“This course remains a wonderful reminder that within the medical community, bonds are built and the desire to help each other is universal, a welcome value in today’s world!” remarked OMI faculty member Dr. Evelyn Horn.
The expert, who is Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, first lectured in 2017. Now, nine years later, she returned to Salzburg and described the similarities that she noticed between her first participation and this week’s cardiology course in a heartfelt statement: “It was a pleasure to once again be a part of the OMI Cardiology program. It has been nine years since I was last here. What was striking then and still is now is the level of engagement of the participants, which made didactics so enjoyable for the faculty, and their knowledge of what tools (devices or medications) they would want to use if they could, and how we can all maximize what we do have.”
35 fellows from 26 countries, including Armenia, Cambodia, Latvia, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan, were ultimately chosen from 438 applications. The participants gathered at Schloss Arenberg from October 4 to 10, 2026, with eight esteemed faculty members to receive the most up-to-date knowledge in the field.
The seminar was led by course director Dr. Robert J. Kim from Weill Cornell Medicine and co-course director Dr. Irene Marthe Lang from the Medical University of Vienna. The week marks the course director’s 17th participation and the co-course director’s 14th participation in Salzburg. Emphasizing Dr. Kim’s dedication, he not only lectured at this week’s course but also taught at the satellite symposium in Bosnia and Herzegovina before the course.
From the USA, Dr. Evelyn Horn and Dr. Su Yuan (both from Weill Cornell Medicine), as well as Dr. Daniel Morin (University of California, San Francisco), were present. From Austria, Dr. Johann Auer (General Hospital St. Josef Braunau), alongside Dr. Christian Hengstenberg and Dr. Thomas Binder (both from the Medical University of Vienna), joined the teaching effort. Newcomers Dr. Morin and Dr. Yuan were excited to lecture for the first time, while Dr. Auer and Dr. Horn joined for the second time. Dr. Hengstenberg was present for the fourth time and Dr. Binder for the tenth time.
“This year’s course focused on topics including adult congenital heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, and new recommendations regarding the definition of myocardial infarction and the diagnosis and treatment of acute pulmonary embolism. In addition, practical advice on choosing the right types of defibrillators and anti-arrhythmic drugs and how to correctly perform right heart catheterization ensured that real-world skills were highlighted and shared with the fellows. Reviews of the use of echocardiography in identifying congenital heart disease and the latest developments in transcatheter valvular interventions rounded out the program,” summarized the course director.
We were honoured to welcome Mrs. Dania Choucair from Medtronic this week! She is the Clinical Research, Medical Science, and Medical Education Learning and Innovation Senior Director for the EMEA-RLM (Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Regional Latin America) region at Medtronic.
One of the highlights of the course was, without a doubt, the hands-on training workshops that were outfitted with state-of-the-art Medtronic equipment. Before the practical parts, the fellows were introduced to the devices and their application by Medtronic staff in three fascinating lectures on anatomical interactive practicum, TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation), and CSP-ECG (conduction system pacing electrocardiogram). During the interactive sessions, faculty and seven experienced Medtronic representatives, led by Dr. Yanis Dumpis, an OMI alumnus himself, guided participants through several complex exercises. The fellows applied the knowledge gained from the lectures to explore and implant a range of cardiac devices using high-fidelity simulators, including TAVI, CRT (cardiac resynchronization therapy) devices, and leadless Micra pacemakers.
Thanks to Medtronic for their support in making the workshops such a success!
Yay Bandidh, MD
OMI fellow from Cambodia
Milos Gostimirovic, MD
OMI fellow from Serbia
Murtii Teressa Obolu, MD
OMI fellow from Ethiopia
