to several patients about what it felt to have their devices in them. Examples include the Duraheart LVAD, worn by Herr Schaffer, and an Australian-made LVAD.
The last stop of our daytrip was in the MRI labs. We were given a brief introduction of how imaging helps doctors better understand the heart and how it works. We saw several examples of images to detect anything from insufficiency, to scarring, to malformations! Then we talked to the expert, Dr. H. Köperich, who gave us a brief lecture on the physico-chemical basis of MRI. MRI is useful because it provides high soft tissue contrast, it can be used with multiple paremeters (proton density, T1, T2), you can orient in any direction, there is no ionizing or damaging radiation, and you can create stacks for functional acquisitions and even angiographies without catheters! We had a little fun with the 1.5T magnet used, and it was a powerful magnet... just thet the one used in MRI spectroscopy (to detect metabolism and metabolytes) is 21T! For MRI to work you need three simple things: the magnet (0.2T up to 3T, or 21T as explained above), a similar radiofrequency (~64Hz), a detector, and comparison gradients. It was an amazing experience and I learned quite a bit about how MRI may revolutionize cardiology.
After leaving the amazing HDZ, came the sad part of the trip. We said goodbye to our guide Steffi, and we took the train back to Hannover and prepared to fly at 4:15 AM.
Our day began with our arrival by train to Bad Oeynhausen and our bus trip to the HDZ, a part of Rühr Universität, Bochum. This center is about 100 miles from the university but nontheless it is a center for research and surgery unrivaled by others. Our visit began in a conference room where we were introduced to the basics of the hospital.
First and foremost it is a 500 bed specialty hospital. The departments handled are thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, cardiology, and congenital heart disease (formerly the children's hospital). It is a not-for-profit organization owned both by the state as well as by private individuals (50/50). It was founded in 1984 and appointed a university hospital five years later. Today, it alone performs around 6000 operations a year, an impressive number for a hospital in Europe. The main focus of the hospital is ventricular assist devices (VADs) with about 60 implants a year. These devices prolong the lives of patients with cardiac insuficiency or failure until a heart can be transplanted. By consequence, orthotopic heart transplantations are also numerous (n=1679). There are 6 ORs equipped to perform open-heart surgeries and one room for pacemakers and smaller surgeries.
Once we were introduced to the hospital we were taken to see a surgery. Oh yes, a surgery... Once again I felt the same excitement I felt when I went to see one in Mexico, except this time, I was not prepared for what I was about to experience. In our group of 12 pre-meds (Well, 10 pre-med, 1 pre-pharm, and 1 undecided) we had the option of watching 6 different surgeries, 2 students per operating theater. Dr. Mirow, gave us a brief introduction to each procedure and showed us angiograms... then we chose.
Theater 1- Bypass (revascularization) due to coronary stenosis
Theater 2- (The one I chose) Aortic -- and mitral -- valve replacement with the possibility of removal and revascularization of the ascending aorta.
Theater 3- Mitral valve replacement and coronary bypass on a pacemaker patient.
Theater 4- Double bypass of the Left Anterior Descending artery and Right Coronary a.
Theater 5- Aortic valve replacement and coronary bypass
Theater 6- Bypasses of the Left Anterior Descending artery and Right Coronary a.
I chose theater number 2. We dressed and walked into the anesthesia room. There we 'met' the patient, and older man who was already under anesthesia and ready to go in. So we walked into the OR, stood to the side and waited. Then the anesthesiologist came and told us "you will be watching the surgery where I am standing at." Wow! It was like a little stage where all the machines for anesthesia and monitoring were! We had the clearest view of the patient anyone could have ever imagined, and it was THE MOST AMAZING EXPERIENCE EVER. When the chest was opened and the heart exposed, we saw that the diameter of the aorta was almost double its normal size. Dr. Murshuis, the surgeon, told us that maybe he would replace the aorta, but that it was a very dangerous procedure for a 70 year old man. This is because circulation needs to be completely arrested (stopped) in addition to the cardioplesia for at least 10 minutes while the aorta is dissected and the anastomosis done. So he began with the repacement of the aortic valve, finished all the guide sutures and then moved on to and fully completed the replacement of the mitral valve... Sadly, this is all we had time to see, so I don't know how the aortic valve fit and if he decided to do the aortic dissection. Nevertheless, it was amazing and exciting to be so close to the patient and observing every single move the surgeon made.
After lunch, we toured the ICU. It sees almost 36 post-op patients per day and around 4000 per year. There are usually 2 people per bedroom unless there is risk of infection (like MRSa... ok Methicillin Resistant Staphilococcus aureus) or unless they are transplant patients. We say patients that have VADs, including a woman with both a left and right VAD - of course, she was confined to her bed. We then saw the different, newer devices that are implanted and talked to several patients about what it felt to have their devices in them. Examples include the Duraheart LVAD, worn by Herr Schaffer, and an Australian-made LVAD.
The last stop of our daytrip was in the MRI labs. We were given a brief introduction of how imaging helps doctors better understand the heart and how it works. We saw several examples of images to detect anything from insufficiency, to scarring, to malformations! Then we talked to the expert, Dr. H. Köperich, who gave us a brief lecture on the physico-chemical basis of MRI. MRI is useful because it provides high soft tissue contrast, it can be used with multiple paremeters (proton density, T1, T2), you can orient in any direction, there is no ionizing or damaging radiation, and you can create stacks for functional acquisitions and even angiographies without catheters! We had a little fun with the 1.5T magnet used, and it was a powerful magnet... just thet the one used in MRI spectroscopy (to detect metabolism and metabolytes) is 21T! For MRI to work you need three simple things: the magnet (0.2T up to 3T, or 21T as explained above), a similar radiofrequency (~64Hz), a detector, and comparison gradients. It was an amazing experience and I learned quite a bit about how MRI may revolutionize cardiology.
After leaving the amazing HDZ, came the sad part of the trip. We said goodbye to our guide Steffi, and we took the train back to Hannover and prepared to fly at 4:15 AM.
The last day!
Today is my last day on this trip, and I am sorry to say that I have spent most of the morning sleeping. I will say that my birthday yesterday was celebrated splendidly and I want to thank everyone for making it one of the best birthdays I've had in awhile. Dinner was delicious and the karaoke was a blast!
Reflecting back on this trip and comparing it to others I have had, I would have to say that by far this is the best one I have ever been on. The things we have seen and learned have been amazing. And we are still not done! Today we are going to visit the Spanish Riding School, home of the famous Lipizzaner stallions. I am very excited about this because I have heard great things about the facilties and the horses themselves. I really hope we get a chance to see them in action, but I'm not sure that we will. This evening we will be givin a farewell banquet and I am going to miss seeing everyone when I get back home. Hopefully we can all stay in touch in College Station. I am glad that I got to share all of the experiences on this trip with everyone who came. I really enjoyed my time with the people on the trip, which is more than I can say for any of my other trips abroad. I am going to miss Germany and Austria and I hope that I will get another oppurtunity to visit both countries in the near future.
Reflecting back on this trip and comparing it to others I have had, I would have to say that by far this is the best one I have ever been on. The things we have seen and learned have been amazing. And we are still not done! Today we are going to visit the Spanish Riding School, home of the famous Lipizzaner stallions. I am very excited about this because I have heard great things about the facilties and the horses themselves. I really hope we get a chance to see them in action, but I'm not sure that we will. This evening we will be givin a farewell banquet and I am going to miss seeing everyone when I get back home. Hopefully we can all stay in touch in College Station. I am glad that I got to share all of the experiences on this trip with everyone who came. I really enjoyed my time with the people on the trip, which is more than I can say for any of my other trips abroad. I am going to miss Germany and Austria and I hope that I will get another oppurtunity to visit both countries in the near future.
The end is near!
Yesterday was very fun! We started off by having a guided tour through the Medical History Museum at the Josephinum, where there was quite an extended collection of wax models of, well, everything in the human body! Plus more deformed babies, which was, once again, sort of disturbing to look at, but nevertheless interesting. After that we had free time, and I went to see the Bellvedere, an art museum/palace, and it was absolutely beautiful. All the rooms either had a chic, modern, artsy design to it, or it was a room of pure magnificence, with statues, heavenly painted ceilings, and the whole nine yards. Which with artwork from significant artists back in the day, including Klimts most famous piece of artwork, the Kiss. I have seen it before in pictures and such but seeing it in person is a whole nother story. In person you can just see the emotions in the painting, and if I of all people can see it (the not so artsy type) then I can't even imagine how other artists and art-lovers fell about it. It was made with real gold in the painting too. Anyways, at the palace there were also these beautiful gardens with statues everywhere! It would have been much more impressive during the summer, but it was still stunning in the winter as well. There was a maze garden also that I thought was awesome!
After Belvedere we visited the Natural History Museum. My favorite part was the aquarium! But thats only because I'm obsessed with marine life. I also saw dinosaurs, lots of bones, fossils, rocks, snakes, and other 'natural' things. And most importantly, I saw the Venus von Willendorf!!! That little tiny model with so much significance. Its amazing that it was that old and still intact. It was in pretty good shape for a twenty thousand year old or so artifact.
After that, we ate at Cafe der Provinz again, and then had some fun at a kareoke (spelling?) bar to celebrate a birthday and the end of the trip! It was so much fun haha. Good times. I can't believe this trip is almost over. I have learned so much in such a short time, I can't imagine going home as the same person. And its technically not even over for me-- I still have Paris left! I will get to be in Paris on my birthday (the 18th) and I am so excited!!! Whoop for me!
But really, so glad I did this. This has been an absolutely amazing experience.
After Belvedere we visited the Natural History Museum. My favorite part was the aquarium! But thats only because I'm obsessed with marine life. I also saw dinosaurs, lots of bones, fossils, rocks, snakes, and other 'natural' things. And most importantly, I saw the Venus von Willendorf!!! That little tiny model with so much significance. Its amazing that it was that old and still intact. It was in pretty good shape for a twenty thousand year old or so artifact.
After that, we ate at Cafe der Provinz again, and then had some fun at a kareoke (spelling?) bar to celebrate a birthday and the end of the trip! It was so much fun haha. Good times. I can't believe this trip is almost over. I have learned so much in such a short time, I can't imagine going home as the same person. And its technically not even over for me-- I still have Paris left! I will get to be in Paris on my birthday (the 18th) and I am so excited!!! Whoop for me!
But really, so glad I did this. This has been an absolutely amazing experience.
Jus Jon 11
2 days ago, I awoke to have breakfast at about 8:20 am this morning. After a nice breakfast and some Natalia, we began the morning with a tour of some parts of the city. We seen beautiful breath taking churches, some of Mozarts original work and historz, and a crypt. I'm glad we didn't stay here too long because I felt that I was disturbing the dead a little bit. From here, I took mz lunch time as down time. After this, I went with the group to the Freud Museum and seen where Freud lived. I also seen this sign in a shop that said, "7 more Bush days." I laughed a lot. It was pure unexpected comedy. The lame duck is even dislike around the world. From here, we came back to the hotel. I went on a little adventure and returned a few minutes before the opera departure time. I freshened up in 2 minutes. We made it to the opera and I must say that it was extremely fun. I liked it. Amazingly, I understood the actors, the jokes, and the play. For me, it was the coolest thing that I had been to in Vienna so far. For my first play, it was the stuff. Afterwards, I came back to the room and chilled. I know today was fun, but I just know that even more is to come.
"Cause im hopeful" (An inspiring quote from the song Hopeful by Faith Evans
"Cause im hopeful" (An inspiring quote from the song Hopeful by Faith Evans
Thursday, January 15, 2009
A little art with that medicine?
Today, Amanda, Tara and I spent most of the day in the Belvedere Place after visiting the Josephium. The actual palace and it's grounds were spectacualr and I can only imagine what it looks like in the summer, but the main attraction for our visit was the art. We only puchased tickets for the lower palace which was perfect for the amount of time we had to spend there because we had a list we needed to complete. The exhibit we saw had Amanda's favorite painting "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimt along with some other great works. Some of my new favorites include Carl Moll, Wenzel Jäger, Adolf Hözel, and Carl Krenek. If you have time to visit, I highly reccommend it!
After the Belvedere Palace we headed to the Natural History museum. With all the the amazing European architecture, food, and art, I almost forgot how much the natural world facinates me and how many new pets I need to add to my list. Needless to say, I loved the exhibits and can now say that I have seen the Venus of Willendorf...what a woman!
To top off the day, Amanda, Tara and I have "linner" at the crepe cafe around the corner and could not be more content! Do I have to go home?! So...one more day and hopefully one more blog before I'm back in the states. Happy birthdaz Krystyna!
After the Belvedere Palace we headed to the Natural History museum. With all the the amazing European architecture, food, and art, I almost forgot how much the natural world facinates me and how many new pets I need to add to my list. Needless to say, I loved the exhibits and can now say that I have seen the Venus of Willendorf...what a woman!
To top off the day, Amanda, Tara and I have "linner" at the crepe cafe around the corner and could not be more content! Do I have to go home?! So...one more day and hopefully one more blog before I'm back in the states. Happy birthdaz Krystyna!
Singing in Vienna
Vienna is a wonderful city! Yesterday we took a walking medical history tour of the city givin by our own Dr. Wasser (and his guide book). We saw alot of streets and places that belonged to famous doctors. We also visited the sight where Mozart died, it is now a department store but on the 7th floor there is a large bust of Mozart. The last thing we visited was the Pestzoiler, which is a monument to the plague. After a long lunch break we met back at Stephensplatz to visit the Sigmund Freud museum and recieve a lecture of his life and psychoalanysis by Dr. Wasser. It was interesting to learn that he called himself a 'godless' jew and he worked very hard to establish psychoalanysis as a non-jewish science. He was afraid that if was branded as such it would not be accepted by the scientific community. The exhibits where very interesting, even though only one of the rooms was furnished as it had been in Freuds day. This was the waiting room for the patients. Since Freud fled Vienna at the beginning of WWII, he took all his furniture to London with him, including the famous couch. When the museum was started in the 70's, his daughter Anna donated the waiting room furniture to the museum. The other rooms are devoted to the private and public life of Freud and his collleagues.
That evening we where taken to an operetta by Dr. Wasser and Dr. Zäck. It was by F.J. Strauss and is called Die Fledermaus. It had a very confusing plot and I think the only reason I understood what was going on was from reading the synopsis of the operetta givin to us. The music was great and the singers gave me chills. I really did enjoy myself, my only regret about it was the fact that I could not understand the speaking parts because they were in german. Other than that I had a really good time and would love to go again.
The best part about today is that IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!! We were able to sleep in today and got finished fairly early. The only thing we did was visit the Medical History Museum at the Josephinum. We where givin a short history of the Josephinum and a tour of the main exhibits. The most interesting part was by far the wax models of the museum. They show various body parts and organs. They where intended for use by the medical students to give them an idea of the human body without having to do dissections. All the models are from around the 18th century and are extemely detailed. I really liked the ones that showed various stages of birth and cessarian sections. Apparently the Josephinum is the only place that had gynecological wax models. The rest of our day was spent souviner shopping and resting up for tonight. Around seven we are all going to go to dinner to celebrate my birthday.
It's really hard for me to believe that we only have one day left in Vienna before it's time to head home. I have had a great time and have learned alot about medical history and medicine in general that I did not know before. I hope tomorrow is a great last day, because I will need that to reflect on my long flight home.
That evening we where taken to an operetta by Dr. Wasser and Dr. Zäck. It was by F.J. Strauss and is called Die Fledermaus. It had a very confusing plot and I think the only reason I understood what was going on was from reading the synopsis of the operetta givin to us. The music was great and the singers gave me chills. I really did enjoy myself, my only regret about it was the fact that I could not understand the speaking parts because they were in german. Other than that I had a really good time and would love to go again.
The best part about today is that IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!! We were able to sleep in today and got finished fairly early. The only thing we did was visit the Medical History Museum at the Josephinum. We where givin a short history of the Josephinum and a tour of the main exhibits. The most interesting part was by far the wax models of the museum. They show various body parts and organs. They where intended for use by the medical students to give them an idea of the human body without having to do dissections. All the models are from around the 18th century and are extemely detailed. I really liked the ones that showed various stages of birth and cessarian sections. Apparently the Josephinum is the only place that had gynecological wax models. The rest of our day was spent souviner shopping and resting up for tonight. Around seven we are all going to go to dinner to celebrate my birthday.
It's really hard for me to believe that we only have one day left in Vienna before it's time to head home. I have had a great time and have learned alot about medical history and medicine in general that I did not know before. I hope tomorrow is a great last day, because I will need that to reflect on my long flight home.
Vienna!!!
I have loved Vienna so far!!! It is a beautiful city and there is so much to see here! This is probably one of my favorite cities that we've been to, along with Prague and Berlin. We'll be home in less than two days! Crazy!!
The Sigmund Freud Museum was pretty cool, but I think I enjoyed the lecture that Dr. Wasser gave and what the tour guide had to say more than the actual exhibits in the museum. I felt like there wasn't too much to see, but it was really interesting learning about Freud and his way of thinking. I would really like to read one of the books that he wrote now. I think they would be really interesting, especially his The Interpretation of Dreams. I learned much more than I had known before about Sigmund Freud so I really enjoyed our time at the museum. We just tried looking for souvenir shops during the time between the museum and the opera. I was really surprised how few souvenir shops there are in Vienna, especially considering it is a tourist city. The operetta Die Fledermaus was awesome last night!! I absolutely loved the dancing and all of the singing. Their voices were incredible. There costumes were all really pretty too. The only thing that I did not like about the opera is that I could not understand any of the speaking parts. I was really glad that they had English supertitles for all of the singing and for the basics of what was going on during the operetta. However, I really wish I knew exactly what they were saying, especially since the crowd was laughing alot. It would have been nice to have heard the jokes and when there was alot of speaking going on, such as in the beginning of Act 3, with no supertitles at all it was a little annoying. Some parts were still funny to me, even though I didn't understand what was being said. Despite not being able to understand German I still really enjoyed the operetta overall and I'm really glad that we went.
The Medical History Museum at the Josephinum was awesome!! At first when there were only photographs and medical instruments to see I did not think that I would enjoy the museum much, but the wax models were incredible! I thought that the wooden doll used during the time of the SEmmelweis for learning obstetrics was interesting, but I was unsure what exactly it was used to teach. The prostheses models were also pretty cool, but my favorite thing by far were the wax models. It is amazing that they could make such accurate and detailed models in the 18th century. It's also crazy that the model of the woman with the open chest and abdomen showing all of her organs was made with real human hair and that it had been preserved like that since it was made in 1785! I absolutely loved looking at all of the wax models! I'm not sure that I could really pick out a favorite model because many of them were wonderful. I really liked the full body models though, both the ones showing the muscles and those showing the internal organs, the models of the babies in the wombs, and the models of the hearts. I really enjoyed this museum and even though I was disappointed about not being able to go to the Forensics Museum, I felt like this was a good substitute and I liked it alot.
I know there is still so much that I would like to see in Vienna and several other places in Europe, but for now I think I'm finally at the point where I'm ready to go home. I definitely want to come back to Europe as soon as I get an opportunity to. I can't think of a better way to have spent my Christmas break! It has been an incredible experience!
The Sigmund Freud Museum was pretty cool, but I think I enjoyed the lecture that Dr. Wasser gave and what the tour guide had to say more than the actual exhibits in the museum. I felt like there wasn't too much to see, but it was really interesting learning about Freud and his way of thinking. I would really like to read one of the books that he wrote now. I think they would be really interesting, especially his The Interpretation of Dreams. I learned much more than I had known before about Sigmund Freud so I really enjoyed our time at the museum. We just tried looking for souvenir shops during the time between the museum and the opera. I was really surprised how few souvenir shops there are in Vienna, especially considering it is a tourist city. The operetta Die Fledermaus was awesome last night!! I absolutely loved the dancing and all of the singing. Their voices were incredible. There costumes were all really pretty too. The only thing that I did not like about the opera is that I could not understand any of the speaking parts. I was really glad that they had English supertitles for all of the singing and for the basics of what was going on during the operetta. However, I really wish I knew exactly what they were saying, especially since the crowd was laughing alot. It would have been nice to have heard the jokes and when there was alot of speaking going on, such as in the beginning of Act 3, with no supertitles at all it was a little annoying. Some parts were still funny to me, even though I didn't understand what was being said. Despite not being able to understand German I still really enjoyed the operetta overall and I'm really glad that we went.
The Medical History Museum at the Josephinum was awesome!! At first when there were only photographs and medical instruments to see I did not think that I would enjoy the museum much, but the wax models were incredible! I thought that the wooden doll used during the time of the SEmmelweis for learning obstetrics was interesting, but I was unsure what exactly it was used to teach. The prostheses models were also pretty cool, but my favorite thing by far were the wax models. It is amazing that they could make such accurate and detailed models in the 18th century. It's also crazy that the model of the woman with the open chest and abdomen showing all of her organs was made with real human hair and that it had been preserved like that since it was made in 1785! I absolutely loved looking at all of the wax models! I'm not sure that I could really pick out a favorite model because many of them were wonderful. I really liked the full body models though, both the ones showing the muscles and those showing the internal organs, the models of the babies in the wombs, and the models of the hearts. I really enjoyed this museum and even though I was disappointed about not being able to go to the Forensics Museum, I felt like this was a good substitute and I liked it alot.
I know there is still so much that I would like to see in Vienna and several other places in Europe, but for now I think I'm finally at the point where I'm ready to go home. I definitely want to come back to Europe as soon as I get an opportunity to. I can't think of a better way to have spent my Christmas break! It has been an incredible experience!
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