Day 2

Today was our second day in Bonn. The day started off bright and early at 5:45 am local time, so that we could have time to eat and then catch bus to the University Hospital. Upon arrival, we dressed out in gowns, and then split into smaller groups to witness different assortments of surgeries. The surgery I witnessed was liver cancer removal from a 73 yr old patient. The surgery was the first I had ever witnessed first hand, from about a foot and a half away from the open chest cavity. It was a unique experience that I thoroughly enjoyed, but also proved to me I could never be a surgeon; constantly standing and slicing and dicing patients. However it was cool to see instrumentation and tools obviously designed by Biomedical Engineers being put into hands on practice; it just shows what BMEN is all about, helping people and saving lives. After a quick lunch it was time for a tour around Bonn. We were told some fabulous history of the surrounding area, including the hills and the famous royal mansion on top of the hill where the Clintons and other world figures have stayed. I would say the highlight of the tour was the underground Roman artifacts, that were over 2000 years old. These artifacts showed how advanced the Romans were in there building design and infrastructure; from keeping the building warm through heat occurring underneath the floor to how they experienced a nice hot bath. Overall it was a great, long day, and I can't wait for more to come.

Zach