The Curious Case of Brian Gibson

This has truly been the trip of a lifetime. There were so many new experiences, so much fascinating history of medicine, and personal epiphanies. The best part of the trip is what I have taken from it. It has been a very long time since I have been that comfortable around strangers. This was one of my first times to truly enjoy the college experience.

There was never really any culture shock for me because we were there for what seemed like a relatively short time. I still say danke sometimes just for fun and fantasize about the taste of just one more doner. I do not think I will ever taste beer as good as the dunkel beers in Berlin, nor will I ever eat sausage more delicious than the ones in Hannover. This does not make me sad because I will always have the memories of these tastes.

One of the really important things that I did not expect coming out of this trip was the fact that I now have a travel addiction. Because this trip went so smoothly and I learned so much about myself and the history of medicine, I decided to take a trip to Costa Rica for spring break. It is not one of the stereotypical spring beaks because I will be working and learning rural medicine. We will be doing tons of medical work (i.e. vital signs, exams, different tests) under the watchful eye of qualified physicians. This will be a challenge for me because I do not really excel in situations like that but I will be confident and be loose like I was on this trip.
The overwhelming amount of information that was presented over the course of the two weeks would be impossible to absorb. The highlights in my opinion were the unique struggle between medical knowledge and ability to use it throughout the ages. We visited many places where the actual technology and techniques were developed. This has truly inspired me to be more thorough with my studies because I want to be able to make a small scale impact for the greater good of science. The ability to trot on some of the same paths as some of the greatest scientific mind of all time as in Humboldt University and the medical schools we visited were truly humbling. Another thing I really enjoyed was getting to know Dr. Wasser and hearing his stories. It was fun to spend extended amount of time with a professor instead of just listening to a lecture twice a week for a semester.

I cannot express how much this trip has influenced the way I view medicine and the way I view the world. I do sometimes have a quick temper when I hear Americans grumbling about stuff and think that the Germans would do it just a bit better. This trip has inspired me to not jump to conclusions to fast and to value every culture. I will definitely be involved in more trips and maybe even more TAMU led trips because of my incredible experiences.