From June 19 to 25, 2022, the annual Salzburg Columbia University Seminar in Internal Medicine was held in Salzburg, Austria. 30 fellows from 18 different countries, including Bulgaria, Estonia, Ethiopia and Kazakhstan gathered at Schloss Arenberg to listen to outstanding lectures provided by the OMI faculty.
The course was led by Dr. Kristin M. Burkart, Pulmonary and Critical Care Physician and a Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Guenter Weiss, Professor of Medicine at the Medical University of Innsbruck, served as Austrian co-course director. The faculty was concluded by new OMI faculty members Dr. Christina Duftner from the Division of Internal Medicine II at the Medical University Innsbruck, Dr. Teja Kapoor, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at Columbia University, and Dr. Andrew H. Lipsky, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University. Also new to the OMI faculty were Dr. Judith Loeffler-Ragg, Associate Professor at the Medical University of Innsbruck, Dr. Max O’Donnell, Florence Irving Associate Professor of Medicine at Columbia University, Dr. Andreas Pircher, hematologist and oncologist at the Medical University Innsbruck, and Dr. Ewald Woell, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Head of the Department of Internal Medicine and Executive Medical Director at St. Vinzenz Hospital.
The schedule this year focused on the topics of pulmonology, rheumatology, oncology, and hematology (lymphoproliferative hematology). Lectures in the schedule included Acute Leukemias, Gastric and Colon Cancer, Lung Carcinoma, Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, Emergencies in Rheumatology, and more. All lectures given by faculty can be found on the OMI E-Learning Platform.
On Tuesday and Thursday, fellows were invited to present cases from their own clinical experience and share their expertise and knowledge with faculty and colleagues. The case presentations are a highlight each week, as they encourage fruitful discussions amongst participants and faculty members. As co-course director Dr. Weiss stated at the beginning of the week: “not only the fellows learn something new during the seminars, but also faculty members learn from the fellows’ experiences.” Eight cases were chosen to be published in the OMI Case Library.
The free Wednesday afternoon provided a welcomed opportunity for fellows and faculty to enjoy Salzburg and its surroundings. Although the sun was hiding behind clouds and the weather forecast did not look promising, it did not rain. Faculty decided to visit the ice caves in Werfen, the largest ice caves in the world.
On Thursday evening, faculty and fellows listened to a classical chamber music concert and enjoyed drinks afterwards. On Friday, the seminar concluded with a farewell reception in the garden, followed by a formal dinner and distrubution of the certificates.
