This week, the OMI was all about how to provide immediate life-saving care for patients suffering severe injury. Chief of Trauma, Burns, Acute and Critical Care at Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Robert J. Winchell, led the tenth Salzburg Weill Cornell seminar in Trauma and Emergency Surgery. The trauma center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine was ranked the #1 Hospital in New York and the #4 Hospital in the USA according to the U.S. News and World Report. Their mission is not only to save lives, but to also provide definitive care to restore function and return patients to their normal lives.
Dr. Harald K. Widhalm, Orthopedic and Trauma Surgeon in the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology at the Medical University of Vienna, served as the co-course director for the week.
33 fellows from 27 different countries gathered at Schloss Arenberg from February 12 to 18, 2023 to hear about the latest updates in Trauma and Emergency Surgery and to explore new techniques and tools for different kinds of surgeries.
The faculty compiled a packed schedule for the week to offer fellows the most knowledge possible, which consisted of 32 didactic lectures. The OMI welcomed US faculty members Dr. Daniel R. Margulies and Dr. George C. Velmahos to Salzburg, while Dr. Andre Campbell held his lecture remotely. Austrian faculty members included Dr. Klaus U. Klein, Dr. Johannes Leitgeb, Dr. Herbert Schöchl, Dr. Julia Starlinger, Dr. Patrick Starlinger, and Dr. Gerald E. Wozasek.
On Tuesday and Thursday, fellows had the unique opportunity to explore various tools for trauma and emergency surgery during a trauma workshop. Eight different stations, which included focal points such as the mediability tool, a virtual reality tool Spine Jack, and more, offered the possibility to try out new technologies and improved surgical skills. Fellows had great fun and were eager to learn! Thanks to the Stryker team for making these workshops possible and providing us with the necessary technologies.
Fellows presented their cases on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday afternoons, which gave them enough time to exchange different perspectives and hear feedback from the faculty. Six cases were chosen by the faculty to be published in the OMI Case library.
On Wednesday, fellows and faculty had the afternoon off, which resulted in the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful, sunny but cold, winter day in Salzburg. The faculty decided to spend the afternoon in Hallstatt.
After the post seminar test on Friday, fellows enjoyed another free afternoon, which concluded with the farewell reception in the evening, followed by the traditional graduation dinner. Fellows were awarded their certificates and spent one last evening together in beautiful Schloss Arenberg.
