Surgeries and Other Daily Happenings

Hello again! Even though my last blog post was only yesterday I still have lots to catch up on and tell you about. Firstly, I need to tell you about the opportunity we got to observe surgeries at the Bonn Uniklinik. I’d seen surgeries with animals before, but to see a human surgery was very surreal for me. We went into our first surgery and I see a man already sedated on the operating table and I immediately tell Shelby, “That’s not a dog on that table.” It felt out of place, almost, to see a human on the operating table, but I quickly adjusted. 

This first surgery was a hernia repair, which didn’t last too long. Shelby and I weren’t able to see too much and we didn’t really know what was going on. But we were able to see a lot during the next surgery. This next surgery, an explorative lobotomy, was unfortunate in that it was for a woman with stage 4 colon cancer. The purpose of the surgery was to see how far the cancer had spread, and depending on what they found they had a few options. We aren’t sure how the surgery ended because we had to leave, but we were there while they had to remove her ovary. 

This surgery was also more interesting because the surgeons were a lot more talkative. Before this surgery, we were only talking to the anesthesiologist, who was friendly and pointed out the best places for us to stand. Our surgeons asked where we were from and then the next statement they had, of course, was about Donald Trump. It’s been pretty surprising and disappointing to see that Germans are more informed than the average American might be. They also tried to teach us some medical related terms, but we didn’t understand much considering we haven’t taken a histology course. 

It was such a great experience, getting to go see surgeries in Germany. Another thing I wanted to talk about was just my daily routine, since it seems I’ve only made time to discuss the bigger trips we’ve had. We don’t have a set or repetitive class schedule, but my day will look something like this. 

- wake up( this could be anywhere between 7:30 to 10:30am)

- eat a piece of toast with nutella if I’m not pressed for time

- walk 5min to the bus stop

- wait and observe any passerby, especially the adorable children in their puffy coats

- get on the bus and sit in the middle right

- get out How to Kill a Mockingbird  from my backpack and read until I hear “Bonn Hauptbahnhof”

       maybe an occasional glance out the window to view the scenery 

- walk off the bus and try to cross streets without getting hit by a car

- try to walk on the sidewalk without getting hit by a car

- admire the beautiful collection of fresh flowers near H&M

- go to the “Voigt” bakery and order “zwei kasebrotchen bitte”

- hand said kasebrotchen to someone on the street if there is anyone and save the other for my breakfast

- get to the AiB building, drop off my backpack, get coffee in the lobby, and return to my seat for class and proceed to drink coffee and eat kasebrotchen 

- during breaks ask if anyone wants to go to Netto(the discount market)

- go to market and get some sour cream and onion chips and an orange fanta

- come back to class

- maybe stay after and plan any weekend trips coming up

- walk to the bus stop and wait till bus comes, ride bus home-read To Kill A Mocking Bird

       although, I just finished it today, so I’ll have to find another book

- do some homework or netflix, usually netflix comes first

- have dinner with Host mom - home-cooked meal, yay!

- wrap up dinner and go to my room and Facetime a friend

- maybe watch some more netflix and head to bed excited for the next day.

This schedule is always subject to change, in fact I’ve started running this week in order to train for the Bonn Marathon that’s coming in mid-April. Don’t be too impressed, I’m not running the marathon, but the relay, which will be an accomplishment for me.

That’s all for now! Next post is probably going to be about our trip to Amsterdam, so there’s that to look forward to.

All the girls in our scrubs

Shelby and I 

The flowers I walk by everyday

In Vienna we did this and this... Oh, and this!

Again, I’ve been lacking on the blog posts and everything that I’ve seen and done is starting to run together. So this post is going to be about my visit to Vienna. I can say that Vienna is probably one of my very favorite cities that I’ve ever visited. Despite the rainy weather we had while there, the city was still vibrant with varying styles of architecture and a rich medical history.  

This architecture could be observed from the moment we arrived near our hotel on the first day, but it’s seen best near the city center. On our first day there we got to take a tour of the crypts under St. Michael’s Church. This is where we learned that the city of Vienna has a strange proclivity for all things death-related, and what better place to learn this than surrounded by mummies and dead people. 

That night we got to experience a traditional Viennese meal at a brew house. We all ordered a variety of meals and exchanged bites so we could all get a taste of the different dishes. 

The next day we were given a medical history walk around part of the city by Dr. Schnabel, aka Dr. Wasser dressed as a medieval plague doctor.  He explained to us the different treatments for the plague and what life was like for someone suffering from the plague. Our medical history enrichment continued with visits to a lecture hall at the Austrian Academy for Science, the Josephinum and the Narrenturm. The Josephinum used to be a part of the first military medical school of Vienna, but is now home to a large collection of anatomical and obstetric wax models. We also visited another part of this old medical school, the Narrentum, which now houses the pathological collection. The Narrentum was the very first hospital for the mentally ill in Europe. 

Because of the rich medical history and the beautiful architecture, Vienna has become one of my favorite places. Another reason I love it so much is that despite being such a big city, it is fairly calm and tranquil. 

Oh, I almost forgot! We also got to have a lecture on Freud while at his apartment in Vienna. This was particularly exciting for me because my father is studying psychology.  I was eager to send him pictures, which he ended up showing to some of the fellow interns in his program. 

Oh! And we visited the Natural History Museum, the Albertina, and a classical concert. We really did a lot while we were in Vienna, it was great, and now I understand the Billy Joel song. 

In the City Center 

Lecture Hall Ceiling at the Austria Academy for Science

Dr. Schnabel 

My 3rd... 4th post?

Wow, so I’ve definitely been lacking in the blog-posting department. School has gotten quite busier since I last wrote. Just today we had a 211 exam and we have a physiology exam next week. Since my last post, a lot has happened actually. I sprained my ankle, had a birthday, and experienced Karneval. The farthest I traveled within this time span was to Dusseldorf, which isn’t too far away. 

So first, you’re probably wondering how I sprained my ankle, and I could tell you that I fought off a bear or that Karneval was more intense than you might think. But no, I am ashamed to tell you that I sprained my ankle while I was walking. I did not trip on anything nor was there an uneven stone in the sidewalk, no, I just put one foot in front of the other and boom, it happened. Because I was so close to the AIB Helen, Hilde’s daughter, was able to take me and Lauren to the hospital where I got to experience the German health care system firsthand. We just happened to finish learning about the Bismark plan today in class and I can confirm that you don’t pay anything at the doctor’s office like Dr. Wasser taught us. Don’t worry, the German government doesn’t just pay for my medical bill, it just means that the billing is completely separate from the doctor’s office itself, so I will be getting a bill. 

Let’s see, then I had my 21st birthday on the 5th. Although it’s a significant birthday in the states, that isn’t so here. I was able to celebrate by having lunch and going out with friends later that night. What was cool about my birthday weekend is that two other classmates had birthdays as well, Reagan and Shawn. It’s strange, it didn’t even feel like my birthday. A friend told me that that’s because I was far away from home and I definitely agree. But, even though I was away from family and friends, I was still able to celebrate with new friends.

Tomorrow, early early in the morning we will be going to Vienna! I’m excited for the experiences to come, the Freud museum, a concert, and the Narrenturm. I’m looking forward to reflecting on it all. 

Waffles, Tiramisu, and More

Right now I'm sitting at the AIB while some of my classmates have their differential equations lecture and the TA's, also known as minions, are grading assignments.  I apologize if this blog entry isn't as exciting as you were expecting it to be. There's so much to write about, yet my mind can't seem to remember it all the moment I sit down at the computer.

So it's been a little over two weeks since arriving in Bonn, but it feels much longer than that. I've gotten used to a routine since being here. Although, last night as I was watching Netflix(don't worry Mom and Dad, I still get school work done) I thought, "Wow, I'm in Germany right now." Even though I'm getting used used to being here, I still have those aforementioned moments.  Just today we received our visas for Germany.  I'm a citizen of Bonn... in Germany.. what.  I'm a citizen in a town outside of the US.

This past weekend, some friends and I went to Belgium. We went to Belgium! I never thought that I would be in Belgium, ever. As soon as we got off the train in Brussels, I realized that I know even less French than I do German. I didn't even know how to ask if anyone spoke English in French.

What did we do in Brussels, Belgium? Well, all of the tourist-y things, of course: we ate waffles and fries, and we saw the little peeing boy(Manneken Pis). Not sure why it's such an attraction, but we all agreed that we must see the little peeing boy. It was a great weekend and only one of the many foreign cities that I will get the chance to see.

Last night I got to practice German with my host family, eat tiramisu that my host mom's Italian friend made, and talk with my Belarusian host sister. Last night was really great, I was up till 11 doing all of these things.  I got to know more about the girl who lives just across the hallway from me and we had a great conversation that ranged from the German language to what it's like in her home country of Belarus.  It really challenged my mind to consider all the different walks of life people come from.

I've enjoyed getting to learn more about the different cultures from around the world, not just in Germany, and I'm excited to see what more there is to experience during my time in Europe.

Super!

Well, I've now been in Germany for a week and two  days, but it feels like it's been much longer than that.  In this week I've experience so much already and noticed many differences between here and the United States. Here, you can bring alcohol onto a bus and it's a completely normal thing to do, as it appears so anyway because nobody seems to care when people come on with a beer in their hands.

As a group, we've done enough in a week to make it feel as though a month has passed.  We've done so much hiking that my bones felt like they were going to disintegrate at my next step. We've also gotten to experience a little bit of snow since being here. Which has been nice; however, the freezing temperatures is probably what lead to the stuffy nose I'm currently experiencing.

Getting to know my host family has been great. I've loved getting to talk with my host mom over dinner. Last night I was able to ask her about her experience growing up after the war in Germany. She shared with me how the joining of East and West Germany was very personal for her because she had family in both East and West parts of the country.  I asked her about this because just that morning, our group toured a post-war Germany museum, led by Dr. Wasser.

I love getting to snuggle with their little, black pug, Millie, and playing with my host brother's blonde pug, Pancake.

Also, the food here is awesome. Though, I have yet to taste native German food. I've only had pasta and the Peruvian and Italian dishes my host mom has made. In addition to these, I've had the pleasure of experiencing a Dünner, which is a German take on Turkish food, which resembles a Greek gyro.

Another thing I've picked up on, the children here are so independent. Just this afternoon I saw a few kids who couldn't have been older than 8 who were navigating the bus system to get home from school. When I was their age, my parents were still ordering my food for me at restaurants.

My classes have been great so far and I look forward to the trips we'll be making as part of our history of medicine in Europe. I'm especially looking forward to learning about the history of veterinary medicine, as I'm planning on attending vet school.

Germany has been great so far, and this weekend a group of us are going to Brussels, Belgium this weekend. If my next post is about Belgium waffles and french fries, don't be surprised.

Tschüss!
Sarah

Here We Go

There are numerous experiences I’m looking forward to having while studying abroad this upcoming semester. I would say that most of the experiences I’m looking forward to are the relationships I’ll build with others while in Germany. I hope that through my relationship with my host mom I will learn firsthand about the German culture and what it’s been like for her to grow up in Germany. I would hope that this might be the best way for me to learn the German language, as well. I know it will be difficult to adjust at first, but hopefully that initial feeling of culture shock won’t be detrimental to enjoying my first moments in a new country. I was an exchange student for 3 weeks in Paraguay a few years ago, and I remember feeling like the language barrier was the most overwhelming to experience in the beginning. My hope is that I won’t let this intimidate me upon first arriving, even though I know far less German than I do Spanish. 

I’m also looking forward to the relationships I’ll build with the students on the trip with me. I’ll be with the students in biomedical engineering until I graduate, but that’s not the case for the BIMS students traveling as well. I hope that I will use this opportunity to get to know the students that are not in my major.  

I’ve wanted to go on this trip since I first heard about it my freshman year. The idea of being able to experience another culture, and still be involved in my studies, was exciting to me. I don’t think I’ll get to experience something like this once I graduate, and I wanted to take this opportunity while it’s still available. I’m hoping that through this experience I can attain a broader world view that I can carry with me the rest of my life.  In the future, I hope to be teaching veterinary medicine and conducting research. I believe this experience could give me the opportunity to relate to a wide group of people within and outside of academia. I’m hoping that my teaching and research career will not be limited to the United States but that it will involve interactions with people from many different places. 

I’m excited to go on this trip with other Texas A&M students because it gives me a sense of security knowing that others will be going through a similar experience. I look forward to growing and learning with my fellow classmates and getting to look back on this time with each other.