Did you know that Weill Cornell Medicine hired its first surgeons in 1792, and that it is one of the oldest hospitals in the United States?
“For more than a hundred years, the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine has been a leader in clinical care, medical research, and surgical training. Our surgeons continue to lead the way in clinical treatment and medical innovation. Many of our faculty are considered master surgeons and experts in the field. They provide compassionate, personalized treatment to each person under their care while researching new and less invasive ways to achieve the best surgical outcomes,” reads Weill Cornell Medicine’s page on the history of its Surgery Department.
Similarly to the American institution, the Department of General Surgery at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, is renowned for its skilled specialists.
This week, thirteen such US and Austrian experts gathered at Schloss Arenberg to share their expertise with younger colleagues from around the world. We were thrilled to host several high-profile individuals this week: Dr. Lorraine Tafra, who is the Founder of Breast Care Architects, Chief of the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Alessandro Fichera, as well as Dr. Cheguevara Afaneh, who is Division Chief of GI Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine.
The course was led by course director Dr. Michael D. Lieberman (Weill Cornell Medicine) and co-course director Dr. Gerd Silberhumer (Medical University of Vienna). The rest of the cohort was respectively made up of US faculty, Dr. Lorraine Tafra (Breast Care Architects), Dr. Alessandro Fichera, Dr. Cheguevara Afaneh, and Dr. Mia Talmor (all Weill Cornell Medicine), as well as Austrian faculty from the Medical University of Vienna, Dr. Michael Bergmann, Dr. Christopher Dawoud, Dr. Klaus Kaczirek, Dr. Dagmar Kollmann, Dr. Ivan Kristo, Dr. Christian Scheuba, and Dr. Lukas Unger. These top surgeons are best described as a combination of steely determination, genuine compassion, meticulous calculation, and pure skill. Hence, the 34 fellows from 26 countries were beyond thrilled to learn from these specialists.
The schedule was a unique blend of lectures, case discussions, and fellows’ case presentations. A wide range of topics was covered, including but not limited to cancers, immunotherapy, liver disease, pelvic floor disorders, and diverticulitis. Plastic surgery, robotic hernia surgery, abdominal wall reconstruction, colon surgery, as well as the surgical management of Crohn’s Disease were also reviewed in depth.
Dr. Afaneh is an avid supporter of the OMI, with this seminar marking his second participation. He serves as the Division Chief of GI Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and specializes in robotic-assisted surgery. Dr. Afaneh explains why he chooses to teach pro bono at our seminars in a meaningful statement: “The OMI offers a wonderful opportunity to pair experts with other surgeons from across the world to improve the quality of care for all patients. I enjoyed the professional interactions, the dissemination of knowledge, and bridging the gap for surgeons in providing quality care for their patients. As physicians, we have an obligation for lifelong learning, and the OMI provides opportunities that would otherwise not be possible.”
The Duy Nguyen, MD
OMI fellow from Vietnam
“As someone who aspires to become a hepato‑biliary‑pancreatic surgeon, I was excited about Dr. Kaczirek’s lectures on liver and biliary surgery. I truly believe we have made impressive strides in liver surgery over the past few years in Vietnam. But listening to Dr. Kaczirek opened my eyes to how much further we can still go.”
Jakub Kristek, MD
OMI fellow from Czech Republic
“The discussions with Dr. Afaneh after our case presentations were extremely beneficial. They challenged many of our diagnostic and treatment decisions, which made us rethink our cases and understand that, in some instances, the patient might or even should have been treated differently.”
Ademola Agbaje, MD
OMI fellow from Nigeria
“I did not just learn new knowledge and surgical techniques, but also new ways of thinking and seeing the world. The faculty were inspiring, the discussions thought-provoking, and the participants truly enriched my experience. This was more than a seminar. It was a turning point in my career.”
