July 26, 2010
It has been about one month since I got home from this trip, and I’ve had some time to reflect on the experience. During this trip I had the opportunity to learn and observe how veterinary schools in Europe teach students, how veterinarians in European zoos and wildlife centers practice medicine, and how important events in Germany’s history have shaped the country. The most valuable part of the program for me was the time we spent with fellow veterinary students. For the first time in my life, I had the opportunity to make connections and form friendships with people in other countries. What I learned and saw about veterinary medicine during this trip gave me new ideas that I will be able to use throughout my career, and I hope that I will continue to have opportunities to work with people from other countries in the future.
To be honest, there were a few things about life in Europe that I found difficult to get used to. The bathrooms are weird. Paying to enter public restrooms was very weird. No free ketchup packets or drink refills made eating in restaurants a little weird. Constantly relying on public transportation was also weird. Having spent my entire life in Texas, this trip to Europe was my first ever experience with riding trains, buses, and subways all day long everyday. While I appreciate the environmental benefits, I did not find it more convenient or pleasant than driving my own car. On the contrary, I found the lack of freedom hard to deal with. One can only travel from one place to the next at certain times by certain routes, and the trip takes a certain amount of time. I much prefer the freedom my car gives me to go wherever I want whenever I want, even if it means paying for gas. However, the benefits of experiencing a new and different culture far outweigh my little bit of culture shock.
Looking back on the entire program, I think this was a great way for me to get my feet wet. Before I went on this trip, I definitely would not have felt comfortable traveling in Europe and could not even have imagined it was a possibility for me. This program has made one of my dreams a reality, and I cannot wait to go back to Europe again! I love Germany!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Italy
June 18, 2010
After the program officially ended Greg and I stayed another day in Berlin before flying to Italy. While we were still in Berlin, we visited the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the Berlin Aquarium. I thought the Checkpoint Charlie Museum was incredible! It was filled with inventions that people from East Berlin had used to escape through the Berlin Wall into West Berlin, and all of the walls were completely covered with news articles—plus English and French translations—on escapees and other historical events. The Berlin Aquarium is separate from the zoo and has three floors, including reptiles, amphibians, insects, and arachnids in addition to all the fish. We went through the whole entire building; the size of some of the tanks and the diversity of the animals made it a pretty impressive aquarium!
Our trip through Italy began in Rome, where we saw the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Vatican Museum. The Colosseum looks amazing when it is lit up at night, but during the day one can plainly see that years of pollution have turned the stone black. We could also see where visitors had carved names and messages into the stone over the years. I really enjoyed our visit to the Vatican, however, because I was able to see the Sistine Chapel. Next we traveled by train to Pisa, where we saw the leaning tower. Although Pisa is a small town, getting from the train station to our hostel turned out to be quite difficult due to unreliable buses and confusing directions. I liked Pisa though, and after climbing the tower’s slippery, uneven stairs I decided the view from the top was well worth the effort. Our last stop was Venice, where we got lost wandering through the incredibly narrow unmarked streets, each one reaching an inevitable dead-end at a canal. This was entertaining for awhile, but after spending an entire day lost in this maze, which is spread out over multiple islands, I had had enough. Our experience with the transportation system in Venice was no better than in Pisa. On our train-ride back to mainland Venice and the hotel, we were fined fifty euros for not having stamped our tickets due to a machine malfunction. The tickets were worth one euro each.
Overall, I felt that the atmosphere in Italy was surprisingly different from that of Germany, for several reasons. First, everything I had heard about Italy made me think the scenery would be breathtakingly beautiful, but I was disappointed. For me, Rome felt too big, too hectic, and too dirty to really be enjoyable. I think the city in general, including such historical sites as the Colosseum, could be better cared for. I also believe the trains and buses in Italy were not as well run as those in Germany and the other countries we visited. Most of the people we met in Italy seemed tired of dealing with tourists, which is understandable. The places we visited were all swarming with tourists like us, confused and unable to speak Italian. Looking back at the past month, I had a better time in Germany than I did in Italy, but this could be because of the particular places in Italy I saw. There are many other sites in Italy I have yet to see, and I hope I will get the chance to return someday.
After the program officially ended Greg and I stayed another day in Berlin before flying to Italy. While we were still in Berlin, we visited the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the Berlin Aquarium. I thought the Checkpoint Charlie Museum was incredible! It was filled with inventions that people from East Berlin had used to escape through the Berlin Wall into West Berlin, and all of the walls were completely covered with news articles—plus English and French translations—on escapees and other historical events. The Berlin Aquarium is separate from the zoo and has three floors, including reptiles, amphibians, insects, and arachnids in addition to all the fish. We went through the whole entire building; the size of some of the tanks and the diversity of the animals made it a pretty impressive aquarium!
Our trip through Italy began in Rome, where we saw the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Vatican Museum. The Colosseum looks amazing when it is lit up at night, but during the day one can plainly see that years of pollution have turned the stone black. We could also see where visitors had carved names and messages into the stone over the years. I really enjoyed our visit to the Vatican, however, because I was able to see the Sistine Chapel. Next we traveled by train to Pisa, where we saw the leaning tower. Although Pisa is a small town, getting from the train station to our hostel turned out to be quite difficult due to unreliable buses and confusing directions. I liked Pisa though, and after climbing the tower’s slippery, uneven stairs I decided the view from the top was well worth the effort. Our last stop was Venice, where we got lost wandering through the incredibly narrow unmarked streets, each one reaching an inevitable dead-end at a canal. This was entertaining for awhile, but after spending an entire day lost in this maze, which is spread out over multiple islands, I had had enough. Our experience with the transportation system in Venice was no better than in Pisa. On our train-ride back to mainland Venice and the hotel, we were fined fifty euros for not having stamped our tickets due to a machine malfunction. The tickets were worth one euro each.
Overall, I felt that the atmosphere in Italy was surprisingly different from that of Germany, for several reasons. First, everything I had heard about Italy made me think the scenery would be breathtakingly beautiful, but I was disappointed. For me, Rome felt too big, too hectic, and too dirty to really be enjoyable. I think the city in general, including such historical sites as the Colosseum, could be better cared for. I also believe the trains and buses in Italy were not as well run as those in Germany and the other countries we visited. Most of the people we met in Italy seemed tired of dealing with tourists, which is understandable. The places we visited were all swarming with tourists like us, confused and unable to speak Italian. Looking back at the past month, I had a better time in Germany than I did in Italy, but this could be because of the particular places in Italy I saw. There are many other sites in Italy I have yet to see, and I hope I will get the chance to return someday.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Italy – Free Time
15/06/2010
We headed to Hannover by train and arrived at Simon’s apartment in time to enjoy a cookout. It was great to just relax in the company of great friends. Early the next morning we got back on the train and boarded the plane to Rome. After a short flight and a train to the central station, we walked in search of our hostel. The address we had was correct, but the building was unmarked and check-in was held at another hotel that was several blocks away. The luggage had become quite heavy by this time of the trip. We enjoyed our first real Italian meal and settled down for the night. The following afternoon we set out on an audio guided bus tour of the city. We traveled to the Colosseum that evening to view this massive structure and appreciate the Roman architecture against the night sky. The following day included a detailed tour of the Colosseum. I was shocked to find it was dirty and vandalized with engraved graffiti. Before leaving Rome, we visited the Vatican Museum.
Pisa was a smaller town, but the famous Leaning Tower was an enjoyable sight. The tower was visible from our room window. As we ascended the spiral stairs of the tower, the lean was quite obvious. We wrapped up our trip with a visit to Venice and the surrounding islands. The ancient buildings were separated by narrow alleyways and boats traveled its many waterways.
On our way back to the Bonn Airport, we stopped at the Munich Train Station where we watched the television as the German World Cup soccer team won with four goals. The excitement displayed within the train station was truly amazing and I was jealous that I had never observed that much excitement in the United States regarding a soccer game. After our arrival in Bonn we met up with Dr. Wasser and Olaf for lunch by the Rhine River. We spent the afternoon searching for a few more souvenirs. We stayed in the AIB student dormitory that last night. We were both ready to return home by this point, for even as much as we enjoyed Germany, I was looking forward to my own bed and seeing my pets.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
We headed to Hannover by train and arrived at Simon’s apartment in time to enjoy a cookout. It was great to just relax in the company of great friends. Early the next morning we got back on the train and boarded the plane to Rome. After a short flight and a train to the central station, we walked in search of our hostel. The address we had was correct, but the building was unmarked and check-in was held at another hotel that was several blocks away. The luggage had become quite heavy by this time of the trip. We enjoyed our first real Italian meal and settled down for the night. The following afternoon we set out on an audio guided bus tour of the city. We traveled to the Colosseum that evening to view this massive structure and appreciate the Roman architecture against the night sky. The following day included a detailed tour of the Colosseum. I was shocked to find it was dirty and vandalized with engraved graffiti. Before leaving Rome, we visited the Vatican Museum.
Pisa was a smaller town, but the famous Leaning Tower was an enjoyable sight. The tower was visible from our room window. As we ascended the spiral stairs of the tower, the lean was quite obvious. We wrapped up our trip with a visit to Venice and the surrounding islands. The ancient buildings were separated by narrow alleyways and boats traveled its many waterways.
On our way back to the Bonn Airport, we stopped at the Munich Train Station where we watched the television as the German World Cup soccer team won with four goals. The excitement displayed within the train station was truly amazing and I was jealous that I had never observed that much excitement in the United States regarding a soccer game. After our arrival in Bonn we met up with Dr. Wasser and Olaf for lunch by the Rhine River. We spent the afternoon searching for a few more souvenirs. We stayed in the AIB student dormitory that last night. We were both ready to return home by this point, for even as much as we enjoyed Germany, I was looking forward to my own bed and seeing my pets.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
Friday, July 23, 2010
Berlin
June 5, 2010
Berlin is an amazing city and one of my favorite places out of the whole trip! There is so much to see and do, and I never expected to learn as much history while staying here as I have. At the veterinary school our group split up, and I chose to join the group visiting the equine clinic. Our tour was a little confusing, but I enjoyed it. Our student guide took us to the equine surgical rounds, which was all in German, but the radiographs were pretty self-explanatory. Next, we toured the barns and watched a surgery—a bilateral neurectomy for a case of chronic incurable lameness. Their facilities looked like they were old but still in good working order. I was disturbed, though, when I observed several breaks in sterile technique during the surgical prep and procedure. We ate lunch with the students, and then instead of going on the bike tour I went with Kat to “Museum Island,” a group of several museums all together in one convenient location. We started with the Neues Museum and did not have time to see everything—the place was huge, and it was just one of the museums there! We saw most of their Egyptian collection, however, and the best part was the bust of Nefertiti. It is amazing that something so old is still in such good condition.
The tour of Sachsenhausen, a former concentration camp, was a very powerful experience for me. I had never visited a concentration camp before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect or how to react. During our tour, we learned that this camp was an early one that served as a model for later, bigger camps and was used mostly for political prisoners. After the war, it was used by the Soviets for their political prisoners. People were kept there for long periods of time and forced to work. There is a sign across the entrance that reads, “Arbeit Macht Frei” which in English means, “work will set you free.” Our guide told us that prisoners thought if they worked hard enough for long enough, they could actually earn their freedom. After seeing the conditions in which prisoners lived and the way they were treated, I left wondering how anyone could subject another human being to that kind of treatment.
I also learned more about the Berlin Wall and what life was like for people when the city was divided. For the first time, I stopped to really think about how long the Wall stood and how recently it was taken down. We went up inside one of the towers and saw a piece that has been left standing as a memorial, but I think what really moved me were all the stories we heard about people who tried to escape through it. People came up with all kinds of inventive schemes to get through the Wall from East Berlin to West Berlin, many of which were successful.
That afternoon we had some free time, so I went back to “Museum Island” to see some more museums. I went with Greg to the Pergamon Museum to see the Pergamon Alter and the Ishtar Gate. I was amazed to find these massive structures built into the rooms of the museum!
On the last day of the program we visited the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research. We toured their facilities where they showed us their amazing CT, which is incredibly fast and powerful, and taught us to use a blowgun dart. We also learned about one of their current projects, preserving Sumatran Rhinos. Later that afternoon we finally got to see the Berlin zoo! During our tour we saw the zoo’s veterinary facilities and Knut the world-famous polar bear, and we were even allowed to feed the hippos. That evening we all had a wonderful dinner together at a Moroccan restaurant. It was a great ending to a great program!
Berlin is an amazing city and one of my favorite places out of the whole trip! There is so much to see and do, and I never expected to learn as much history while staying here as I have. At the veterinary school our group split up, and I chose to join the group visiting the equine clinic. Our tour was a little confusing, but I enjoyed it. Our student guide took us to the equine surgical rounds, which was all in German, but the radiographs were pretty self-explanatory. Next, we toured the barns and watched a surgery—a bilateral neurectomy for a case of chronic incurable lameness. Their facilities looked like they were old but still in good working order. I was disturbed, though, when I observed several breaks in sterile technique during the surgical prep and procedure. We ate lunch with the students, and then instead of going on the bike tour I went with Kat to “Museum Island,” a group of several museums all together in one convenient location. We started with the Neues Museum and did not have time to see everything—the place was huge, and it was just one of the museums there! We saw most of their Egyptian collection, however, and the best part was the bust of Nefertiti. It is amazing that something so old is still in such good condition.
The tour of Sachsenhausen, a former concentration camp, was a very powerful experience for me. I had never visited a concentration camp before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect or how to react. During our tour, we learned that this camp was an early one that served as a model for later, bigger camps and was used mostly for political prisoners. After the war, it was used by the Soviets for their political prisoners. People were kept there for long periods of time and forced to work. There is a sign across the entrance that reads, “Arbeit Macht Frei” which in English means, “work will set you free.” Our guide told us that prisoners thought if they worked hard enough for long enough, they could actually earn their freedom. After seeing the conditions in which prisoners lived and the way they were treated, I left wondering how anyone could subject another human being to that kind of treatment.
I also learned more about the Berlin Wall and what life was like for people when the city was divided. For the first time, I stopped to really think about how long the Wall stood and how recently it was taken down. We went up inside one of the towers and saw a piece that has been left standing as a memorial, but I think what really moved me were all the stories we heard about people who tried to escape through it. People came up with all kinds of inventive schemes to get through the Wall from East Berlin to West Berlin, many of which were successful.
That afternoon we had some free time, so I went back to “Museum Island” to see some more museums. I went with Greg to the Pergamon Museum to see the Pergamon Alter and the Ishtar Gate. I was amazed to find these massive structures built into the rooms of the museum!
On the last day of the program we visited the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research. We toured their facilities where they showed us their amazing CT, which is incredibly fast and powerful, and taught us to use a blowgun dart. We also learned about one of their current projects, preserving Sumatran Rhinos. Later that afternoon we finally got to see the Berlin zoo! During our tour we saw the zoo’s veterinary facilities and Knut the world-famous polar bear, and we were even allowed to feed the hippos. That evening we all had a wonderful dinner together at a Moroccan restaurant. It was a great ending to a great program!
Berlin
05/06/2010
The plane flight to Berlin began with a bad start. I was required to pay 22 euros for an extra bag, because the maximum size restrictions for a carry-on bag are smaller than in the United States. Things quickly became much better that evening when we arrived at a very nice yet simple hotel.
The next day we met Jule, a veterinarian who recently graduated from Berlin and had visited Texas A&M on a previous exchange trip. We split into two groups and I elected to go on the equine option. We had some time to speak with the students that were in the clinics while their professors were in a meeting. Some German veterinary students start veterinary school in Budapest, Hungary for their first few years. Morning rounds were conducted in German, but I really enjoyed looking at the radiographs. After rounds we were taken to some cases by the surgery resident who spoke to us and the German students in English. He then invited us to observe a bilateral neurectomy. I learned through conversation that some residencies are accepted in both the United States and Europe, but that a European residency in surgery for example is not recognized in the United States. I hope this changes with time. We need to work together to maximize progress. Berlin has much culture and diversity and I would love to study here! I was told that I must learn to speak German first. I ate lunch with several of the veterinary students. That evening we took a pleasant bicycle tour of the city.
The next day we toured a museum that is a former concentration camp. I was flooded with emotions during the visit. We reunited with our tour guide from the previous evening to visit a few more sites. The concept of the Berlin Wall is almost hard to believe. We then headed to “Museum Island” where admission was free for the last few hours. I was very impressed by the architecture I witnessed inside. We had hopes of visiting the Reichstage before it closed for the evening, but the waiting line was very long when we arrived and in short we were informed that there would not be enough time for us to enter.
The Zoo & Wildlife Research Institute we visited the following day was very exciting. The researchers work hard to help study and preserve endangered species. I would love to work there someday. We all had one turn to shoot a blowgun dart, which was awesome. I’m a huge fan of tranquilizer guns. After a quick lunch we headed to the Berlin Zoo. It was great to have the zoo veterinarian show us all around! We also met Knut the polar bear, from a distance of course. The scheduled trip ended with a delicious dinner at a Moroccan restaurant, compliments of Dr. Wasser. I could hardly believe how quickly the last three weeks had passed. I went out that night with a fellow student, Jule, her sister and cousin. It’s great to hang out with friends from another country.
While the trip was now officially over, I still had some more time before I was ready to leave. My friend Sarah and I had booked our return flight so that we would have some more time in Europe. Wanting to see Italy, we scheduled an inexpensive flight from Hannover to Rome. We decided to first visit the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the Berlin Aquarium before boarding a train back to Hannover. At the Checkpoint Charlie Museum it was interesting to sell all of the different ways that people had escaped from East Berlin. The risks that escapees took emphasize how extreme the situation had been. The Berlin Aquarium was quite a different site. A different collection of organisms was housed on each of three different levels including insects, amphibians and reptiles, and fish and marine-life.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
The plane flight to Berlin began with a bad start. I was required to pay 22 euros for an extra bag, because the maximum size restrictions for a carry-on bag are smaller than in the United States. Things quickly became much better that evening when we arrived at a very nice yet simple hotel.
The next day we met Jule, a veterinarian who recently graduated from Berlin and had visited Texas A&M on a previous exchange trip. We split into two groups and I elected to go on the equine option. We had some time to speak with the students that were in the clinics while their professors were in a meeting. Some German veterinary students start veterinary school in Budapest, Hungary for their first few years. Morning rounds were conducted in German, but I really enjoyed looking at the radiographs. After rounds we were taken to some cases by the surgery resident who spoke to us and the German students in English. He then invited us to observe a bilateral neurectomy. I learned through conversation that some residencies are accepted in both the United States and Europe, but that a European residency in surgery for example is not recognized in the United States. I hope this changes with time. We need to work together to maximize progress. Berlin has much culture and diversity and I would love to study here! I was told that I must learn to speak German first. I ate lunch with several of the veterinary students. That evening we took a pleasant bicycle tour of the city.
The next day we toured a museum that is a former concentration camp. I was flooded with emotions during the visit. We reunited with our tour guide from the previous evening to visit a few more sites. The concept of the Berlin Wall is almost hard to believe. We then headed to “Museum Island” where admission was free for the last few hours. I was very impressed by the architecture I witnessed inside. We had hopes of visiting the Reichstage before it closed for the evening, but the waiting line was very long when we arrived and in short we were informed that there would not be enough time for us to enter.
The Zoo & Wildlife Research Institute we visited the following day was very exciting. The researchers work hard to help study and preserve endangered species. I would love to work there someday. We all had one turn to shoot a blowgun dart, which was awesome. I’m a huge fan of tranquilizer guns. After a quick lunch we headed to the Berlin Zoo. It was great to have the zoo veterinarian show us all around! We also met Knut the polar bear, from a distance of course. The scheduled trip ended with a delicious dinner at a Moroccan restaurant, compliments of Dr. Wasser. I could hardly believe how quickly the last three weeks had passed. I went out that night with a fellow student, Jule, her sister and cousin. It’s great to hang out with friends from another country.
While the trip was now officially over, I still had some more time before I was ready to leave. My friend Sarah and I had booked our return flight so that we would have some more time in Europe. Wanting to see Italy, we scheduled an inexpensive flight from Hannover to Rome. We decided to first visit the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the Berlin Aquarium before boarding a train back to Hannover. At the Checkpoint Charlie Museum it was interesting to sell all of the different ways that people had escaped from East Berlin. The risks that escapees took emphasize how extreme the situation had been. The Berlin Aquarium was quite a different site. A different collection of organisms was housed on each of three different levels including insects, amphibians and reptiles, and fish and marine-life.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Basel
June 5, 2010
For most of our stay in Basel, I was in the hospital. I had been sick all weekend, so when I arrived in Basel Sunday night Dr. Wasser sent me to the emergency room. At this point I knew something was wrong, and when the results from my blood work came back I understood why I had been feeling so tired. In addition to acute gastroenteritis, I was moderately anemic. My pancreatic enzymes were also elevated, meaning my gastroenteritis might actually be a symptom of underlying pancreatitis. It was interesting to observe the differences between Swiss medicine and American medicine. In my experience, many of the doctors I have seen in America tend to prescribe antibiotics first and run tests later, only if the antibiotic does not solve the problem. Doctors here, on the other hand, seem much less willing to prescribe antibiotics. In my case, they wanted to rule out pancreatitis first, which meant more blood tests for pancreatic enzymes, abdominal ultrasound, and tests for various bacteria and protozoa to determine the causative agent. However, an antibiotic would have interfered with enough of these tests to keep the doctors from being able to definitively rule pancreatitis in or out. Not only that, but, obviously, if I had no infection then antibiotics would be unnecessary. It was late at night, though, and I explained that I would only be in Basel until Tuesday afternoon, so I was given an antibiotic under the condition that I come back in the morning to have my pancreatic enzymes rechecked.
Monday morning, while the rest of the group toured Novartis, the program director Olaf and I went back to the hospital. After another round of blood samples were taken, we saw that my pancreatic enzymes were lower but still too high, and the antibiotic in my system prevented the doctors from running any further tests. Still hoping someone would get to the bottom of this, they sent me away with instructions to see a doctor as soon as I finished my antibiotic and also a letter describing my medical problems and outlining their diagnostic testing plan—in German—for that doctor. I found it ironic that for the first time in my life I had doctors who are actually trying to figure out what was wrong with me instead of blinding giving me drugs, and I didn’t have time to let them work.
Although I missed the tour of Novartis because of all this, I was still able to attend the city tour the next day. I really enjoyed this tour—it was a nice day and Basel is a beautiful city! I loved all the fountains, and I was amazed to learn that all the water from them is safe to drink!
For most of our stay in Basel, I was in the hospital. I had been sick all weekend, so when I arrived in Basel Sunday night Dr. Wasser sent me to the emergency room. At this point I knew something was wrong, and when the results from my blood work came back I understood why I had been feeling so tired. In addition to acute gastroenteritis, I was moderately anemic. My pancreatic enzymes were also elevated, meaning my gastroenteritis might actually be a symptom of underlying pancreatitis. It was interesting to observe the differences between Swiss medicine and American medicine. In my experience, many of the doctors I have seen in America tend to prescribe antibiotics first and run tests later, only if the antibiotic does not solve the problem. Doctors here, on the other hand, seem much less willing to prescribe antibiotics. In my case, they wanted to rule out pancreatitis first, which meant more blood tests for pancreatic enzymes, abdominal ultrasound, and tests for various bacteria and protozoa to determine the causative agent. However, an antibiotic would have interfered with enough of these tests to keep the doctors from being able to definitively rule pancreatitis in or out. Not only that, but, obviously, if I had no infection then antibiotics would be unnecessary. It was late at night, though, and I explained that I would only be in Basel until Tuesday afternoon, so I was given an antibiotic under the condition that I come back in the morning to have my pancreatic enzymes rechecked.
Monday morning, while the rest of the group toured Novartis, the program director Olaf and I went back to the hospital. After another round of blood samples were taken, we saw that my pancreatic enzymes were lower but still too high, and the antibiotic in my system prevented the doctors from running any further tests. Still hoping someone would get to the bottom of this, they sent me away with instructions to see a doctor as soon as I finished my antibiotic and also a letter describing my medical problems and outlining their diagnostic testing plan—in German—for that doctor. I found it ironic that for the first time in my life I had doctors who are actually trying to figure out what was wrong with me instead of blinding giving me drugs, and I didn’t have time to let them work.
Although I missed the tour of Novartis because of all this, I was still able to attend the city tour the next day. I really enjoyed this tour—it was a nice day and Basel is a beautiful city! I loved all the fountains, and I was amazed to learn that all the water from them is safe to drink!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Based in Basel, Switzerland
01/06/2010
We arrived by train in Basel, Switzerland. We checked in to a very nice Ramada Hotel, which we later learned from our tour guide is the tallest building in all of Switzerland.
In the morning we walked to the headquarters of Novartis, a pharmaceutical company which makes many drugs and CIBA contact lenses. I like how they have their own strict rules, so they do not have to worry about laws when introducing products to new countries. The building had very nice laboratory facilities and we learned about the process of drug development and marketing. We then boarded a large van and traveled an hour to their research station. After a lovely lunch that included a local pastry dish, we took a tour of their parasite breeding facilities, animal housing, and research rooms. I was very impressed. There is an artificial cat that was developed to raise fleas, which are needed to test flea protection products. This is a great substitute to replace the need for a live cat in the rearing of fleas.
We began the next day with a tour of Basel. It was great to have the opportunity to observe another culture. When the tour ended, my classmate Kat and I visited a natural history museum which contained Roman and Egyptian remains. I had never seen an actual preserved mummy before and it was very exciting.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
We arrived by train in Basel, Switzerland. We checked in to a very nice Ramada Hotel, which we later learned from our tour guide is the tallest building in all of Switzerland.
In the morning we walked to the headquarters of Novartis, a pharmaceutical company which makes many drugs and CIBA contact lenses. I like how they have their own strict rules, so they do not have to worry about laws when introducing products to new countries. The building had very nice laboratory facilities and we learned about the process of drug development and marketing. We then boarded a large van and traveled an hour to their research station. After a lovely lunch that included a local pastry dish, we took a tour of their parasite breeding facilities, animal housing, and research rooms. I was very impressed. There is an artificial cat that was developed to raise fleas, which are needed to test flea protection products. This is a great substitute to replace the need for a live cat in the rearing of fleas.
We began the next day with a tour of Basel. It was great to have the opportunity to observe another culture. When the tour ended, my classmate Kat and I visited a natural history museum which contained Roman and Egyptian remains. I had never seen an actual preserved mummy before and it was very exciting.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
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