In October, 12 OMI observers alumni attended observerships at four of our partner institutions: the Medical Universities of Vienna, Graz, and Innsbruck, as well as the Salzburg General Hospital. The participants came from Albania, Croatia (2), Ethiopia, Latvia, North Macedonia (3), Poland (2), Serbia, and Uzbekistan, and took part in 11 different specialties, gaining exposure to advanced clinical practice, multidisciplinary teamwork, and innovative procedures in their respective fields.
This month, we are highlighting two observers whose reports provide a deeper insight into daily life in Austrian hospitals and the professional growth they experienced during their observerships.
Tewodros Asfaw, MD – OMI Observer from Ethiopia – Obstetrics and Gynecology
Dr. Asfaw spent his observership at the Vienna General Hospital under the mentorship of Prof. Petra Kohlberger, where he focused primarily on fetal medicine. He followed the assessment, diagnosis, follow-up, and management of various fetal congenital anomalies through advanced ultrasound examinations. A particular highlight of his observership was his first exposure to fetoscopic laser therapy for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). He described his experience as follows:
“The collaboration within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Vienna General Hospital was excellent. The team was highly organized, well-coordinated, and supportive. I was particularly impressed by their compassionate, patient-centered approach to care, combined with their advanced clinical skills and extensive medical knowledge.”
“Prof. Petra Kohlberger is an exceptional mentor with a truly kind heart. She is incredibly supportive, helpful, and caring. […] I am especially grateful that she gave me the opportunity to develop my case study into a case report for publication under her mentorship.”
This collaboration has already produced a concrete result: Dr. Asfaw and Prof. Kohlberger’s team are now preparing a case report for publication. He also plans to explore further international research collaborations aimed at addressing maternal and fetal health challenges in Ethiopia and across Africa.
Karla Laškarin, MD – OMI Observer from Croatia – Psychiatry
Dr. Laškarin completed her observership at the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology of the Medical University of Innsbruck under the mentorship of Dr. Fabienne Post.
“[My mentor] Dr. Fabienne Post was very welcoming, approachable, and supportive throughout my observership. […] She took the time to share her knowledge and answer all my questions. I particularly appreciated her efforts to arrange visits to other wards and departments according to my interests, allowing me to gain a broader understanding of psychiatric care at the hospital.”
“My OMI observership at the Department of Psychiatry in Innsbruck provided me with an opportunity to gain insight into the organization of psychiatric care in Austria and to compare different clinical practices with those in Croatia.”
Dr. Laškarin’s working day began with a morning meeting of the clinical staff, during which the on-call team handed over information about patients and events from the previous shift. This was followed by a ward round, where laboratory results, patients’ clinical conditions, and potential adjustments to pharmacological treatment were discussed. Both meetings were multidisciplinary, involving psychiatrists, psychiatry residents, nurses, and psychologists.
She also visited the acute psychiatric secure unit for women, where she studied how involuntary hospitalization is regulated and implemented under Austrian law and found the comparison with the Croatian legal framework particularly interesting. Two differences from Croatian practice stood out: the frequent use of therapeutic drug monitoring to guide medication and a more restrictive approach to benzodiazepines. Non-pharmacological interventions, such as aromatherapy and encouraging patients to use coping and self-regulation skills, were often tried before additional medication was administered.
For Drs. Asfaw and Laškarin and their fellow observers, the OMI observerships provided new medical knowledge and a deeper understanding of structured workflows, collaboration, and innovation in patient care. These experiences serve as bridges for knowledge transfer and catalysts for professional growth, inspiring the observers to bring novel approaches and perspectives to their local healthcare systems.
For more information about upcoming OMI observerships, please contact: observerships@openmedicalinstitute.org
