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Institution
Georg-August-Universität
Göttingen
Host
Institution(s)
Mount
Sinai Medical Center, New York
Mentor: Bruce D. Gelb, Professor of Pediatrics and Human Genetics
Analysis of novel TFAP2B mutations causing Char Syndrome.
›» Abstract
Pulmonology, Emergency Medicine, Pediatric Cardiology
Most people who live in New York are not New Yorkers. This is especially true for the labs. Where I worked, our boss was the only American. Everybody else was either Chinese or Japanese. I really learned a lot in the lab, and I enjoyed a care that is not comparable to what most medical students are used to in Germany. My boss does research as well as clinical work. He shows up in the lab a few times a day and inquires about our results. You may think "this is not unusual". But I am sure you will be surprised by the following story:
One day we had scheduled a meeting for 2 p.m. My boss was not there, and I went back to the lab. This would not surprise the average German medical student who is used to waiting for hours in order to get five minutes of attention. However, two minutes later my boss called to apologize for the delay. He would be there in 5 minutes and asked whether I would like some coffee. I was impressed. Medical students in the US usually do not work in labs. My boss here has four post-docs, three technicians and two students. Of course he can spend more time with his students than most clinical professors in Germany who (indirectly) supervise many more students.
Now, what is so special about NYC? No matter what type of art you are interested in, New York is THE place to go. Quite often you can obtain cheap tickets for concerts through the recreation office of your medical school. Otherwise it would be unaffordable for me to go to Avery Fisher Hall almost every week. If you walk through the different areas of Manhattan, you will find that they all have their distinct characters. In fact, Manhattan could easily be divided into ten different towns. I find New York's diversity in all aspects of cultural life particularly appealing.
Honestly, I cannot think of any serious difficulties in terms of housing, clinical electives or transportation. Everything is quite well organized at Mt Sinai. As a visiting student you can live in the dormitories right next to the hospital. The rent is currently $700 per month. (That is a problem!) If you want to do clinical electives you apply at the office for student affairs prior to arrival. I just heard that they will introduce tuition for visiting students. Regarding transportation, New York probably is one of the few cities in the US where you just DO NOT want to have a car.
If you live in the dormitories at Mt Sinai, it will be impossible to stay away from German students. All the visiting students live on the same floor, and 80% of them happen to be German.
NY is incredibly expensive. You must not convert the currencies.
You can earn some "quick" extra money by participating in clinical studies (e.g. Psychiatry), tutoring high school students, or babysitting.
I recommend the Pulmonology and ER rotations. You will see patients here that, to my knowledge, are rather rare in Germany. Mt Sinai is a center for Sarcoidosis. You will also encounter a lot of HIV patients and i.v. drug addicts. Initially, I started with Surgery. This was not such a great learning experience, which is why I changed to Pulmonology.
Learn some "Medical Spanish" prior to your clinical rotations in NYC.