One of OMI’s staple courses, dating back to 1995, returned to Salzburg for its 31st edition this week.
Spanning four different continents, 40 promising doctors representing countries such as Estonia, Mexico, Nigeria, and Vietnam came together at Schloss Arenberg in Salzburg to build bridges among international colleagues and faculty from this week’s two partner institutions: Weill Cornell Medicine and the Medical University of Vienna. Amidst lectures and hands-on training sessions, the space they shared between discussions, breaks, meals, and even their free time has proven to be the beginning of lifelong friendships that ultimately develop into incredible professional achievements.
Throughout 31 years of anesthesiology seminars in Salzburg, over 1,050 fellowships were provided for fellows from 52 countries. This means that over one quarter of all countries in the world were represented at the OMI in anesthesiology seminars alone. We believe in equal access to quality medical knowledge, and these impressive numbers go far beyond when we consider that each fellow is a vector of their experience in their home countries.
Reflecting on her time at the anesthesiology seminar this week, Dr. PatrĂcia Maria Santos Sequeira, OMI fellow from Portugal, shared: “The most valuable aspect was networking – besides the high-quality lectures, the conversations I had during meals and workshops really enhanced my knowledge and I never imagined I would have the chance to meet people from so many different places and genuinely build friendships. It was interesting to see how much in common we have.”
One of the pillars for the success of the anesthesiology courses is Dr. Hugh C. Hemmings, Jr., Chair of Anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine and course director at the OMI. Dr. Hemmings’ first participation dates to 1996. Summarizing this week, Dr. Hemmings shared:
“The 2025 course brought together 40 fellows from 31 countries for five days of intensive discussions by four US faculty and six Austrian and European faculty that included 21 lectures, workshops on ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks and focused assessment in trauma, and case presentations. The highly interactive seminar covered topics including neuropharmacology and neuroanesthesia, neuromuscular pharmacology, preoperative blood management, cardiovascular pharmacology and outcomes, regional anesthesia, and intensive care, all in the beautiful setting of Salzburg.”
Among the four US faculty were Dr. Tiffany Tedore, Dr. Hannah Wunsch, and Dr. Kane Pryor, who kindly shared his personal statement with us this week:
“The OMI seminars build a professional learning community; one within which information is exchanged in every possible direction, with fellows learning from faculty and faculty from fellows. Communication is the oxygen of learning: knowledge can only be exchanged if it can be communicated clearly, succinctly, and inclusively. For physicians, the ability to clearly and succinctly communicate information about a patient is a crucial skill, vital to both clinical care and the accumulation of knowledge about rare and complex scenarios. The case presentations allow OMI fellows to hone this skill, in part through preparing their own presentation, and in part through hearing the presentations of their colleagues. Through these presentations, we all learn about unique and fascinating cases and gain valuable insight into the practice environment of our colleagues from other parts of the world. It is truly the highlight of the week.”
From the Medical University of Vienna, we welcomed Dr. Oliver Kimberger as co-course director, Dr. Stefan Schaller (Department Chair), Dr. Barbara Kabon, Dr. Daniel Laxar, and Dr. Clemens Kaderk, who joined us as tutor of the hands-on training sessions on ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks and focused assessment in trauma.
We reunited with Dr. Johannes Gratz for his third participation in the Salzburg courses, now working at the Charité Berlin. We were also delighted to have Dr. Jennifer Hunter join us from the United Kingdom. Among her many achievements, Dr. Hunter was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire by her Majesty the Queen in 2015. A true reference in her field, Dr. Hunter made an incredible impact this week among fellows and faculty alike, who praised her active participation and top-notch lectures.
As incisively stated by Dr. Pryor, communication is the oxygen of learning. The art that is bridging a diverse group of fellows and a stellar faculty in one place is, in fact, what defines this outstanding in-person experience, and we believe that is what allows communication to flow clearly and individual experiences to be made unique. We are thankful to all those involved in the last three decades, and we look ahead to more triumphant years!
PatrĂcia Maria Santos Sequeira, MD
OMI fellow from Portugal
“Dr. Jennifer Hunter is truly a role model for me with her different ways to approach the neuromuscular block challenges. I had the opportunity to spend time with her during lunch and again after the music concert. It was an unforgettable experience, and I will never forget her advice.”
Szymon Zdanowski, MD
OMI fellow from Poland
“Immediately, what stood out to me was not only the expertise of the faculty (which was expected) but how accessible and genuinely interested they were in our local realities. It is rare to have time with people whose names usually appear only on guideline title pages or textbook chapters, and even rarer to see them so open and relaxed.”
Yen Hoang, MD
OMI fellow from Vietnam
“I had the chance to chat with Dr. Hannah Wunsch, whom I deeply admire. Beyond being an exceptional physician, she is also an author with a deep passion for conveying complex medical issues in an understandable way. I learned so much from Drs. Wunsch, Hunter, and Tedore this week. Not only medical knowledge, but also how to live a fulfilling and meaningful life as a female physician.”
