How
about a little practice between all of the learning-by-heart exam
questions that end up in ridiculous multiple choice tests with even
more ridiculous results? I guess I'll never really understand the
point of a short, intense learning period that gives you a nice grade
but no practical knowledge whatsoever.
No
wonder that when I first saw the program for this year's Oncology Winter School at LMU, it intrigued me. It would have intrigued me
even if only half of it were true. Because what could possibly be
better than a close up of real clinical practice, especially if it
focuses on Oncology?
On
second thought, I had a little doubt about fitting in a *challenging*
4-week course.
However,
the idea of spending a month in Munich began to haunt me and a few days short
of the deadline, I decided I'd give it a try with my application. I
didn't expect I'd have a real chance to be chosen as one of the 10
participating students from around the world, and a rather long
period with no response seemed to confirm my thoughts, but all the
greater was the surprise upon receiving a message of approval.
And
soon after my rather "strange" Erlangen experience, it was
time to have another look at Bavaria. I was eager to experience the mix of daily ward routine and afternoon lectures, get to know colleagues from all over the world and above all, explore everything Munich has to offer.
The
information given beforehand turned out to be very helpful in getting
me to my room, and on a windy March afternoon, I learned how what's
being advertised as "Germany's biggest student village" looks like in real
life.
The complex of student buildings and towers with streets named
after WWII resistance fighters looks overwhelming at first, but in
the end, you end up in your own little room – a little shabby, yet
enough to make a student's life comfortable.
And
for the next 4 weeks, this would be my view.
A little depressing and
somehow sterile, but then again, it would only be for a month. Still, it was reason enough for me to decide I'd spend as
little time as possible inside. Turns out I'd be pretty much right
about this one, even though it would be in a way I never imagined.
As
usual, the first days were devoted to settling in, getting to know
each other, and get familiar with the surroundings.
German perfection seemed to work with the University officials as
well as our German study buddies, who all tried to make things run as
smooth as possible.
And
after the duties were done, there was plenty of time to get to know
Munich. Turns out the city I previously knew only from various
stopovers at the main train station absolutely deserves more than a
simple come-and-go visit.
Past
the crowds in the city of the lion, off to its most well-known
sites...
New town hall with its rich main facade, the famous Glockenspiel, and the Münchner Kindl atop the 85 m high tower.
Sights of Munich...
... And the city from above, as seen from "Old Pete", the 91 m high tower of St. Peter's church. Was the coughing and puffing worth it? On a day like this, absolutely: views of various parts of the city with the Alps in the background.
Frauenkirche. Due to the law that no building in the city should exceed 99 m in height (the only exception being the Olympiaturm), the twin towers of Munich's cathedral are well visible from all over the place.
Slowly, it was time to adapt to the professional part, too. For the moment, however, it would be just a stroll through the old inner city campus...
~ to be continued ~
