The End is Only the Beginning!

When it snowed a few weeks ago, all the Germany memories just flowed into my head, and I can indeed say that I feel changed. I had more experiences on the study abroad than I had throughout the rest of my college career. Actually, my friends are tired of hearing all my Germany Stories. Now, whenever I tell a story, they will ask, "did that happen in Germany?" The responsibility that the trip spits in your face in retrospect taught me how to live. The drastic dynamic between Germany and the United States and even the drastic dynamic between the big city of Berlin and a rural village like College Station was mind boggling. Now that I'm back, I just want to get out! I miss the late night adventures trying to locate the hotel, asking random people on the street for directions when they don't speak English. I miss the bitter cold where ears will freeze even if a hat is worn. I miss actually being required to wear shoes.

The material learned on the trip inside the hospitals has been much more helpful to my current studies than I ever expected. To be able to visualize a working clinical dialysis machine when learning about it in class forces the material to stick better. I find myself not being grossed out by smells anymore either. Nothing is worse than a necropsy or rectal exam! It's nice to see the faces of patients with recently implanted heart pumps and know that my field of study will make a difference in someone's life.

Now, I never see a pug now without thinking of Olaf. His obsession with dogs is like nothing I've ever seen in America, and the strange thing is that most Germans are just like him! Isn't this the CUTEST? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgS3nJztGSg

One of the biggest things I miss about Germany is the public transportation system. I'll be driving the 2 hour drive to my mother's house thinking, "If I lived in Germany, I could be sleeping on the train right now!" I can't imagine why passenger trains aren't as big here as they are in Europe. Train stations are so convenient. If I need some soap, I could just pick it up at the train station on my way to school. It's amazing how little elementary school kids ride the tram like it's no big deal.

Some things I am happy to return to are: free water, waiter tips (a simple doubling of the tax), free refills, flip flops, shorts, the SUN

Some things I miss from Germany are: Snow, Snowballs, Snowball fights, Snowmen, Snowgirls, friendly Germans, Olaf, city life, Foreign Girls, free healthcare, no sales tax, cheap German beer.

A Time To Remember

So spring break has started and I finally have the opportunity to reflect on the past month and a half and realize how much the Germany trip has changed my perspective and contributed to my personal growth. There have been so many times so far this semester that I have been able to bring up the trip to Germany in conversation either to tell a story or to share a different perspective. I feel like I am also more qualified to form my own opinion on the health care system after being able to learn about the system in Germany and talk to different doctors there. I intensely miss the deep history and culture of Germany. It was fascinating to learn about how their history has shaped the country and effected its people even today.


It is still hard to grasp that only 6 weeks ago i was trudging through the deep snow in Europe! Its even more incredible that it has snowed twice in Texas since then! My time in Germany was an irreplaceable experience that I constantly find myself reflecting on. It was incredible to be able to travel a foreign country with my peers and absolutely incredible guides in Dr.Wasser and Olaf, who I hope I will continue to keep in touch with. It all seems like a sweet dream now, but I have evidence of with through the friendships I continue to maintain with some of the people from the trip. I thoroughly enjoyed my study abroad experience and dearly hope that I will be able to travel to Germany again to once again experience the beautiful culture and see my friend Olaf once again.

Anyone ready for a trip back?

   Wow, I can’t believe I have been back in the states for over six weeks. It seems like just last week we were all trudging through the snow in Germany.  I have lived in Texas my whole life so before going to Germany I think I could have counted the number of times I saw snow in my lifetime on one hand. So living in Germany for 2 ½ weeks with snow on the ground every day was quite a shock to me. I thought I had received enough snow for lifetime (or at least for Texan’s lifetime) while in Europe. But what do you know it has already snowed two times in Texas since I have been back, what are the odds right? Crazy Texas Weather!!

    It still seems like a dream that six weeks ago I was touring the Louvre in France, standing on the first deck of the Eiffel tower, observing an open heart surgery standing two feet away from the surgeon, along with the countless other amazing tours and museums we attended. My dad is quite the history buff so anytime he is watching television it is either on the History Channel or the Military Channel. He is so fascinated by all the stories and places I visited while in Europe that every time I come home he has a new show recorded for me and he can’t wait to show it to me. The last one he showed me was of tanks fighting in Cologne. In the background clearly visible were the two steeples of the Cologne Cathedral. It was crazy to me watching these men fight where I had stood only a few short weeks ago.  That is one of the main things I really loved about Germany, is the rich history. I would have never believed I would be so fascinated by history until my visit to Europe.

    There are many things that I miss about Germany, the friendly people, constantly trying new food, German beer (which we tried here but it is definitely not the same), not having a care in the world, and the fascination of interacting and conversing with people my age in another culture.

    My trip to Europe has changed me in more ways that I can think of. It has opened my eyes to world of possibilities out there. Growing up with a mom who has polio I never really traveled anywhere so I always assumed that I would grow up, get a job and move back some where close to family. While my family still means the world to me, I have this newfound love for traveling and want to incorporate it into whatever I decided to do with my life. I constantly find myself replying to people “danke” instead of thank you, and my clock is still set to military time, I have grown pretty accustomed to it now.

    I had a fabulous time, made some of the greatest memories with two of my best friends, and made a few great German friends while on this trip in Europe. I learned a lot about myself, the history of medicine, and about Germany itself during this trip and would recommend it to anyone wanting to travel abroad.  My roommate has never been abroad so this August her and I are traveling to Spain to visit one of our friends and then we are going to make our way through Germany! Can’t wait to go back :)

Cait

     

Time Flies

It’s half way through spring semester and it seems like only a week or so ago I was traveling all throughout Europe. It’s still hard for me to fathom the fact that I’ve seen the Eiffel tower, I celebrated New Year’s in Berlin, and visited the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. I still can’t believe I was at one point elbow deep in a cow or that I was only a few feet from an exposed and beating human heart. I could go on and on about all the amazing things I saw and experienced. In fact talking about this trip seems to creep into my everyday conversation and is something I will truly never forget. People are usually very surprised by some of the things we were able to do.

There are an endless number of things I learned on this trip. I learned that I actually do enjoy some history; in fact anytime my history teacher mentions Germany I perk up a bit and usually know what he’s talking about. I learned how to deal with different types of people- whether it be people you travel with and are around for 3 three weeks (no offense to anyone!), those who don’t speak the same language as you, or those who are just plain rude. I even learned more about myself. I’ve learned to be more open and accepting to new ideas, as well as trying new things. As my title of this blog says, time flies- so I’ve learned that you need to take amazing opportunities like this trip when they come and to embrace it while it lasts. I don’t know when I’ll have another chance to go on a trip as amazing as this was.

I have enjoyed being back in America, not living out of a suitcase, and being able to see my family, though I do miss so many things about Europe, especially Germany. I miss attempting to read German signs and menus, I miss the subways (it was quite difficult to drive for the first time after returning home!), I miss trying new types of food, I miss German beer, I miss talking to natives and listening to their opinions and learning about their way of life, I basically miss everything about this trip. Well, except trudging through the snow on a daily basis. I’m originally from Chicago and have thought about going back there for graduate school, but now I don’t know if I could handle 5 years of snow!!!!

Since there were so many things I loved, it makes me think about all the other things I’m “missing out on”. There’s so much more out there that I can learn about and experience. I’ve always loved traveling, but now my love for traveling is on a whole other level. I’d love to definitely travel back to Germany as well as many other countries. Hopefully I can fit this in sometime in the near future before I have to face the reality of having a career, bills, and even bigger responsibilities. This trip has also made me think about my future. I’d like to incorporate international learning and interaction into my future. I wouldn’t mind traveling for “business” (whatever it is that I wind up doing) and working with people in another country. This trip has made me look at the bigger picture. I was so used to thinking America was the best and not worrying about other countries. Now I can see and appreciate the importance of working with other countries- it’s amazing how much you can learn from them.

I’d like to thank Dr. Wasser, Olaf, Dr. Roussel, all the AIB staff, and anyone else that helped make this trip possible. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget and would recommend to anyone!!!

Home Sweet... Wait is that snow??!

I can't believe how much time has passed since we've been in Germany! It seems like just the other day I was trudging through snow... oh wait, it did snow in here the other week. I can honestly say that I won't mind waiting until next Christmas to see another snow fall. Although I wished it were 90 degrees and sunny outside that day, I felt like a pro walking through campus with snow falling on my head. All I kept thinking was, "Man oh man, how I wish I had some gluhwien and Olaf screaming 'Schnelllll!' at me." Germany was such an amazing experience! Not only did I further my education, but I felt like I've grown as a person. I know the trip will impact the rest of my life. Growing up in College Station, I've never really been exposed to different cultures and people who have different life experiences and beliefs than me.. So I guess you can say, I've been pretty sheltered. It was interesting talking to people my own age who are doing similar things as me in a different country and getting their opinion on things. It was also fun seeing the amazing hospitals and educational facilities there and getting to talk to the doctors about their jobs and passions in life. Germany is a beautiful place especially in winter! The people there are so nice and excited to meet you. It's kind of funny actually. I never really thought of 'Americans' as that entertaining folk, but it's comical because I was so excited to meet all of them, I never really thought they'd think my life was that exciting. I didn't realize how similar, yet different our worlds are. Irony, still gets me. I guess this is one of those "when I was a youngster" stories that I will tell over and over to my grandchildren. I will forever be changed by this experience. It changed my outlook on life and reinforced my enthusiasm to join the medical field one day. I would recommend going on this trip to all of my peers and will never forget my trip to Germany.

Bittersweet Farewell

The memories of my experience in Europe have turned bittersweet since my departure. The white snow, subways, beautiful cathedrals, daily “field trips”…I miss it all. However, the thought of all those experiences leave a churning feeling in my stomach since a friend accidentally deleted all the pictures I took from my memory card. What heartbreak. I guess I’ve put off writing this final blog so I wouldn’t have to think about all the deleted pictures. Guess it’s a part of life’s experiences.

But besides the negativity of losing all those pictures, the internal memories of my experience will never vanish. I never thought visiting a foreign country could be so enchanting. Upon my departure from the states, I didn’t know what to expect. I was excited, yet anxious and scared all together. Experiencing the trip with my fellow classmates definitely made the experience more adventurous. I was able to explore new places while simultaneously meeting new people. I will never forget Olaf, and of course Cosmo. As a life lesson, I’ve learned that there’s a whole other world out there, with many different people: different colors, different backgrounds, and different values. But what we all have in common is our mere existence. Simple, but you never think about those things when you’re caught up in your very own world.

So how about those programs? Man, there were so many. Probably can’t remember them all if I tried. I must say my favorite was being able to stand on the operating floor with actual surgeons to see an artificial heart transplant. You can’t place a value on that. And let’s not forget my very own visit to the eye doctor. I’ll never forget that. When I reminisce on what information may be useful to my future career as a physician, the “telemedicine” presentation comes to mind. Upon further visiting UTMB, the school into which I will matriculate into in the fall, I learned that they have a telemedicine program. I would have never known what this meant or what telemedicine was without that presentation. And although I am still skeptical about telemedicine, I find it intriguing that one day I may possibly use telemedicine within my own practice.

Clearly, I cannot sum up my whole experience within this one blog; however I can openly admit that I enjoyed every minute in Europe. The culture, food, and people were all different, yet the experience was worth the hassle of trying to speak the German language and “schnell-ing” when trying to fight to board a train. Do I miss Europe? Yes, with no doubt in my mind. Do I plan on returning? Yes, and as soon as possible. The most influential impact this trip had on my future was my decision to take the “Global Health” track in medical school. I want to learn even more about the rest of the world that’s out there and continue to help those that are different from me…both here in the states and abroad.

I’d like to thank Dr. Wasser and Dr. Rousell once again for their divine wisdom and the opportunity to study abroad…and Olaf for keeping me laughing. I also would like to thank all my fellow classmates for the good times, and even some of the bad ones. Once again, I hold this experience dear and will never forget all that I saw, tasted, and especially, what I learned, inside and outside the classroom. Although I have no pictures of my own to remember each and every little experience, I still hold my experience in Europe close to my heart. Farewell…for now.

Back home

I am glad to be back in America, where we have ice and free restrooms, but saying that I miss Germany would have to be an understatement. The first day I made it back to the states I immediately put shorts on, which was an amazing feeling. It has been hard for me to get adjusted back into the schedule and it took me a few days to get past the jet lag. I think what I miss the most is not having a care in the world and just being able to walk around the city and enjoy myself constantly from early in the morning to late at night. This trip has opened my eyes to a world view of many things, culturally and politically. One of the stand out memories I have from the trip was speaking to a man in Berlin about America and just listening to his views about our culture and understanding the reasons they feel that way. It is easy in America, especially if you don’t travel, to not have a world view and I think that isn’t an issue over there because of the short distance between various countries and the emphasis that everyone puts on traveling. Everyone one you talk to over there knows at least two languages and that is a sobering statistic when in America not very many people put an emphasis on language. Experiencing the public transportation system over there makes me wonder why the U.S. doesn’t take greater strides to create transportation systems to eliminate the necessity of a car. Overall I felt like my trip abroad was a successful preview of trips that I will take later in my life. I definitely want to go back and spend more time in Europe and even Germany.

Back in Texas

I have been back on Texas soil for nearly a month and half now, but I am still reminded daily of my trip to Germany. Last Thursday College Station was blessed to have a mini 'snow storm'. CS never gets snow! But as my luck would have it, of course it would snow (and heavily) right after my winter trip to Germany. Everyone was elated about the weather except for me (and I'm sure everyone else that went on the trip). I can honestly say I have seen more than enough snow to last me a lifetime. I am ready for a good Ol' Texas summer, but I won't be having one for awhile!!! I am going on ANOTHER study abroad trip this summer called Semester At Sea! I will be sailing on a cruise ship throughout the Mediterranean. Pretty sweet huh? Now that I am an expert on European traveling it should be much easier to get around. Well, maybe not for me because Caitlyn did most of the navigating :). Big Red, aka my suite case, won't be joining me for the journey this time! And not just because she lost a wheel.

I recently wrote a paper over my trip to Germany. It was for my BIMS 481 class so it's directed towards students interested in the trip. I got an A on the paper, but I was a little concerned about the type of 'humor' I used because some might consider it vulgar (especially Barbara Gastel, my teacher). But I thought it was pretty good and apparently she did too. I generally detest writing, but this paper was fun for me! I had to reflect on all the experiences and remember all that we had done (which I might add was ALOT). My writing style is anti of long-winded and I usually have to be repetitive in order to reach the needed word count; however, this was not the case for this paper. She counted off for it being too long. I just couldn't stop writing though. There was so much to tell!!!

Now that I am back in Texas I am back in the same old routine. School, study, OAT, eat, work out, sorority, and if I'm lucky sleep. Those are basically the only things I do during the week and on most weekends. So as you can imagine I really miss the relaxed 'never study' atmosphere of the Germany trip. While we were constantly doing something, it was always something enjoyable. Well, except for the opera. Sorry Dr. Wasser but as hard as I tried to enjoy it I just didn't.

Janelle and I were driving back to CS from Dallas yesterday and the majority of our drive consisted of us talking about all of our memories from the trip. We decided we needed a page specifically for all of our tragedies. I made so many great memories! And some great friends as well! In fact, five of us do weekly dinners. Except we've been slacking for the past couple of weeks... hopefully we will fix that this week. Right guys?

I am taking a class called Gender and International Education (don't ask), and my teacher did her doctorate thesis over the impact of European traveling on American Women. We have some very interesting conversations to say the least. It is interesting to hear her take on how traveling can change a person. She told me a little bit about her thesis and how most women never travel to Europe just once, they always go for a second round! Which is true for me because I'm going back this summer! And after the 3 week taste of Europe I received I cannot wait to get back to the EU. She told me that after traveling most women have a 'hole' that they can't seem to fill and that it was made by their experiences in other cultures. I completely agree with her because right now I'm feeling a little lost. Before I left I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life, but after experiencing a world beyond America I am having second thoughts. It is so weird knowing that there is another world beyond my own and I want to be a part of it.

Now that I have spent a considerable amount of time reflecting on Germany it is time to hit those books again! Quizzes, tests, and homework is what I have to look forward to for the next 2 weeks!.... AND THEN I'm off to Hawaii for spring break! Can you tell I've been bit by the travel bug? :)

Joanna

Study Abroad trip final thoughts

I have been back in the states now for about 6 weeks, and I have had a lot of time to think back and reflect on my time in Europe. By the time I barely made my flight back to America I was ready to be back home. I was ready for the warmer weather and all the other things I missed about home.
In the time I have been home I have slowly been making comparisons to the life over there and to life back home. The first noticeable difference between Germany and Texas is the lack of public transportation. The system in Germany was very efficient and seemed to get everyone where they needed to go without too many problems. In Texas this kind of system in my opinion wouldn't work on a large scale. It works decent enough on a small scale and a good example is the university bus system. To simply put it the state is just too large for there to be an effective train system. I found it kind of funny that some of the people we met there found 2 and a half hours to be a long drive ( the time it takes for me to go from College Station to my hometown).
The most noticeable difference between Texas and Germany was obviously the weather. With the exception of the first few days in Bonn the temperatures were below freezing and there was snow everywhere. I got pretty good at dressing for the cold and walking in the snow. For about 3 days the snow was cool and then it go to the point were it was slight annoying. I understood how much more difficult having to deal with snow all the time can make things. Then again the culture over there is used to colder winters and they know how to deal with everything. I'm sure after about 3 days they would get pretty tired of the Texas summer heat. The other day it actually snowed here in College Station. I didn't have the same reaction that everyone else in the city did. It wasn't as big of deal for me since I in snow for 3 weeks.
The three weeks I spent in Europe was an amazing experience, its not too often you get the chance totally immerse yourself in another culture and see things from another viewpoint. I had a great time while I was over there and I do home to be lucky enough to return one day, maybe this time in the summer. To all the students who are reading this and trying to decide if they want go abroad. I would say do it. You never know when you may get an opportunity like this and it is worth everyminute.

Post-Trip

It's been a little over a month since the end of the trip, and it took a little while to get back into the groove of being in school and the new sleeping schedule. I find myself a little nostalgic of the trip, but I really am glad to be back in the United States, back to a home and free water. I would definitely love to go back to Germany sometime soon, but I would much rather it be a situation where I could spend more time in one place and really get to know it.

I feel like I have learned so much from this trip, least of which is an appreciation for Europe, especially Germany. There were several situations in which I found myself wondering how I could have been so narrow-minded in the past regarding foreign views and concerns, but every time I learned more about the situations surrounding Germany and everything the country went through. The stereotype that often comes with Germany is truly sad, and in retrospect I can easily see that the whole thing is far from the truth. The entire trip, I was always met with hospitality, and never the hostility that others may expect.

Not only that, but the trip has inspired me to take so many more trips out of the country, the first of which, I hope, will be to Italy within the next year or so. I've already gotten the Rosetta stone for Italian and I plan on signing up for classes next semester to start learning as much as I can. Language is so beautiful and diverse that I would feel ignorant not to learn as many as possible. Already a bilingual, I feel the task would be a little easier, but I know that it won't be a cakewalk, and I cannot wait to get started.

The program has taught me so much about respect for other countries, for other cultures, for other languages, and especially for other people in general. I had a lot of fun and made so many memories. I'm really glad I went and I know that the whole thing will change my life forever.

Back in Texas

While it was GREAT to return to Texas weather, I wish I could have stayed in Europe longer. Even though it is currently snowing, I know spring will get her much sooner than in Germany, and we’ve had some really pretty days. It was really hard to leave Europe when I didn’t know when I could go back again. When I started the program, I thought this might be my only chance to see Europe, or at least Germany. However, I am now certain that I will return; I just don’t know when. The logistics of another trip are a little daunting. I don’t know when I have the time or money to go back. I would really like to learn a foreign language so I could live over there. I am much more interested in taking an overseas job now or going for a year between undergrad and graduate school.

Almost every day, something happens that reminds me of my time abroad. I love Germany! Every day was an adventure. I liked experiencing snow for the first time. However, I missed seeing the sun. The public transportation was really convenient. When I returned to the states, I enjoyed driving my truck at first, but now it’s a pain to have to drive everywhere. Also, people in college station cannot drive as well as the people on the autobahn. I don’t know why we can’t drive like that. You can only pass on the left and then you get over. It’s so easy! Oh, well. I’m glad I get to cook my own food now. The hardest and most tiring part of the program was eating out every meal.

Hopefully I'll be back soon!

Last two days

Okay it has taken me a little while to get back on to post about the last two days of the trip. I have had to adjust to the whole going to school thing again. On Friday night we went to the opera. It was the first time I had ever been to the opera. I thought it would be similar to musicals that I have seen but it was nothing like it. I kept getting thrown off by the girl playing the part of a boy. In my head the whole time I kept thinking that this should be a guy. Overall the performance was pretty incredible, even though I didn't really understand a word of it.

The next day, the last day was one of the easier days of the program. We took a walking tour of the city with Dr. Wasser and afterwords hung out with a student named Anna that goes to medical school in Vienna. She had spent time in Texas so she able to understand out version of English which was pretty cool. That night we had the farewell dinner and I ordered really good. I think I might have eaten the best meal of the entire trip that night. The next morning the trip was over as we all left to fly home. I have to say I had a great time and I would definitely go back, maybe in the summer next time

Goodbye

I can’t believe I get on a plane back to the states in less than 10 hours; these past three weeks have flown by. I’m already planning my next trip back to Germany. It has been an eventful last week abroad. Vienna, Austria is my second favorite place we have visited on this trip and is such a beautiful city.

The visit to Stephen’s Cathedral and the catacombs was very interesting. It is crazy that below where so many people worship there are sitting thousands of skeletons. It was creepy to see the mass graves of people who died from the plague. It is unbelievable that thousands of people were wiped out from one viruses.

Another very interesting place we visited was the wax models. They were so real and depicted the parts of the body, organs, and lymphatic systems so visibly. Although, something Dr.Wasser and the guide pointed out that was very interesting was that 90% of the models are male. The only time women are shown is in the OB section or the different parts of her body that are absent in males.

The Tower of Fools was kind of insightful, creepy, and sad all at the same time. The lady explained to us that what we were going to see were extreme cases, but even so these parts of skeletons were once upon time real living people. The part that captured my attention the most  was the first case of skeletons she showed us. There were two small skeletal bodies not much longer than my forearm. She explained that these were two sisters who were in there 20’s when they died. They had the disease rickets, which is now easily cured by vitamins. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to have lived like that, or how much pain they must have been in. Even though it was an incredibly sad place, it is also very uplifting that most of the cases no longer exist because medicine has evolved to help or cure most them.

Meeting Anna and visiting their medical school was really cool. It is so hard to comprehend that she is one year older than me and is in her 5^th year of medical school. I really wish that the U.S. would model their educations system more like theirs.

Heart Surgery

 

    Today has definitely been my favorite part of the trip so far. We went to the teaching hospital, where we were allowed into the operating theatre to observe a surgery. In America something like this would never be allowed for either American students of foreign students. 

    I was in the second group, which went to the operating theatre in the second half of the day. First we were given a lecture by a researcher. It was very interesting, although he lost me after about 5 or 10 minutes. He kept my attention though, because he was so passionate in what he was talking about. I really hope with whatever I choose to do, after 30 years I can still be that passionate that I am making a difference some how. Next we went and viewed their telemedicine department. Before this trip I have only vaguely heard of telemedicine. I didn’t really know anything about it, just merely had heard the word before. I believe that it is an amazing new technique in medicine. Their telemedicine is mostly based on cardiac patients. They receive a small circular disk with pads that attach to their chest. After they attach their pads they press the start button on the disk and it provides an ECG that is then transmitted by phone to an on-call doctor. This can provide comfort to the patient that they are okay, or the Doctor can tell them they need to come in immediately. I think it is remarkable, and can’t wait til it becomes more popular in the U.S because I think it can be a tremendous help to older patients who are often times worried about their health constantly.

   After lunch we headed to the operating theatres. We wondered through the hospital and then all of sudden we were there. It was just a hallway that looked like all the others in the Hospital. If we hadn’t been escorted there I would have definitely passed it up. A lady popped her head out of the door and asked all the girls to come in the room to get ready to go into the operating room. We were given scrubs, both top and bottom; along with a cap, mask, and rubber shoes. After this we were allowed to enter the operating room. It still surprises me that we did not have to scrub down or sterilize. It just seems unsanitary to me that a person is cut open and we didn’t even have to wash our hands. Janelle and I went into operating room 1 where an older woman on dialysis was receiving a bypass. After about 15 minutes we were allowed up on the platform with the anesthesiologist to observe the surgery. The surgeon explained to us what was going on and told us that it was a special case just for the “Texans”. It was special case because she was receiving a quadruple bypass, which he said was not very common. I thought seeing the chest separated, or the heart lying there visible would make me uneasy. However, I was amazed more than anything. I was always told that heart was about as big your closed fist. This was definitely not true for this lady, her heart was bigger than three of fists and was all white (fat). It was amazing to sit there and watch an actual visible heard contract and beat. The surgeon was confident and cracking jokes while cutting on her heart; they are by far the most talented and gifted people. He explained to us how he inserted the grafts. He first put what he called “the octopus” on her heart, which looked like a big U with 6 suction cups on it. This stopped the movement of the heart where he placed that octopus which the allowed him to insert the graft.  We were only able to see him do one of the four bypasses before we had to leave. But it was definitely one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life. How the body works and how medicine has evolved to fix problems is just so extraordinary. 

Bonjour

So, this morning we got back to the hotel at 8:05, 25 minutes to spare. It was quite an adventure from the very beginning. There are so many trains that were able to take us from Hannover to Paris, but we finally decided on the direct overnight train that left Hannover HBF at 10:15 and arrived in Paris at 9 in the morning. We all went out dinner then headed home to pack before leaving for the weekend. I looked at the clock and realized it was 9:50, which meant our train for Paris was leaving in less than 30 minutes. We scrambled the rest of our things together and sprinted to the train station. We arrive at Hannover HBF at 10:12, barely on time. Our train wasn’t there yet, but we decided to wait up on the platform just in case. However, we soon find out that Joanna left her eurorail pass back at the hotel. So she runs back to get it and makes it back to the train station in under 15 minutes, which I might say should be a record time. We’re really confused because I stayed up on the platform and the train never came. So we decide to go talk to the DB help station and he says RUN the train is about to leave from platform 4. So we do exactly as he says, we run to platform 4 hop on the train and soon as I get the suitcase in the train takes off, we made it barely in time.  So, we’re finally on the train but we have no idea where to sit because we didn’t make reservations. A train man comes walking down the hallway and we ask him where to sit and he said, “ Do you have reservations”, we say “No”. He then repeats “No reservations” and we reply, “No.” He was very confused but definitely the nicest train person we’ve met. He explained to us that to ride on the overnight train you have to make a reservations, however he told us we could just pay him and he would let us sleep in the cabin.

    We finally arrive in Paris and go drop off our luggage at the “Aloha Hostel”.  Then it was time to go explore the city. We started our adventure at the arc de triumph and then pretended we could go shopping down the street champs de elyss. After lunch we decided to go see the Eiffel tower, which I must admit I was most excited about. The Eiffel tower is the iconic image every person thinks of when they hear of Paris, France. We get off the train and maneuver our way towards it. There were street people everywhere following us, beginning us to buy their souvenirs. Unfortunately, it was really icy and cold so they only allowed us to go the first viewing deck of the Eiffel tower. It was still an amazing view, something I definitely will never forget. The next day we went and toured The Louvre,  It is an immense gallery of art that would take someone a week to actually read and see every masterpiece.  However, we only had two hours to tour so we hit the highlights, the winged victory, mona lisa, and a few others. After we were done at The Louvre we headed to the train station to catch a train back to Hannover.

  Well to keep it short the train station hated us. Even though we had a eurorail pass they told us there was no way we could make it back to Hannover or Koln that day. So, we ended up buying a 74 euro ticket just to be able to leave France and go back to Koln.  From Koln we took the train to Bonn. However, our train didn’t leave from Bonn til 1:30 in the morning. So we decided to make the best of our night and headed to our favorite place in Bonn, Billa-Bonn. 

Vienna Vienna Vienna

(originally written 17/01/2010)

I can’t believe I will soon be departing from Austria after spending three marvelous weeks throughout Europe. Austria is by far different compared to the German cities I’ve visited. I must say the people are exceedingly unfriendly and the town seems very “antique”…if that make any sense. Being sick for two days while visiting didn’t help adjusting to the angry environment.

I enjoyed visiting the Medical University of Vienna, however. Professor März’s presentation on medical education in Austria was quite interesting considering my recent acceptance into medical school. Our education systems are so different; it’s intriguing. Unlike Texas medical schools, Austrian medical schools do not interview applicants, review essays or ask about the applicant’s motivation. Austrian students also only have to pay about 16€ per semester. There are even more differences in the grading scale and testing system. Makes me question the comparative quality of American physicians versus international physicians. There seems to be no such comparison.

I also enjoyed the Freud Haus Museum. I find it amazing to have stood in the house in which Freud lived and carried out his practice, especially with my minor being psychology. However, the ultimate highlight of my stay in Vienna was our visit to the State Opera. What an experience! I enjoyed every minute of the 3 hour performance. “Le Nozze di Figaro”, the name of the opera play, was composed my Mozart. The music, the settings, the plot, the actors and actresses…I loved it all. The State Opera building is a true beauty: high rise seating, golden painted figurines, huge glowing chandeliers. I felt like royalty. I plan on visiting more operas within my lifetime. I find pure bliss in the elegance associated with the atmosphere.

A "Heart" Stopping Experience!!

(originally written 12/01/2010)

WOW!! Today was awesome!! I just left an operating room where I saw a 65 year old man get an artificial heart transplant. All I can say is WOW!! Although I was unable to actually see the whole procedure, I was lucky enough to see the doctors attach tubes and machine to the patient’s heart and then stitch the patient’s chest back together. A million things were running thru my mind. Why did this man need the transplant? Was he married? Did he have a family and if so, where were they? How much pain would he be in when he woke up? My brain was in analysis overload. At first, I thought the sight of an open chest and blood would be mind boggling, especially the smell. But my stomach didn’t turn at all. I enjoyed every moment of the surgery. I find it amazing how long the doctors operate on the patient without breaks or time to spare. I was only in the operating room for 2 hours. The operation had to have been at least 6 hours long. I could go on and on about this experience. I wasn’t in an observation room. I was actually in the OR! A once in a lifetime experience…at least till I become a doctor myself.

It took me by surprise that the doctors joked around and laughed while performing the surgery. I thought doctors were supposed to be serious during those times. I guess when you know what you’re doing it doesn’t matter as much. I wish I spoke German. I’m still a little confuse about what all happened while observing the operation. It would have been so helpful if I knew what they were saying throughout the procedure. It sucks not being able to speak German and communicate effectively with natives. There were at least 7 people in the room at each and every moment, and surprisingly each one of them was needed for a particular task. Medicine is so amazing! Now if only I could understand the telemedicine concept. Dr. Roussel and Dr. Wasser both believe it will become increasingly important during my duration of practicing medicine. Not too sure how I feel about that. Guess I’ll cross that bridge when I stumble across it.

Doctors, Animals & Towers...Oh-My!!

(originally written 11/01/2010)

What a day! Unfortunately, I had to visit a German eye doctor today. I consider it the perfect way to end the day after learning about the German healthcare system. According to the doctor who presented the healthcare lecture, the German healthcare system is just as flawed as the healthcare system in the states. However, I do believe there is one advantage to their healthcare system: everyone has healthcare insurance. But back to my visit. There’s nothing really wrong with me besides the fact I have a huge stye on my left eye. It doesn’t hurt at all; just itches really bad. A pharmacist insisted that I see a doctor when I tried to buy stye ointment.

Week 2 has come to an end. Five more days in counting. The veterinary events of this week were really interesting. Animal medicine seemed like a nice career path until my fellow classmates stuck their arms up a cow’s rear-end. Not my cup of tea so I’ll just stick with my interest in human medicine. I find it intriguing how the Germans care for their dogs as if they are human beings. It seems as if dogs have more privileges than humans: dogs can come in restaurants and malls, dogs wear clothes, and so much more. It’s too cute. Even Olaf has what I call the “German dog-fetish syndrome.”

This weekend was marvelous. A group of us drove to Paris! What an experience. The trip in itself was pretty expensive. Buying food was actually depressing. But I was able to take pictures from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Can you believe that? I would go back in a heartbeat. But I plan on waiting until I’m better financed.

So far, I’ve had a tour guide and a saleswoman laugh at our group for visiting Germany in the month of January. If only they knew I’m enjoying every moment of it. Yes, it is mighty cold but to be submerged in what I consider a “winter wonderland” is worth every shake and shiver. Dr. Wasser says this much snow is unusual. So I’m going to enjoy every moment of it before I depart Sunday.

vienna

Vienna was a great city to end on, although I feel like I was so exhausted that I didn't get to enjoy all that it had to offer. To start out the trip, we had to get up at 4 in the morning to make our flight. It was alright though, because we were able to get about a two hour nap in once we got there. The sightseeing bus was different since I am used to walking the entire city, but it was nice to just be able to sit in the warmth and enjoy the city. The Wien Museum was very interesting and set up a precedent for all of the historical background that was put on us later, which really helped. It was amazing to see all of the specimens that the josephinum and Narrenturm had to offer, especially because they were all wax. We followed up seeing the spanish riding school, which was interesting, but unfortunate that we could not see any performances. The Freud house was very interesting, especially the fact that everyone, including the British apparently, does not know that most of his furniture and collected artifacts are in England. The opera was amazing and really topped everything off with a cultural bang that won me over. The last day was kind of sad knowing that it would be our last day in Europe, but in a way I am ready to go home. I am just thankful for the experiences that I have had on this trip and the great people that I have come to know.

Vienna...The last couple days

The last few days in Vienna were another experience in itself that I don't the program would have been the same without. Getting to see the St. Stephens Cathedral and the catacombs was extremely interesting, every step feeling like a step back into history. The catacombs were beautiful and a little frightening at the same time, especially considering the original bones of the graves were left at the site. The tour with the chartered bus, however, I must say, was not quite as great as I had hoped it would be. Although I know there would have been no other way to take a tour of the city so quickly, I almost wish we could have stopped more places and spent time getting to know the sites.

The next day at the wax museum was very enlightening concerning medicine and anatomy. The models were much more realistic than anything I could have imagined, and I could easily see why they would be used in the teaching of the anatomy of the human body. The most interesting ones in my opinion were the ones depicting human birth, congenital diseases, and abortion. Though controversial and even inaccurate at times, those wax models were great at demonstrating the birth process, the early methods of abortion, and even the early understanding of multiple births. The entire experience was another addition to the amazing time I've had on this trip.

The Sigmund Freud Haus, however, was the highlight of the time we spent in Vienna. I quickly found him extremely interesting and quite the role model in the field of medicine. Despite his problems with addiction and developing healthy relationships, you can't help but admire the talent, intelligence, and guts that he constantly demonstrated. I can't wait to get his book concerning dreams and start reading his genius!

Lastly, the opera proved to be so different from what I was expecting, an event that has encouraged me to start learning Italian. The language was so beautiful that almost had a hard time deciding which I appreciated more--the orchestra or the singing. Mozart's genius was uniquely complemented by the lyrics and song, and I can't wait for another chance to see something so beautiful.

All in all, Vienna was one of my favorite cities--the beauty and size both a little overwhelming and humbling at the same time. This whole trip has been an experience that has encourage to learn like four new languages and definitely to spend at least another semester abroad. I can't wait till my next study abroad, and I hope that everyone else feels the same way.