In November, ten OMI fellows from Armenia, the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, and Uzbekistan joined the OMI observership program at the General Hospital of Vienna, the Medical University of Graz, and the General Hospital of Salzburg. The observers’ specializations covered the fields of OB/GYN, general surgery, orthopedics and traumatology, neurosurgery, pulmonology, (pediatric) neurology, ENT, as well as pediatric oncology and cardiology.
During their time at the hospitals, observers worked together closely with a group of doctors and their mentors, participating in patient consultations, and observing decision making processes and surgeries. Dr. Gabija Didžiokaitė from Lithuania highlights these aspects of her experience in the OB/GYN department at the General Hospital of Vienna:
Gabija Didžiokaitė, MD
OMI Observer from Lithuania
“I was able to observe consultations with reproductive medicine and IVF specialists as well as attend oocyte retrieval procedures and embryo transfers. Also, I was able to attend consultations for transgender patients and various surgeries in the operating room. Everything was well planned, and the specialists were friendly and eager to help and teach”.
Such experiences help to develop an understanding of how a team of specialists should cooperate in order to provide the best outcome for patients, an approach that Dr. Didžiokaitė aims to apply regularly after returning home.
At the General Hospital of Graz, Dr. Gulnaz Toxanbayeva joined the ENT department under Dr. Gerd Rasp. He highlighted a similar approach to patient care:
Gulnaz Toxanbayeva, MD
OMI Observer from Kazakhstan
“This observership reinforced a positive view of Austrian medicine and culture. I really liked the versatile medical approaches to the patient’s treatment at the General Hospital of Salzburg. The atmosphere and the humanistic patient–doctor relationship is done at the highest level. I improved my clinical knowledge through observations, I was able to exchange clinical experiences with doctors and residents from my home hospital, and I concluded that I can improve patient management and care systems in my hospital”.
OMI fellows can join the clinical observership program up to three times, offering the opportunity to form and build networks to share information and technical skills. Dr. Ivan Matic joined the department of General Surgery at the General Hospital of Vienna for his third observership:
“Eleven years ago, when I did my first observership, I looked mostly at basic laparoscopic operations such as lap cholecystectomies or lap appendectomies. Now, I observed and profited from much more advanced procedures, such as lap colorectal and lap pancreas resections”.
