...because you might get to see someone's heart beating in the middle of their chest. We visited the heart and diabetes center in Bad Oeynhausen, and oh, the things we saw! We began by watching open heart surgeries. Amanda and I saw the last half of one bypass and the beginning of another. It was fascinating to see. We also saw the ward they have for patients with artificial hearts. In Germany, the wait for an organ is typically much longer that it is in America, so there is a much larger market for devices that can keep a person well until a new heart is available. We got a chance to meet some of the patients. They were even kind enough to show us the wires coming out of them and into their battery packs. From there we went to see their MRI machine. The radiologist showed us a few tricks that can be done with a 1.5 T magnet. Overall the experience was thrilling. Seeing these professionals and the passion they have... well, it's contagious. Whatever area of medicine--no, whatever sort of career--I end up in, I hope I can be as dorky about it as these guys are about they're work.
Today was day one in Vienna, and it is a terrific city. The place itself is beautiful, and it has a rich and long history. Some of the stories of besieged Vienna seem strangely similar to certain scenes in the Lord of the Rings trilogy... but never mind. Vienna has been attacked several times by the Turks throughout its history, making it feel as if Vienna has been both the center and the fringe of European civilization. I can't wait to see and learn more about Vienna in the next few days.
PS: As an afterthought, I'll share my personal advice on Amsterdam. Make it a day trip.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Hooray Vienna
During the free time in the Netherlands this weekend I realized that there is more than meets the eye about Amsterdam. The connotations of Amsterdam are always that of the red light district (prostitutes, marijuana, etc.) but little to my knowledge there was a ton of culture. Besides the small couple blocks of the red light district, the city is flowing in culture. The Anne Frank house was a great exhibit with great quotes extracted straight out of her diary. The power of being in the house where they actually hid was sobering and thought provoking. It always brings up the same questions in my mind, would I be one of the people who hid the Jews to the end or would I turn them in. Of course everyone says they would be the second choice, it would be interesting to truly see how people would act in that situation. At the end of the exhibit there was an interactive poll with similar ethical dilemmas in our time. This was fun to see how people actually thought on specific issues such as gay marriage, religious freedom, and freedom of press.
The other exhibit that I saw in Amsterdam was the Van Gogh collection. I tried extra hard to appreciate the art this time. Reading every piece of information on his life was beneficial to understand how he is painting certain pieces and how they can be interpreted. Personally, my favorite time period of the Van Gogh collection was during 1885 when he just started painting. He takes interest in the same people that thrill me in literature, the peasants. The way he paints the faces with remorse and sorrow is comparable to a lot of the characters described by my favorite short story writer Anton Chekov. This made the entire exhibit more beautiful to me because of his paintings putting a face on the people that I often imagine.
The whole trip was not just one big nerd fest; the final event of our Saturday was hitting up the Heineken Museum and experiencing the magic of beer brewing. It was a grown up theme park, and the theme was delicious beer. The entire processing of choosing the best ingredients possible is noticeable in the crisp, clear bite so familiar to followers of the Heineken. There was an interactive ride that would show you on a screen how it feels to be a beer made in the factory. The thing that took me by surprise was the way the beer is heated and allowed to cool so many times. Free beer at the end of the tour was the cherry on top of a great day.
I am looking forward to get back into the swing of things again by learning more about the relationship between man and the human body. The sights and sounds so far have been insanely great and worth every penny.
The other exhibit that I saw in Amsterdam was the Van Gogh collection. I tried extra hard to appreciate the art this time. Reading every piece of information on his life was beneficial to understand how he is painting certain pieces and how they can be interpreted. Personally, my favorite time period of the Van Gogh collection was during 1885 when he just started painting. He takes interest in the same people that thrill me in literature, the peasants. The way he paints the faces with remorse and sorrow is comparable to a lot of the characters described by my favorite short story writer Anton Chekov. This made the entire exhibit more beautiful to me because of his paintings putting a face on the people that I often imagine.
The whole trip was not just one big nerd fest; the final event of our Saturday was hitting up the Heineken Museum and experiencing the magic of beer brewing. It was a grown up theme park, and the theme was delicious beer. The entire processing of choosing the best ingredients possible is noticeable in the crisp, clear bite so familiar to followers of the Heineken. There was an interactive ride that would show you on a screen how it feels to be a beer made in the factory. The thing that took me by surprise was the way the beer is heated and allowed to cool so many times. Free beer at the end of the tour was the cherry on top of a great day.
I am looking forward to get back into the swing of things again by learning more about the relationship between man and the human body. The sights and sounds so far have been insanely great and worth every penny.
Dear Diary
Just kidding! But I have resorted back to paraphrasing some of my journal entries for my blogging. It's just easier! The first thing that comes to my attention is the insurance and public healthcare system in Germany, and how it is so completely different from the US. Since we've talked about it on several occasions, I think I've gotten the gist of the main differences. Jonathan posed the question today of how the US would be able to change their system, and our attending doctor said that it would take *alot* of money, and social reform. Americans would have to change the way they think about the distribution of healthcare and insurance, and we would also have to consider the drop in salary of doctors that would result. At this point in time, that kind of change in the US seems impossible, but who knows, maybe we will end up closer to Germany's system in the future! Another really interesting thing from our previous lectures is Dr. Witt's lecture on complementary and alternative medicine. Her explanation of the placebo theory was fascinating! I'd never heard of that before. That a patient with higher expectations of therapy will respond much better to the treatment than one who has lower expectations is something that surprises me. I think this is because I have not ever studied alternative or homeopathic type remedies before, so it's a little hard for me to wrap my mind around these fields of medicine. Definitely the BEST part of this trip so far was the operation that I got to see today! It was the first surgery that I've ever watched in the OR, and getting to watch an open heart bypass was amazing. We didn't get to watch the operation all the way through, but the parts we did see were so... awesome. That's not the best word, but I can't think of a better word for that right now. Seeing a heart beating in someone's chest and being operated on was so neat!! Ok, people are in line for the computer, I will write again later! Guten Nacht!
YahhhhhHHHooo!
Today we went to the Heart and Diabetes Center. I enjoyed learning about VADS and getting to see the plastic hearts they put in people. Dr. Milting explained the mechanisms and how the imunosuppresing drugs can possibly cause kidney failure. We also got a tour of the blood transfusion center. I can't be;ive over 10,000 peple donateblood per year. It was really cool to get a personalized tour of the ICU. The doctor let us talk with some of the patients and most were willing to share their operation stories. An older man even lifted his shirt for all of us to see his VAD. He said it didnt bother him at all and although the battery pack was annoying at times, he was just grateful to be alive and kickin! Our walk throught the ICU made me realize how lucky i am to be healthy and of course happy. The MRI was so powerful and crazy how we could bend a hanger. Im still curous about the health side effects though from all that magnetic force. I think the best part for me today was at the end when we saw clips of hearts with malfunctioins on the power point.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Clinical visits
OK so now I am in Vienna after a long and painful day. I will get to that later though. When I left off in my last blog I believe I was getting to the days spent visiting the clinics in Hannover at MHH and in Göttingen. On the 1st trip to the MHH we where givin a short history of the health insurance in Germany. Afterwards we where givin a tour of the Nephrology department, the labs in the hospital and the dialysis wing. In the dialysis wing we where able to feel the shunt of one of the patients, it vibrated due to the dialysis process that was going on. After we met back up with the vet students we where givin a tour of the Hannover zoo by the head veterinarian. Since we where with him, he gave us access to the 'backstage' areas of some of the exhibits. We visited the hippos (where I accidentally dropped my battery in the water), fed the rhinos some bananas, and watched some chimps freak out over seeing the veterinarian. There was one who I thought was going to throw a piece of cardboard straight at our heads! After visiting the animals we rode on the luge ride set up for the winter, then had some good laughs watching a few from our group skate. That evening we had a nice german dinner with the medical and vet students, at their frat house, who showed us aroung the TIHO and MHH.
The next day we where supposed to get a tour of the research facilities of the MHH. Unfortunately my kidney stone decided that it had enough of walking around and gave me severe pains soon after arriving at the facilities. Steffi was nice enough to get me back to the hotel so I could spend the rest of the day sleeping my pain off. That evening I was feeling a little better and was able to eat something for dinner, but I crashed into bed soon afterwards.
The last day of our second week in Germany was spent in Göttingen. In the morning we where givin a tour of the University clinics and the vet students where able to watch part of a bypass surgery. That afternoon was spent getting a medical history tour of Göttingen starting at the original university and university apotheke. I really enjoyed the walk throught he town, even though it was really cold and my stone was giving me pain, I was able to make it through without to much trouble though. My favorite part of that day was getting to travel to Hanau and visit with my Aunt Ingred.
The second free weekend I spent relaxing at my aunts house and getting to feel better. It was kind of funny because she was sick also, so we where quite a pair this past weekend. But other that her being sick, I really ejoyed my time with her. She gave me a short tour of the city, showing me the refugee camp that her and my grandmother lived after their escape from the DDR. I also saw the place where my grandfather was stationed and where my grandparents where married. Their civil cerimony was carried out at the palace in Hanau (I can't remember the name right now). As I left she told me I would have to come back to visit her in the summer and attend the Brothers Grimm festival held in the palace park. I fully intend to take her up on that offer the summer after my senior year. Overall my second week in Germany went pretty well.
The next day we where supposed to get a tour of the research facilities of the MHH. Unfortunately my kidney stone decided that it had enough of walking around and gave me severe pains soon after arriving at the facilities. Steffi was nice enough to get me back to the hotel so I could spend the rest of the day sleeping my pain off. That evening I was feeling a little better and was able to eat something for dinner, but I crashed into bed soon afterwards.
The last day of our second week in Germany was spent in Göttingen. In the morning we where givin a tour of the University clinics and the vet students where able to watch part of a bypass surgery. That afternoon was spent getting a medical history tour of Göttingen starting at the original university and university apotheke. I really enjoyed the walk throught he town, even though it was really cold and my stone was giving me pain, I was able to make it through without to much trouble though. My favorite part of that day was getting to travel to Hanau and visit with my Aunt Ingred.
The second free weekend I spent relaxing at my aunts house and getting to feel better. It was kind of funny because she was sick also, so we where quite a pair this past weekend. But other that her being sick, I really ejoyed my time with her. She gave me a short tour of the city, showing me the refugee camp that her and my grandmother lived after their escape from the DDR. I also saw the place where my grandfather was stationed and where my grandparents where married. Their civil cerimony was carried out at the palace in Hanau (I can't remember the name right now). As I left she told me I would have to come back to visit her in the summer and attend the Brothers Grimm festival held in the palace park. I fully intend to take her up on that offer the summer after my senior year. Overall my second week in Germany went pretty well.
It's been to long......
I have waited way to long to write this blog. There is alot I have done since the last time I wrote. The short version is we visted Dresden on the 3rd, I got to have 2 days in Berlin to myself, and on the 6th we traveled to Hannover. The 7th, 8th, and 9th we spent visiting clinics and research facilities in Hannover and Göttingen. Ok now for the long version....
In Dresden we watched a movie about the protastant chruch there called the Church of Our Lady. I found it very interesting that the church was left as a rubble pile until after the wall fell. What was amazing to me was the support the town gave to the ressurection of the church to its original state before the war. The inside of the church is beautifully decorated in pastels and gold leaf, I would not mind going to church in that kind of setting. Later that day we visited teh German Hygiene museum, which features many interactive rooms devoted to the human body. We separated into groups of three and where givin the task of describing one room to the rest of the group. I don't know about anyone else, but I was nervous. Public speaking ranks up very high on my list of things I don't like, its right behind reptiles (and anyone who knows me knows thats high on my list). Once we finished at the museum, the Praugians left and Jared, Bian, Will, John and I went back to Berlin with Steffi and Dr. Wasser.
For our first free weekend I visited some of the museums in Berlin. I was very proud of myself for not getting lost on my way around town, I must admit that I am not a big fan of cities, but I really enjoyed my time in Berlin. The first day alone went pretty good until I went to look for a cafe, now this might sound strange but I looked for a good hour and could not find one! Did I mention it was snowing this entire time, so by the time I found one I was covered in water and my bag was soaked. I finally found one and was looking forward to some great hot chocolate, but I was to be disappointed. I think I found the only place in Berlin that had bad hot chocolate. Oh well, my next day proceeded to be much better. I was able to see the bust of Nefertiti, the DDR museum and Checkpoint Charlie. I was also able to find ( with Steffi's directions) a book store that sold some books in english. I was much in need of a new book since I had finished Blood and Guts the day before.
Our second week started on Tuesday, we checked out of the hotel in the morning and had the pleasure of lugging our bags to teh train station where, thankfully, we were able to drop them off in a group area. We visited the Charite museum and were givin a tour of the exhibits. I found the most interesting to be the specimins of diseased organs. It was pretty neat to see the effects of various diseases on the inside of the human body. After the tour Dr. Wasser gave a lecture in what looked to be the old anatomy theater of the Charite. We also had a lecture on complementary medicine givin by Frau Prof. Dr. Witt at the Charite. It seems that our guest lectures are moving from homeopathy to conventional medicine in steps. though I do not see any other guest lectures scheduled for our trip. That evening we travelled by train to Hannover and checked into our hotel. I really like the rooms in this hotel because thay are very big and I get gummi bears on my pillow! On a side note I believe that the keyboards here are messing with my ability to spell correctly. I have had to go back and fix so many words in just this one blog.
Speaking of this blog it seems to have got very long. I think I will finish the second week up later when I get back to Hannover. Now I will go to spend some time with my Aunt Ingred.
In Dresden we watched a movie about the protastant chruch there called the Church of Our Lady. I found it very interesting that the church was left as a rubble pile until after the wall fell. What was amazing to me was the support the town gave to the ressurection of the church to its original state before the war. The inside of the church is beautifully decorated in pastels and gold leaf, I would not mind going to church in that kind of setting. Later that day we visited teh German Hygiene museum, which features many interactive rooms devoted to the human body. We separated into groups of three and where givin the task of describing one room to the rest of the group. I don't know about anyone else, but I was nervous. Public speaking ranks up very high on my list of things I don't like, its right behind reptiles (and anyone who knows me knows thats high on my list). Once we finished at the museum, the Praugians left and Jared, Bian, Will, John and I went back to Berlin with Steffi and Dr. Wasser.
For our first free weekend I visited some of the museums in Berlin. I was very proud of myself for not getting lost on my way around town, I must admit that I am not a big fan of cities, but I really enjoyed my time in Berlin. The first day alone went pretty good until I went to look for a cafe, now this might sound strange but I looked for a good hour and could not find one! Did I mention it was snowing this entire time, so by the time I found one I was covered in water and my bag was soaked. I finally found one and was looking forward to some great hot chocolate, but I was to be disappointed. I think I found the only place in Berlin that had bad hot chocolate. Oh well, my next day proceeded to be much better. I was able to see the bust of Nefertiti, the DDR museum and Checkpoint Charlie. I was also able to find ( with Steffi's directions) a book store that sold some books in english. I was much in need of a new book since I had finished Blood and Guts the day before.
Our second week started on Tuesday, we checked out of the hotel in the morning and had the pleasure of lugging our bags to teh train station where, thankfully, we were able to drop them off in a group area. We visited the Charite museum and were givin a tour of the exhibits. I found the most interesting to be the specimins of diseased organs. It was pretty neat to see the effects of various diseases on the inside of the human body. After the tour Dr. Wasser gave a lecture in what looked to be the old anatomy theater of the Charite. We also had a lecture on complementary medicine givin by Frau Prof. Dr. Witt at the Charite. It seems that our guest lectures are moving from homeopathy to conventional medicine in steps. though I do not see any other guest lectures scheduled for our trip. That evening we travelled by train to Hannover and checked into our hotel. I really like the rooms in this hotel because thay are very big and I get gummi bears on my pillow! On a side note I believe that the keyboards here are messing with my ability to spell correctly. I have had to go back and fix so many words in just this one blog.
Speaking of this blog it seems to have got very long. I think I will finish the second week up later when I get back to Hannover. Now I will go to spend some time with my Aunt Ingred.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Jus' Jon 8
Hello. I know that it's like 5 in the morning, but what the heck. I just got back from having the time of my life. Ok, this is how it went down. I started the day off with a few of the students from the group. We went to see the Van Goya Museum. (Excuse me for not spelling Go right, I just don't know how to spell it. Really, I really don't. If someone could hook me up with the right way to spell the word, I wouldn't mind). From here, we went and took a little tour of the city, museums, and food places. Who ever said McDonald's was nasty in Europe was so wrong (my opinion only). I had the best Quarter Pounder with Medium Fries there. It was the best meal I had ever had from McDonald's. Even in the U.S. From here, I spent some time with Jared and Catherine playing cards and an intense game of Checkers. I had a great time playing Jared. The guy got game. After this, we went to look for a nice place to hang out, and we found one. The Hostle. It was the place to be, but I wanted to do something extra. So, I left the group and went in search of the city. I stopped by a bar to have a drink which was so cheap. It was an Irish Pub and the bar tender was so nice to me. She talked to me and even told me where it was happenin' in the city if you know what I mean. Even the people in the bar were nice to me. Anyway's, I ended up, through the bar tender, getting a map of the city and the hot spots and this nice, beautiful lady offered, willingly, to take me along with her around the city to see the sites and go to a few nice bars. So, I ended up hanging out with this lady for 5 hours. We ended up bar and club hopping. Let me tell you ladies and gentlemen, I had the best time of my life. First, we went for a few drinks and talked a little bit. We got to know each other and everything. Then, we went to the Red Light District. True, there are those ladies in the window, but she told me that the Red Light District isn't just a "shady" district. She told me that it's where a lot of nice clubs and bars are. She told me that it was a European thing. I believe her because everybody we passed didn't seem to mind the ladies in the window. From here, she treated me to drinks. Can you believe that, a lady for the first time in my life treated me to drinks. I enjoyed every minute of it. For like one of the few times, she didn't notice my birth mark or even ditch me. She showed me around the town and she even told me the best places to go in town. After hitting up a few bars and pubs and seeing a Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers game, we went to the club. At this club, it was disco night and boy you better believe that I got down like it was nobodies business. I buggied like it was 1976. I had on my jeans and I was doin' me. I was jamming like Michael Jackson in Thriller. Even the lady danced with me. For the first time, people didn't stare at me in the club like I was a broke neck chicken. They didn't even care who or what was dancing. Everybody seemed to be doing them and having fun. Then, I was to do a charioky (excuse my spelling). Boy did I get popular in that club. The "DJ", the lady I was with, the guy trying to hit on her, and all the other guys around the stage were saying do it. I was to sing Marvin Gaye's, "I Heard It to The Great Vine." I became so popular, the guys were even buying me drinks just for going on stage and singing. That may sound creepy, but I have never had a guy buy me drinks. It was coo though. I wasn't trippin'. So, we ended up dancing for about 2 hours, then right before me and the nice lady were to sing on stage, we left because the club was closing. Who closes at 4am in the morning right before I'm about to go on stage and sing with the nice lady. Well, they did. But that was coo anyway because we ended up going to the San Francisco. This place was the stuff. I got so many looks that I felt like Rihanna on the red carpet. I found out it was because all of those people were from the club where I was going to sing with the nice lady at. It turns out that most of the people in the club thought I brought the most beautiful young lady to the club. Even though the truth is that she bought me to the club. I was honered. Everybody was hitting on her, but she just shook them off. I felt cool. No girl has ever turned other guys down when with me. I usually end up walking home alone. She made sure that I got back safely. In all honesty, I didn't expect the night in Amsterdam to turn out like this, but it did and I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks young lady for not leaving me in the city by myself. Thanks for helping me out and showing me the best time in Amsterdam ever.
Also, I would like to apologize and say sorry to Brian, Jared, Will, and Catherine for not calling and letting yall know where I was. I am very sorry.
J'J8 night was the shiz nizzle my wizzles.
Also, I would like to apologize and say sorry to Brian, Jared, Will, and Catherine for not calling and letting yall know where I was. I am very sorry.
J'J8 night was the shiz nizzle my wizzles.
Nüremberg Ärtzprozess and Hannover Medical school animal research facilities
We had the most interesting lecture in Hannover: The one we all waited for, I think. It was at the veterinary school anatomy amphitheater, and it dealt with a topic that all doctors should hold dear when it comes to expements: The Nüremberg Doctors trial.
It all began with the an offshoot of social Darwinism known as the eugenics movement. Accroding to this model, social 'misfits' were not to be considered a part of society and the church's involvement in helping the poor was not to be tolerated. In the eugenics mindset survival of the fittest, or rather the best race was the only thing. Poor people and sick, olr, or mentally challenged patients had no role in society but to be a burden to the evolution of the better race. The offspin of this movement lead to the T-4 program, previously discussed. During the Nazizeit (Nazi era), the T-4 doctors and scientists collaborated with the Hitler regime to organize the concentration camps and find an efficient way to kill people. This, as we all know culminated in the 'Final solution to the Jewish problem.'
After the war, Nüremberg was chosen as the site for the trials of the major war criminals, Nazi officers that survived the war. This was because Nüremberg was the city of the Nazi convention, it was therefore symbolical to hold the trials there. They were tried by the 4 allied nations, and many sentenced to death or to long - though often not fully served - prison terms. The idea the allies had was to prevent another Nazizeit. The Ärtzeprozess, or Doctor's trial, was only judged by the United States as were the other 10 subsequent trials. It was difficult to conduct because there was, and really still there is not, a clear definition for 'crime against humanity.' Many of the accused were doing their jobs, and by consequence were not guilty by their standards. The tials began on October 25th, 1946 and the trial was kept as fair as possible. Medical experts came in and testified, while some like Dr. Leo Alexander had interrogated survivors in order to establish that SS Doctors had indeed overstepped the boundaries. Some examples of these ways include: testing effects of high altitude, high temperatures, poisons, malaria, typhus, sterilization, and gassing among others. The result of the trials was conviction of many doctors and the establishment of the Nüremberg Code for human experimentation. This Code was a set of 10 rules, among them informed consent and the option to opt out of an experiment at any time. The sad part is that today, a violation of the Hippocratic oath or the Nüremberg Code is not really considered a crime.
The second part of this blog deals with our visit to the Hannover Medical School's animal research facilities. Hannover Med school is the #1 in Germany for receiving grant money and the #3 ranked school in the country. We saw the cages for sheep used in heart valve replacement operations, some pigs used in allogenic transplantation (non-immunocompatible hosts) and lots and lots of mice cages... about 35,000 of them. We saw the transgenic super sterile 'germ-free' mice bubble cages, and we walked into a Level 2 handling facility where everything that goes in is either autoclaved and the people have to wear sterile overclothes and shoe covers. We saw the state of the art ORs used for these animals and I must say they are well equipped.
After our visit we did laundry (finally!!!) and I welcomed my clean clothes... they better be clean after the €8.00 I spent on them!
It all began with the an offshoot of social Darwinism known as the eugenics movement. Accroding to this model, social 'misfits' were not to be considered a part of society and the church's involvement in helping the poor was not to be tolerated. In the eugenics mindset survival of the fittest, or rather the best race was the only thing. Poor people and sick, olr, or mentally challenged patients had no role in society but to be a burden to the evolution of the better race. The offspin of this movement lead to the T-4 program, previously discussed. During the Nazizeit (Nazi era), the T-4 doctors and scientists collaborated with the Hitler regime to organize the concentration camps and find an efficient way to kill people. This, as we all know culminated in the 'Final solution to the Jewish problem.'
After the war, Nüremberg was chosen as the site for the trials of the major war criminals, Nazi officers that survived the war. This was because Nüremberg was the city of the Nazi convention, it was therefore symbolical to hold the trials there. They were tried by the 4 allied nations, and many sentenced to death or to long - though often not fully served - prison terms. The idea the allies had was to prevent another Nazizeit. The Ärtzeprozess, or Doctor's trial, was only judged by the United States as were the other 10 subsequent trials. It was difficult to conduct because there was, and really still there is not, a clear definition for 'crime against humanity.' Many of the accused were doing their jobs, and by consequence were not guilty by their standards. The tials began on October 25th, 1946 and the trial was kept as fair as possible. Medical experts came in and testified, while some like Dr. Leo Alexander had interrogated survivors in order to establish that SS Doctors had indeed overstepped the boundaries. Some examples of these ways include: testing effects of high altitude, high temperatures, poisons, malaria, typhus, sterilization, and gassing among others. The result of the trials was conviction of many doctors and the establishment of the Nüremberg Code for human experimentation. This Code was a set of 10 rules, among them informed consent and the option to opt out of an experiment at any time. The sad part is that today, a violation of the Hippocratic oath or the Nüremberg Code is not really considered a crime.
The second part of this blog deals with our visit to the Hannover Medical School's animal research facilities. Hannover Med school is the #1 in Germany for receiving grant money and the #3 ranked school in the country. We saw the cages for sheep used in heart valve replacement operations, some pigs used in allogenic transplantation (non-immunocompatible hosts) and lots and lots of mice cages... about 35,000 of them. We saw the transgenic super sterile 'germ-free' mice bubble cages, and we walked into a Level 2 handling facility where everything that goes in is either autoclaved and the people have to wear sterile overclothes and shoe covers. We saw the state of the art ORs used for these animals and I must say they are well equipped.
After our visit we did laundry (finally!!!) and I welcomed my clean clothes... they better be clean after the €8.00 I spent on them!
Being a Doctor in Germany, Nephrology models and der Winterzoo!!!
This Wednesday, in Hannover, we had the opportunity to visit the MHH... I forgot what the letters stand for, in essence it was the Medical Center for Hannover. We met Dr. J Kierstein and he gave us an intersting lecture on the Greman Medical System. In my humble opinion, and I may have misunderstood, I think he talked a bit bad about the system. He described that when Otto von Bismark came to power he instituted reforms of the entire healthcare system. He established a pension fund and universal healthcare insurance. This was the good part of the talkbecause we learned that this system covers everyone and the employer and employee split the cost half and half. In addition should you be unenployed the coverage does not end. Sounds pretty good, no?
Now the bad part: Cost. Every German citizen must pay almost 16% of their income into this "money pool." Doctors treat patients for "free" but they only have an allotted amount of money per patient. If they go over, THEY pay! The patient never sees a bill! This, he said, tends to make the patient want to have everything done! and puts the doctor in a hard financial spot.
Dr. Kierstein opines (got that one from Blood and Guts) that private insurance, which only richer Germans can afford is better because the patient gets billed and the insurance pays. This leads to a more conservative patient. Private insurance patients make the bulk of revenue for physicians who tend to be "nicer" to them than their socially insured counterparts. So in essence the system has more flaws than goods, but it is the way it is in Germany and they have great, free medical care.
He then took us on a tour of the dialysis unit where we learned about the new portable UV dialysis machines. We also saw a dialysis fistula on a patient that agreed to let us come in and feel it. He then left us in the hands of a colleague of his whose name I could not get (sorry).
We had a brief lecture on the new developments in nephrology and experiments on animal models to discover causes of diseases. Kidney diseases are focal, I learned something new. We then took a very brief tour of the labs.
The most fun part of our day was the visit to the zoo! The Hannover Zoo is designed as a theme park. Themed as the African jungle and savanna. Of course it was very snowy and icy, so most of the animals were inside. The head veterinarian took us behind the scenes to see the Hippos (Steffi's favorite animals). Hippos are the most dangerous animals in the African savanna. They can reach speeds of 30kmh (~13mph) and they are very territorial, so they will attack (and outrun) any human. We then visited the rhinoceros. Some brave souls got to feed a very docile female a few bananas. I think it was super awesome that we had the chance to do that! He then took us to the ape exhibit. We saw a crazy (and big) chimp that was very noisy and aggressive, but we also got to see an impressive male silverback gorilla. To end the day perfectly we went to "winter wonderland" where we all sled, or tubed, down some toboggans and some of us skated on and ice rink. This day in Hannover will be unforgettable.
Now the bad part: Cost. Every German citizen must pay almost 16% of their income into this "money pool." Doctors treat patients for "free" but they only have an allotted amount of money per patient. If they go over, THEY pay! The patient never sees a bill! This, he said, tends to make the patient want to have everything done! and puts the doctor in a hard financial spot.
Dr. Kierstein opines (got that one from Blood and Guts) that private insurance, which only richer Germans can afford is better because the patient gets billed and the insurance pays. This leads to a more conservative patient. Private insurance patients make the bulk of revenue for physicians who tend to be "nicer" to them than their socially insured counterparts. So in essence the system has more flaws than goods, but it is the way it is in Germany and they have great, free medical care.
He then took us on a tour of the dialysis unit where we learned about the new portable UV dialysis machines. We also saw a dialysis fistula on a patient that agreed to let us come in and feel it. He then left us in the hands of a colleague of his whose name I could not get (sorry).
We had a brief lecture on the new developments in nephrology and experiments on animal models to discover causes of diseases. Kidney diseases are focal, I learned something new. We then took a very brief tour of the labs.
The most fun part of our day was the visit to the zoo! The Hannover Zoo is designed as a theme park. Themed as the African jungle and savanna. Of course it was very snowy and icy, so most of the animals were inside. The head veterinarian took us behind the scenes to see the Hippos (Steffi's favorite animals). Hippos are the most dangerous animals in the African savanna. They can reach speeds of 30kmh (~13mph) and they are very territorial, so they will attack (and outrun) any human. We then visited the rhinoceros. Some brave souls got to feed a very docile female a few bananas. I think it was super awesome that we had the chance to do that! He then took us to the ape exhibit. We saw a crazy (and big) chimp that was very noisy and aggressive, but we also got to see an impressive male silverback gorilla. To end the day perfectly we went to "winter wonderland" where we all sled, or tubed, down some toboggans and some of us skated on and ice rink. This day in Hannover will be unforgettable.
The Second Half of Blood and Guts
Finished Blood and Guts the other day. Chapters four through eight covered therapies, surgeries, hosptitals, and modern medicine.
For ages the solution for most ills were herbal remedies. Some folk medicine led to greater things. Willow bark for fever began the quest for aspirin, and moldy bread for cuts laid the groundwork in the search for antibiotics. Therapy did not benefit from the laboratory immediately. It was not until 1905 that lab work isolated the parasite responsible for syphilis, but the cure produced two years later due to this research showed the promise that science had for medicine.
One of the most important achievements in medicine was the identification (1928) and production (1940) of penicillin. Not only did this make therapy for many bacterial diseases effective, it also made surgery a procedure that was not excessively life threatening. Of course, surgery was performed before then. Surgery lacked popularity and prestige because it was painful and it very often was deadly. This led to a market where surgeons were valued for their expertise and especially their speed. Without anasthetics or antibiotics, surgeons were not capable of operating for much and were not held in very high esteem. Now that surgery is relatively safe and painless, it's interesting to see how different a role surgeons play in the medical world.
The progress of the surgeon (and antibiotics) follows along the same lines as the progress of the hospital. Hospitals were, for a long time, places of care rather than places of cure. The sick and dying poor along with anyone else looked to a hospital for comfort, but not healing. Advances in therapy, in surgery, and in other forms of medical technology gave physicians the power to truly heal, but at a cost that only a hospital could afford. Hospitals became medicine powerhouses, and today they take up a very large portion of health care costs in the world.
One of the most startling paradoxes of modern medicine is that the doctor-patient relationship has all but faded in an age where the doctor has an unprecedented ability to truly heal. In ages past where a doctor could often do nothing, bonds between a doctor and the families he cared for were quite strong. Perhaps physicians at that time felt it was the least they could offer.
This was a very interesting book and I recommend it to anyone who is looking into the field of medicine for a career. Just look for Blood & Guts by Roy Porter.
For ages the solution for most ills were herbal remedies. Some folk medicine led to greater things. Willow bark for fever began the quest for aspirin, and moldy bread for cuts laid the groundwork in the search for antibiotics. Therapy did not benefit from the laboratory immediately. It was not until 1905 that lab work isolated the parasite responsible for syphilis, but the cure produced two years later due to this research showed the promise that science had for medicine.
One of the most important achievements in medicine was the identification (1928) and production (1940) of penicillin. Not only did this make therapy for many bacterial diseases effective, it also made surgery a procedure that was not excessively life threatening. Of course, surgery was performed before then. Surgery lacked popularity and prestige because it was painful and it very often was deadly. This led to a market where surgeons were valued for their expertise and especially their speed. Without anasthetics or antibiotics, surgeons were not capable of operating for much and were not held in very high esteem. Now that surgery is relatively safe and painless, it's interesting to see how different a role surgeons play in the medical world.
The progress of the surgeon (and antibiotics) follows along the same lines as the progress of the hospital. Hospitals were, for a long time, places of care rather than places of cure. The sick and dying poor along with anyone else looked to a hospital for comfort, but not healing. Advances in therapy, in surgery, and in other forms of medical technology gave physicians the power to truly heal, but at a cost that only a hospital could afford. Hospitals became medicine powerhouses, and today they take up a very large portion of health care costs in the world.
One of the most startling paradoxes of modern medicine is that the doctor-patient relationship has all but faded in an age where the doctor has an unprecedented ability to truly heal. In ages past where a doctor could often do nothing, bonds between a doctor and the families he cared for were quite strong. Perhaps physicians at that time felt it was the least they could offer.
This was a very interesting book and I recommend it to anyone who is looking into the field of medicine for a career. Just look for Blood & Guts by Roy Porter.
Prague Late-Nights!
One week left and I can hardly believe how many connections I have made between current issues, the lectures we've had, and passages from "Blood and Guts".
One of my most interesting experiences thus far stemmed from a late night converstation at the hostel in Prague. It was there that I heard about a conversation that had taken place the night before discussing race and Austria's position during the Second World War (a young Austrian boy was involved in the discussion). Apparently someone made the comment along the lines of how the Austrians didn't get blammed for anything and the young Austrian proudly confirmed the comment. It should be told that just before this commnet, the boys were talking about their geneology, one being Italian and German, and the Austrian's response was that he was a "bastard". From these comments alone I got a very right wing, almost Nazi-like thinking.
Because of this conversation I heard about, I do not, by any means, think all Austrians are Nazis or a similar political party, but it does make the fact that some groups like the Nazis actually are people, like you and me, just with very different and twisted ideals, all the more real.
I hope my recreation of this converstation isn't misinterpreted because I am far from a good story teller, ask my friends but please, if you have any questions about more that was said or need clarification, comment or just ask me in person.
It is occurances and parallels like these that make this trip unique and valuable. This happens to be the anniversary year of Charles Dawin's "Theory of Evolution"and being in the land where "survival of the fittest"was abused to horrible and gross misinterpretation it is important to remember and understand the past so we can move on and excell in the future.
xoxo
GG
One of my most interesting experiences thus far stemmed from a late night converstation at the hostel in Prague. It was there that I heard about a conversation that had taken place the night before discussing race and Austria's position during the Second World War (a young Austrian boy was involved in the discussion). Apparently someone made the comment along the lines of how the Austrians didn't get blammed for anything and the young Austrian proudly confirmed the comment. It should be told that just before this commnet, the boys were talking about their geneology, one being Italian and German, and the Austrian's response was that he was a "bastard". From these comments alone I got a very right wing, almost Nazi-like thinking.
Because of this conversation I heard about, I do not, by any means, think all Austrians are Nazis or a similar political party, but it does make the fact that some groups like the Nazis actually are people, like you and me, just with very different and twisted ideals, all the more real.
I hope my recreation of this converstation isn't misinterpreted because I am far from a good story teller, ask my friends but please, if you have any questions about more that was said or need clarification, comment or just ask me in person.
It is occurances and parallels like these that make this trip unique and valuable. This happens to be the anniversary year of Charles Dawin's "Theory of Evolution"and being in the land where "survival of the fittest"was abused to horrible and gross misinterpretation it is important to remember and understand the past so we can move on and excell in the future.
xoxo
GG
Roxanne... You Don't Have to Put on the Red Light!
First I want to wish my Dad a very Happy Birthday! We're here in Amsterdam. We got in late last night after 3 changes and a few delays. Our hostel was originally supposed to be at the Flying Pig Uptown, which is in a nicer area of Amsterdam, but due to renovation our reservation was moved to the Downtown hostel, in the middle of the red light district. Needless to say it's a little shady. We had no more than a 5 minute walk from the train station that went fine, I don't think anything bad is going to happen as long as we stay together. Today should be pretty fun as there's a lot of cool stuff to do in this city.
I'd like to talk more about yesterday, however. Yesterday we took a day trip to Goettingen, about an hour train ride from Hannover, to visit a cardiovascular clinic. For some reason I didn't realize we would be receiving two lectures on topics I'm quite familiar with, so it was a very nice surprise. First, the head of the department gave a lecture on the various procedures they perform at their hospital and current research projects being done to advance each area. Having assisted a cardiothoracic surgeon this past summer, I knew from personal experience what each one of these procedures was and followed along intently. I asked him about transplant assist devices, on which I have done research, and found that they are doing some pretty interesting things, like creating the first linear pulsatile pump, a very innovative development that I had not heard of before.
We took a short tour of the facility and had another lecture by a younger attending on creating animal models of heart failure. This correlated extremely well with the work I did in a CV surgery research lab in Houston, so I was again very intrigued. This guy, Dr. Schmitto, may have successfully created a model using microspheres of 90 microns each that simulate coronary heart disease very accurately in sheep. The goal is to be as non-invasive as possible and to create signs and symptoms as close to the real thing as possible. This guy has apparently done such a good job that he was accepte for a research position at Harvard where he will be for two years starting in a few months. He's even got his Red Sox cap already.
After all that I can't help thinking about my future and what I want to do as far as surgery goes. I'm almost certain it's what I will end up doing, but after that it's going to be tough. I love cardiothoracic surgery and the research being done in the field. Maybe it's that or just that it's the only field, aside from plastic surgery, that I've had a lot of experience in. Nevertheless, I'm trying to keep my mind open and accepting as I start medical school. Last night I submitted my rankings for the Texas Medical Schools. So far I've got Houston first, then Southwestern, followed by San Antonio and UTMB last (I'm already in UTMB so it doesn't matter). So now I wait until Februrary 1st.
Anyway, everyone seems to be doing great, I know I'm having a blast. I love and miss everyone at home, and I'll be calling you (Dad Mom Barb and Liz) later today. Again, Happy Birthday Dad!
PEACE
Asher
I'd like to talk more about yesterday, however. Yesterday we took a day trip to Goettingen, about an hour train ride from Hannover, to visit a cardiovascular clinic. For some reason I didn't realize we would be receiving two lectures on topics I'm quite familiar with, so it was a very nice surprise. First, the head of the department gave a lecture on the various procedures they perform at their hospital and current research projects being done to advance each area. Having assisted a cardiothoracic surgeon this past summer, I knew from personal experience what each one of these procedures was and followed along intently. I asked him about transplant assist devices, on which I have done research, and found that they are doing some pretty interesting things, like creating the first linear pulsatile pump, a very innovative development that I had not heard of before.
We took a short tour of the facility and had another lecture by a younger attending on creating animal models of heart failure. This correlated extremely well with the work I did in a CV surgery research lab in Houston, so I was again very intrigued. This guy, Dr. Schmitto, may have successfully created a model using microspheres of 90 microns each that simulate coronary heart disease very accurately in sheep. The goal is to be as non-invasive as possible and to create signs and symptoms as close to the real thing as possible. This guy has apparently done such a good job that he was accepte for a research position at Harvard where he will be for two years starting in a few months. He's even got his Red Sox cap already.
After all that I can't help thinking about my future and what I want to do as far as surgery goes. I'm almost certain it's what I will end up doing, but after that it's going to be tough. I love cardiothoracic surgery and the research being done in the field. Maybe it's that or just that it's the only field, aside from plastic surgery, that I've had a lot of experience in. Nevertheless, I'm trying to keep my mind open and accepting as I start medical school. Last night I submitted my rankings for the Texas Medical Schools. So far I've got Houston first, then Southwestern, followed by San Antonio and UTMB last (I'm already in UTMB so it doesn't matter). So now I wait until Februrary 1st.
Anyway, everyone seems to be doing great, I know I'm having a blast. I love and miss everyone at home, and I'll be calling you (Dad Mom Barb and Liz) later today. Again, Happy Birthday Dad!
PEACE
Asher
Ahh So Much To Write About!
So I believe that I left off last time in Berlin...
I ended last week with a long day of city exploration in Berlin. After our guided tour around the city, Sarah and I ventured off and found a very trendy area and some great shopping boutiques. The final stop of the day took us to Checkpoint Charley and the Berlin Wall, which was pretty amazing. I have grown up hearing about such historic monuments in history class and books and television, but to see them in reality produces and entirely different effect! With World War II being two generations removed from me and the Cold War ending soon after I was born it is hard to comprehend the full gravity of the events caused by these wars. But I am being to see that the aftermath continues to shake Europe to this day, and the marks of the past are especially integrated into Germany today.
On Saturday we took a day trip to Dresden, a small, gorgeous, Baroque city that lays on the Eastern boarder of Germany. It was destroyed during the last weeks of WWII after having survived the entire war will only minor damages. The city has since been restored to its orignial style and is quite as sight to see...especially in sunny weather!!!
I spent my first free weekend in Prague with 9 other people from our group, and the experience could not have been better!!! I was not sure what to expect from Prague, I have heard many great things about how beautiful it is but still knew relatively little about the city or the Czech Republic, and it definitely exceeded my expectations. I was also a little nervous about my first hostel experience, but Sir Toby's was perfect and made the trip really special. We met a lot of fun people from all over the world with crazy adventures and interesting stories. On our first day in Prague we rose fairly early, treated ourselves to a very cheap/very good breakfast at the hostel and then spent the day roaming the streets and checking out the sights. Prague reminded me of an adult Disneyland, with its cobblestone streets, buildings, bridges, clock towers from the middle ages and a castle!!! I danced around the Old Town district to the sounds of a jazz band set up in the middle of the street, wondering in and out of a few shops and then accompanied the rest of the group across the Charles Bridge and up to the castle! We all ended the evening with the amazing opportunity of listening to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra play all the great classics! It was truly an incredible show! Monday proved to be just as fun as Sarah and I caught a bus to Menik, and enjoyed the landscape and shops of this small, typical Czech town nestled in the wine country of the Czech Republic
When we returned from Prague we spent the week learning a lot about different fields of medicine and medical history. I have been very impressed with the wide spectrum of diverse medical applications and professions this trip has introduced us to, and even more impressed with all of the doctors and other professionals we have met on this trip. I found Dr. Witt's lecture on complementary medicine to be very interesting, and a good link between conventional medicine and what we had previously learned about homeopathy last week. As I stated in my last blog, I was intrigued by homeopathy but found it difficult to fully believe that one solution cures all with no understanding of how it works at the molecular level. But what Dr. Witt lectured on had a much more solid medical foundation and a true understanding of how CAM therapies work on all levels. I also enjoyed the Charite Museum, and found their collection of specimens: brains, huge kidney stones, massive tumors, etc very ineresting.
Our trip to the Hannover Zoo and guide tour by the head veterinarian was so exciting, and I felt rather privileged...how many people get to pet a rhino? And the sled ride in the zoo's winter wonderland is definitely worth mentioning! I had sooo much fun! That same day, we visited The University medical facilities in Hannover and I really enjoyed the lecture the nephrologist gave us about medicine in a socialist system, and I found it rather applicable considering the talk of health care in the United States making steps in that direction with the election of Obama.
As for yesterday...the doctors at Gottingen University were wonderful, but the walking tour was FREEZING!!! After hearing the pre-vet students talk about the open heart surgery they watched yesterday, I cant wait for my chance on Monday!
XOXO
Amanda
I ended last week with a long day of city exploration in Berlin. After our guided tour around the city, Sarah and I ventured off and found a very trendy area and some great shopping boutiques. The final stop of the day took us to Checkpoint Charley and the Berlin Wall, which was pretty amazing. I have grown up hearing about such historic monuments in history class and books and television, but to see them in reality produces and entirely different effect! With World War II being two generations removed from me and the Cold War ending soon after I was born it is hard to comprehend the full gravity of the events caused by these wars. But I am being to see that the aftermath continues to shake Europe to this day, and the marks of the past are especially integrated into Germany today.
On Saturday we took a day trip to Dresden, a small, gorgeous, Baroque city that lays on the Eastern boarder of Germany. It was destroyed during the last weeks of WWII after having survived the entire war will only minor damages. The city has since been restored to its orignial style and is quite as sight to see...especially in sunny weather!!!
I spent my first free weekend in Prague with 9 other people from our group, and the experience could not have been better!!! I was not sure what to expect from Prague, I have heard many great things about how beautiful it is but still knew relatively little about the city or the Czech Republic, and it definitely exceeded my expectations. I was also a little nervous about my first hostel experience, but Sir Toby's was perfect and made the trip really special. We met a lot of fun people from all over the world with crazy adventures and interesting stories. On our first day in Prague we rose fairly early, treated ourselves to a very cheap/very good breakfast at the hostel and then spent the day roaming the streets and checking out the sights. Prague reminded me of an adult Disneyland, with its cobblestone streets, buildings, bridges, clock towers from the middle ages and a castle!!! I danced around the Old Town district to the sounds of a jazz band set up in the middle of the street, wondering in and out of a few shops and then accompanied the rest of the group across the Charles Bridge and up to the castle! We all ended the evening with the amazing opportunity of listening to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra play all the great classics! It was truly an incredible show! Monday proved to be just as fun as Sarah and I caught a bus to Menik, and enjoyed the landscape and shops of this small, typical Czech town nestled in the wine country of the Czech Republic
When we returned from Prague we spent the week learning a lot about different fields of medicine and medical history. I have been very impressed with the wide spectrum of diverse medical applications and professions this trip has introduced us to, and even more impressed with all of the doctors and other professionals we have met on this trip. I found Dr. Witt's lecture on complementary medicine to be very interesting, and a good link between conventional medicine and what we had previously learned about homeopathy last week. As I stated in my last blog, I was intrigued by homeopathy but found it difficult to fully believe that one solution cures all with no understanding of how it works at the molecular level. But what Dr. Witt lectured on had a much more solid medical foundation and a true understanding of how CAM therapies work on all levels. I also enjoyed the Charite Museum, and found their collection of specimens: brains, huge kidney stones, massive tumors, etc very ineresting.
Our trip to the Hannover Zoo and guide tour by the head veterinarian was so exciting, and I felt rather privileged...how many people get to pet a rhino? And the sled ride in the zoo's winter wonderland is definitely worth mentioning! I had sooo much fun! That same day, we visited The University medical facilities in Hannover and I really enjoyed the lecture the nephrologist gave us about medicine in a socialist system, and I found it rather applicable considering the talk of health care in the United States making steps in that direction with the election of Obama.
As for yesterday...the doctors at Gottingen University were wonderful, but the walking tour was FREEZING!!! After hearing the pre-vet students talk about the open heart surgery they watched yesterday, I cant wait for my chance on Monday!
XOXO
Amanda
Friday, January 09, 2009
Jus' Jon 7
Yesterday, we made it to Amersterdam after 8 hours, 3 train switches, and 1 hour of train delay's. I felt fine on the train, but once I got off of the train, I felt out of place. Everything was in English. That's new for me because so far, everything, like the signs, have been in English and for the past few weeks, I have seen all of the signs in German back in Germany. I really felt weird when the lady at the hostle started talking to us in English. I felt like my space was getting smaller. I felt like I wasn't apart of the group because everyone knew what was going on except me. I really just felt weird. I just found out that there are other people in our hostle room besides us 14. I'm okay with it though. I like our hostle though because it feels like a ghetto home by the look, but it has a warm feeling to it though. I like it. I look forward to today in Amsterdam and hope everything goes well.
Baby Its Cold Oustside...
Well, we've just arrived in Amsterdam tonight, and so much has happened since I've last blogged, so let's catch everyone up to speed..
The free weekend in Prague was fantastic. The hostel was amazing, and everywhere you turned in the city, there was a magnificent building or bridge to see. We saw the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, and the Astrological Clock, among many other things.
The lectures that we had afterwards have also been very interesting. Wasser gave us a lecture on Virchow, who is considered a big hitter in the area of pathology, and is the man known for the saying that "Cells come from cells." Wasser also gave us a lecture on the Nuremberg trials (more specifically the doctor's trials), which was VERY interesting, to say the least. It is appalling how many terrible people got off with punishments far too small for the crimes they committed against humanity. The main problem that the pursecutors had with convicting the doctors was proving that what had happened was actually considered a crime by law. Many, if not all of the doctors admitted to doing all of their horrifying experiments, but showed little or no remorse, or understanding of just how terrible their actions had been.
I have also gotten to see parts of two very different surgeries in the last week. While in Hannover, our group was temporarily slpit up into two groups for a day: the pre-vet students and the pre-med students. I went with the vet students (because I am currently in neither category), and while touring the cattle center of the vet school, we got to see a surgery on a cow's abdomen. The people performing the surgery had their entire arm in the side of the cow (no exaggeration), in order to get to a portion of the animal's stomach and to allow the gas that had built up there to be released. It was very interesting, although I am still very sure that I am not interested in becoming a vet, especially a veterinary surgeon.
The other surgery I got to see was of a cornary bypass surgery in Gottingen. It was definitely the coolest thing I have ever seen. It is hard to explain how amazing it is to actually SEE a person's heart beating inside their body. It can even be considered life-changing, in my opinion.
I've also gotten to go sled and go ice-skating at the Hannover Zoo, along with getting to see a hippo and a rhino up close enough to touch. Some of the other students even got to pet and feed the rhino, named Sonny. That was a lot of fun.
I have learned more than I can express in one sitting on this trip already, and I really cannot wait to see what the last half of the trip has to offer.
The free weekend in Prague was fantastic. The hostel was amazing, and everywhere you turned in the city, there was a magnificent building or bridge to see. We saw the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, and the Astrological Clock, among many other things.
The lectures that we had afterwards have also been very interesting. Wasser gave us a lecture on Virchow, who is considered a big hitter in the area of pathology, and is the man known for the saying that "Cells come from cells." Wasser also gave us a lecture on the Nuremberg trials (more specifically the doctor's trials), which was VERY interesting, to say the least. It is appalling how many terrible people got off with punishments far too small for the crimes they committed against humanity. The main problem that the pursecutors had with convicting the doctors was proving that what had happened was actually considered a crime by law. Many, if not all of the doctors admitted to doing all of their horrifying experiments, but showed little or no remorse, or understanding of just how terrible their actions had been.
I have also gotten to see parts of two very different surgeries in the last week. While in Hannover, our group was temporarily slpit up into two groups for a day: the pre-vet students and the pre-med students. I went with the vet students (because I am currently in neither category), and while touring the cattle center of the vet school, we got to see a surgery on a cow's abdomen. The people performing the surgery had their entire arm in the side of the cow (no exaggeration), in order to get to a portion of the animal's stomach and to allow the gas that had built up there to be released. It was very interesting, although I am still very sure that I am not interested in becoming a vet, especially a veterinary surgeon.
The other surgery I got to see was of a cornary bypass surgery in Gottingen. It was definitely the coolest thing I have ever seen. It is hard to explain how amazing it is to actually SEE a person's heart beating inside their body. It can even be considered life-changing, in my opinion.
I've also gotten to go sled and go ice-skating at the Hannover Zoo, along with getting to see a hippo and a rhino up close enough to touch. Some of the other students even got to pet and feed the rhino, named Sonny. That was a lot of fun.
I have learned more than I can express in one sitting on this trip already, and I really cannot wait to see what the last half of the trip has to offer.
Long, Long Day
This will be a really short post because I am extremely exhausted. Our last train to Amsterdam was delayed for an hour so it ended up taking a total of about 7 and a half hours to get here! It has been a very long day but I'm glad to finally be in Amsterdam and to see that the hostel isn't nearly as shady as I thought it was going to be (so far anyway!). I'm excited about the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House. It seems like it will be a fun city!
Today was a really interesting day though. I really enjoyed what the Chairman of the part of the medical clinics that we visited as well as what Dr. Schmitto had to say. Cardiology is one of the things that I'm really interested in. It was cool to be able to ask the Chairman (I wish I could remember his name...) a question about tissue engineering. It made me realize that I really had learned something in the class and that the mock research grant proposal that we wrote for a tissue engineered vascular graft was really something that is being used and researched, even if not at the specific clinic that we visited. I would love to learn more about the current and future research in cardiac tissue engineering since I now have a small background in this subject and I find it all fascinating. I also liked visiting the different areas of the hospital; everything was very similar to the OR that I worked in back home, which I expected it would be. The intracoronary microembolisation research/experiments that Dr. Schmitto's group is working on at the UMG was also very interesting to hear about. The medical history walk was probably the least favorite part of the day for me. I was interested in what the tour guide had to say, but I was miserable because I was absolutely freezing, so I feel like I didn't get nearly as much information out of the tour as I would have liked to. The places were still cool to see though.
A week from today I will be on my way home! Crazy! I think I will have mixed feelings about leaving...it will be nice to be home, but I have absolutely loved being here and I know that I definitely want to come back and travel around Europe more when I get the chance to again!
Today was a really interesting day though. I really enjoyed what the Chairman of the part of the medical clinics that we visited as well as what Dr. Schmitto had to say. Cardiology is one of the things that I'm really interested in. It was cool to be able to ask the Chairman (I wish I could remember his name...) a question about tissue engineering. It made me realize that I really had learned something in the class and that the mock research grant proposal that we wrote for a tissue engineered vascular graft was really something that is being used and researched, even if not at the specific clinic that we visited. I would love to learn more about the current and future research in cardiac tissue engineering since I now have a small background in this subject and I find it all fascinating. I also liked visiting the different areas of the hospital; everything was very similar to the OR that I worked in back home, which I expected it would be. The intracoronary microembolisation research/experiments that Dr. Schmitto's group is working on at the UMG was also very interesting to hear about. The medical history walk was probably the least favorite part of the day for me. I was interested in what the tour guide had to say, but I was miserable because I was absolutely freezing, so I feel like I didn't get nearly as much information out of the tour as I would have liked to. The places were still cool to see though.
A week from today I will be on my way home! Crazy! I think I will have mixed feelings about leaving...it will be nice to be home, but I have absolutely loved being here and I know that I definitely want to come back and travel around Europe more when I get the chance to again!
Redlight district is a go!
This morning we went to the medical center in Hanover and had a powerpoint lecture given to us by the chief of staff of the cardiac unit. It was very interesting, especially the animal research part. I never realized that animal research could be done in the same building where people's lives are being saved in the operating room. The three pre-vet kids were given an opertunity to see a coronary bipass surgery which was seriously life changing! I was in awe of the fact that the patients chest was pried open and a real beating heart was contracting before me. I never considered becoming a surgeon but after this experience, its definatley something that I might consider pursuing. The heart surgery was awesome and left me speechless!
We rode the trains forever it feels like to get to Amsterdam but hey! We're here finally in the famous red light district. Our last train was delayed by an hour so they offered us free drinks on the train which was pretty sweet. We could smell the distinct aroma of pot as we wandered from the train station to the hostel. The Hostel was hoping when we walked in and it looks like it will be a fun weekend making new friends! One of the main things I want to do while we're here is go to the Van Gough museum of art because I'm a huge fan of his and I love all art in general. Ann Frank's house would also be a neat experience. Yay for free continental breakfast!
We rode the trains forever it feels like to get to Amsterdam but hey! We're here finally in the famous red light district. Our last train was delayed by an hour so they offered us free drinks on the train which was pretty sweet. We could smell the distinct aroma of pot as we wandered from the train station to the hostel. The Hostel was hoping when we walked in and it looks like it will be a fun weekend making new friends! One of the main things I want to do while we're here is go to the Van Gough museum of art because I'm a huge fan of his and I love all art in general. Ann Frank's house would also be a neat experience. Yay for free continental breakfast!
Thursday, January 08, 2009
I can never think of a subject title.
Yesterday we received a lecture from Dr. Wasser about the Nuremburg trials, and the 23 doctors that were charged... It was very intriguing, and it made me think from the doctor's point of view, and quite disturbingly enough, the doctors had some valid points. The first one was that yes, they did do terrible things to people, resulting in thousands of deaths, but no, it was not a crime. Why? Because, well, where in the law did it say that it was? Which, truth was, no where did it actually say that what the doctors did was a crime. The prosecution teams biggest challenge was proving that what they actually did was a crime. I just thought that was amazing...
After the lecture we went to the Hannover animal testing facilities. We saw thousands of lab rats (they have around 20,000 total), as well as dogs, cats, pigs, and sheep. We saw the operating rooms that the doctors used also. Very interesting stuff. We also got to 'suit out' a couple times! I enjoyed it. It was fun!
After the lecture we went to the Hannover animal testing facilities. We saw thousands of lab rats (they have around 20,000 total), as well as dogs, cats, pigs, and sheep. We saw the operating rooms that the doctors used also. Very interesting stuff. We also got to 'suit out' a couple times! I enjoyed it. It was fun!
First off, I would like to apologize for the length of my last post, it was entirely too long. This one will hopefully be shorter, because I am not actually writing from my journal (because of that this might not be in chronological order). I can't believe our second free weekend is already here! The time is just flying by, and now I know that it is going to be harder than I thought to go back home. The past few days have been so much fun! I really enjoyed the Hannover Zoo; getting a backstage tour by the head veterinarian was a memorable experience, and I don't even usually like zoos! I could tell that he was very dedicated to the animals and his work, and that definitely showed during the tour. The kinder area of the zoo was also very amusing :). A couple words on Prague: beautiful, amazing. OK, a few more words: I absolutely loved it there, even when we had nothing planned to do. Just walking around the city was great! All the buildings were gorgeous and it had sort of a... vibe? Not quite sure how to put that, but it was fantastic. My favorite part, by far, was the concert that we went to. It was just a small chamber ensemble that played kind of a standard repertoire of classical music, but, since I play the violin and love music, it really made my day. My week. Quite possibly my entire year. I'm so glad that we took the opportunity to attend the concert! (sidenote: still not used to the German keyboards, typing this blog is a slow process) We also found this cute place to shop at
hmm, the lights just went out in the computer room, I guess I'll stop now and finish this at a later date!
hmm, the lights just went out in the computer room, I guess I'll stop now and finish this at a later date!
A Hard Day's Night
The past two days have been nonstop. Yesterday we visited the Hannover medical school and nephrology department in the main city hospital. We listened to a lecture on Germany's current health care system and took a tour of their research facilities. We had another lecture on nephrology research and ate lunch in a nearby cafeteria. In the afternoon we took a trip to the zoo and got to go on a guided tour given by one of the head veterninarians. It was snowing and was about 15 degrees so we didn't know how it was going to go but it was amazing. Because most of the animals were inside because of the weather, we got to go behind the scenes to see them. We saw hippos, rhinos, and gorillas and afterwards went to this winter park they had set up in the corner of the park. They had awesome sledding and ice skating, it was unlike anything I had seen at a zoo before.
Needless to say, we had a blast but it wasn't over yet. We got to eat dinner at a fraternity that houses mostly veterinary and medical students. The guys, and a few girls, were really nice and welcoming. We had a blast. Today was a bit different, we had a lecture on the Nuremberg Doctor Trials which was pretty interesting (would have been more interesting if I wasn't so tired) in the morning and took a tour of an animal testing facility next to the hospital we visited yesterday. It was also really cool to see, it reminded me of my old job at the cardiovascular surgery research lab at Texas Heart Institute. After that we headed back to the hotel and finally got a chance to do some laundry. I had to wash nearly everything I brought, so my packing was evidently pretty good. Tomorow we're off to Goettingen in the morning and then to Amsterdam that night... should be interesting.
Okay, back to the health care system once again. Ever since I started my med school interviews I've been brushing up on our health care system currently and each presidential candidate's position on the issue. So going into this trip I was eager to hear about Germany's system and didn't expect a lecture like this at all. The German system, which has only been in place for about 6 years, is a nice mix of public and private health insurace. Basically, all working citizens are covered by a uniform benefit system that is not optional and exactly the same for anyone. This makes it easier for employers, who don't have to spend time coming up with attractive packages, and employees, who don't have to switch insurance every time they change jobs. The amount of the premium is 15.6% of the employees salary. Insurance companies give money based on a system called Diagnostic Related Groups (DRGs), in which insurance companies give a standard amount based on the cheif complaint.
This sounds a lot like socialized medicine, and it would be if the system stopped at that, but there's one more facet of the system. If a citizen makes over between 60,000 and 70,000 euros a year, they can opt out of the public insurance and go private or be uninsured. Private insurance premiums vary based on salary, and the perecentages go down as the citizen's salary goes up so that wealthier individuals aren't paying a ridiculous amount of money for health insurance.
Here's the catch, doctor's salaries are much lower here than back in the states. Fellows make around 62,000 euros a year (just under 80,000 dollars a year) and a head of a department makes about 120,000 euros a year (about 150,000 dollars a year). That would sound terrible for an American doctor, but that's partly because doctors in America come out of school with, on average, over 100,000 dollars in student loan debt. In Germany, medical education is pretty much free. I think students pay about 500 euros a semester for their education, a ridiculously low number compared to the states. So it balances out more that it sounds when everything is taken into consideration. Quality of care in Germany is good, but not great. Doctors in Germany speak great English because almost all have received some kind of medical training in the states. The hospital was pretty nice and my impression was that patient's received good care in spite of their health care system.
Anyway, that's my two cents. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years in America and abroad. I know I'll be paying very close attention. I love and miss everyone back home and hope you're all doing well!
PEACE
Asher
Needless to say, we had a blast but it wasn't over yet. We got to eat dinner at a fraternity that houses mostly veterinary and medical students. The guys, and a few girls, were really nice and welcoming. We had a blast. Today was a bit different, we had a lecture on the Nuremberg Doctor Trials which was pretty interesting (would have been more interesting if I wasn't so tired) in the morning and took a tour of an animal testing facility next to the hospital we visited yesterday. It was also really cool to see, it reminded me of my old job at the cardiovascular surgery research lab at Texas Heart Institute. After that we headed back to the hotel and finally got a chance to do some laundry. I had to wash nearly everything I brought, so my packing was evidently pretty good. Tomorow we're off to Goettingen in the morning and then to Amsterdam that night... should be interesting.
Okay, back to the health care system once again. Ever since I started my med school interviews I've been brushing up on our health care system currently and each presidential candidate's position on the issue. So going into this trip I was eager to hear about Germany's system and didn't expect a lecture like this at all. The German system, which has only been in place for about 6 years, is a nice mix of public and private health insurace. Basically, all working citizens are covered by a uniform benefit system that is not optional and exactly the same for anyone. This makes it easier for employers, who don't have to spend time coming up with attractive packages, and employees, who don't have to switch insurance every time they change jobs. The amount of the premium is 15.6% of the employees salary. Insurance companies give money based on a system called Diagnostic Related Groups (DRGs), in which insurance companies give a standard amount based on the cheif complaint.
This sounds a lot like socialized medicine, and it would be if the system stopped at that, but there's one more facet of the system. If a citizen makes over between 60,000 and 70,000 euros a year, they can opt out of the public insurance and go private or be uninsured. Private insurance premiums vary based on salary, and the perecentages go down as the citizen's salary goes up so that wealthier individuals aren't paying a ridiculous amount of money for health insurance.
Here's the catch, doctor's salaries are much lower here than back in the states. Fellows make around 62,000 euros a year (just under 80,000 dollars a year) and a head of a department makes about 120,000 euros a year (about 150,000 dollars a year). That would sound terrible for an American doctor, but that's partly because doctors in America come out of school with, on average, over 100,000 dollars in student loan debt. In Germany, medical education is pretty much free. I think students pay about 500 euros a semester for their education, a ridiculously low number compared to the states. So it balances out more that it sounds when everything is taken into consideration. Quality of care in Germany is good, but not great. Doctors in Germany speak great English because almost all have received some kind of medical training in the states. The hospital was pretty nice and my impression was that patient's received good care in spite of their health care system.
Anyway, that's my two cents. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few years in America and abroad. I know I'll be paying very close attention. I love and miss everyone back home and hope you're all doing well!
PEACE
Asher
Just write in blank
These past couple of days have been pretty tiring. Which is good of course. Yesterday I went with the med students to the hospital, since I’m pretty sure I want to end up working in a hospital pharmacy. Our first lecture on the health care system in Germany was definitely an eye opener. I knew it was socialistic, but I never knew the complete details. Learning that the German doctors pay so much less for that liability insurance than their American counterparts was a shock. It was a really good lecture. It was also really cool to learn about the AB/O incompatible kidney transplants, I had no idea that was even possible.
In the afternoon we went to the Hannover Zoo. Despite the freezing cold, it was so much fun. I can honestly say I’ve never been backstage to anything really and seeing the hippos and rhinos was fun, but by far the best part were the ice slides.
Today we got a tour of the animal research facilities. They definitely have everything running as efficient as possible. The operating rooms were really nice and big. I saw way more rats and mice than I would probably ever want to see again, but it was still neat hearing about all of the research they can do with the small animals like cochlea implants. And the pulmonary and aortic valve transplants in the larger sheep
In the afternoon we went to the Hannover Zoo. Despite the freezing cold, it was so much fun. I can honestly say I’ve never been backstage to anything really and seeing the hippos and rhinos was fun, but by far the best part were the ice slides.
Today we got a tour of the animal research facilities. They definitely have everything running as efficient as possible. The operating rooms were really nice and big. I saw way more rats and mice than I would probably ever want to see again, but it was still neat hearing about all of the research they can do with the small animals like cochlea implants. And the pulmonary and aortic valve transplants in the larger sheep
So much to say!!!
I feel like everytime I blog, which I know hasn't been much at all, there is a ton of stuff that I forget to say because we do so much everyday! It is so weird that we will be home in just over a week. This week has gone by really quickly compared to last week! I'm still having alot of fun though. It was good to have a traditional German dinner for pretty much the first time since I've been here last night at the fraternity house. I am a very picky eater so I was really surprised that I pretty much liked everything (except the ham, which I don't like at home either, and I only ate a little sauerkraut...I really doubt I spelled that correctly...but it was better than I expected it to be). I wish that I had felt better last night though because it would've been cool to meet the students there and hang out for a little while, even though I'm not really into the drinking scene.
Now that I'm finally used to this German keyboard I will have to readjust to the one back home!
One thing that I forgot to mention in the last blog that I thought was interesting is that medical school in Germany was free until recently and even now it is still much much cheaper than medical schools in the United States. I thought that the doctor made a very good point that students care much more about the quality of the education they receive if they have to pay for it though. I do feel like medical school in America could stand to be a little cheaper though. I'm not sure that I understand why tuition costs so much in America, yet it is almost free here in Germany.
The animal testing and research facilities that we visited today were pretty cool, though not my favorite thing that we've done. I never realized that so much went into animal testing and it was very interesting to learn about. I know that it is important for me to know about such things even though it does not directly apply to my future career. It was hard to believe that they had 35,000 rodents there and that they would soon be adding another 35,000 when the new building is complete in the next few years. I think my favorite part about the experience was hearing the new research that is being done, such as the "brain beads" that the two doctors (or professors, I'm not sure what their title was) talked to us about.
Off to Amsterdam tomorrow! It should be a very interesting trip...I'm hoping it's not as bad as what I've heard from some people, but I am pretty sure that we will be fine!
Now that I'm finally used to this German keyboard I will have to readjust to the one back home!
One thing that I forgot to mention in the last blog that I thought was interesting is that medical school in Germany was free until recently and even now it is still much much cheaper than medical schools in the United States. I thought that the doctor made a very good point that students care much more about the quality of the education they receive if they have to pay for it though. I do feel like medical school in America could stand to be a little cheaper though. I'm not sure that I understand why tuition costs so much in America, yet it is almost free here in Germany.
The animal testing and research facilities that we visited today were pretty cool, though not my favorite thing that we've done. I never realized that so much went into animal testing and it was very interesting to learn about. I know that it is important for me to know about such things even though it does not directly apply to my future career. It was hard to believe that they had 35,000 rodents there and that they would soon be adding another 35,000 when the new building is complete in the next few years. I think my favorite part about the experience was hearing the new research that is being done, such as the "brain beads" that the two doctors (or professors, I'm not sure what their title was) talked to us about.
Off to Amsterdam tomorrow! It should be a very interesting trip...I'm hoping it's not as bad as what I've heard from some people, but I am pretty sure that we will be fine!
Team Awesome
Today marks half way through the trip. Time has certainly gone by fast.I thought I would probably get a little homesick by this time since I'm so used to talk to my mom seriously every day, but since we're so busy it hasn't been bad at all. Saturday we went to the Hygiene museum in Dresden. So far it has probably been my favorite experience. At first when I heard hygiene, I thought it was going to be about germs and brushing your teeth. Thankfully, it wasn’t. I really enjoyed going through all the rooms and different body systems, I only wish that we had more time to see everything up close. Then about ten of us went to Prague to experience our first free weekened together. When we got off the train it seemed super sketchy, and all I could about was the movie hostel. But the hostel we stayed at was amazing! i loved it, and they had the best granola I've ever had.We walked a lot around Prague, mostly in the snow, but it was definitely one of the most beautiful cities I've been too. Last night we got back into Berlin and now we are in Hannover. The Charite museum we went to I definitely enjoyed. I especially liked looking at all the specimens of the brain, like the alzheimers and cancer ones.
I've noticed an overlap of or recurring theme of certain topics. The Blood and Guts book mentioned the four liquids in the body, blood, phlegm, and two others which were also mentioned at the Charite museum today. Then we also saw the iron lung machine and the old x-ray machines in both the hygiene and Charite museumes.
tomorrow is the Hannover Zoo, which I'm looking forward to;even if I freeze. Who doesn't love baby animals?
(This was written two days ago, but due to technical difficulties just now posted)
2 weeks later and some clean laundry
I can't believe its been almost two weeks since we arrived in Germany!! I've seen so much and learned more than I ever have on a trip. Yesterday, I went to the vet med school and got to tour around the campus. The prof who led our tour was friendly and showed us some of the school's collection of skeletons and fixed organs. The two German students that showed us around were cool and explained to us that in Germany you only have to go to vet school for about 5 or so years instead of our 8 which includes our undergraduate work. We were fortunate enough to have a vet that was working in the cattle clinic show us around and explain what a "DA" was. A DA is a displaced abomassum, which is the "true stomach" of the cow. We took a break and had coffee with Steffie before watching a surgery of a DA with our German tour guides. It was a fun filled day. Just being in the clinic got me all excited about becoming a vet!
Today we went to the animal research center. I never realized how many rats and mice were used in research. It was neat to get to walk through all of the operating rooms. The coolest thing to me was seeing the rats that lived in a germ free environment. Its amazing what the doctors are doing at this facility! They preform lung transplants and valve replacements. Not to forget the project with cats that involved placing beads with proteins in the brains for biochemical balance.
glad for clean laundry!
Today we went to the animal research center. I never realized how many rats and mice were used in research. It was neat to get to walk through all of the operating rooms. The coolest thing to me was seeing the rats that lived in a germ free environment. Its amazing what the doctors are doing at this facility! They preform lung transplants and valve replacements. Not to forget the project with cats that involved placing beads with proteins in the brains for biochemical balance.
glad for clean laundry!
Jus' Jon 6
Ok. This will be a short blog. Maybe. So far, I have been sampling sweets from Germany. I would like to talk about the M&M's. I have noticed two distinct tastes between the small bag of M&M's and teh big bag of M&M's. The small bag has a nice crunchy native M&M's taste to them. I have to admit that the taste is just a grain of sugar off from the American M&M taste but still good. The big bag tastes "8 shades" (A Brian Gibson quote) off of the American M&M taste. They taste like they were made with European Chocolate. They are way more crunchier than Aerican M&M's. Don't get me wrong though, they are just as good as American M&M's. I figured that the small bg is a mix between European and American chocolate and the large bag is just of European Chocolate. This is just my opinion. If you have comments, let me know. Blog me if you must.
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