Nina Jovanovic SOE Grant Placement report from Charite Virchow Augenklinik Centre

SOE grant placement report from Charite Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augenklinik Berlin

I would like to express my great gratitude to European Society of Ophthalmology, who provided me with this grant and gave me opportunity to learn in one of the best ophthalmology centers in Europe.
Also I would like to thank whole staff of Charite Virchow Augenklinik Berlin for accepting me.

Report:
I am a second years ophthalmology resident from Bosnia and Herzegovina
I spent 6 weeks (15th of April to 30th of May 2012) at Virchow Charite Univerzitet Augenklinik, Berlin, Germany.

Prior to my placement I had efficient communication with clinic’s secretary, Frau Ursula Freese. With this report i would like to share my greatest appreciation to her since Frau Freese had assisted me with my hospital placement, finding acceptable dates for my visit and all necessary paper work that needed to be done there.

Unfortunately, Virchow Augenklinik does not provide or assist you with accommodation issue, but since these things were stated in our information a document, that wasn’t a problem so I found accommodation on my own.
One more thing I found unpleasant was the fact that only person who was responsible and in charge for my placement was Frau Freese. Due to their high number of surgeries and patients and as well of the fact that every month Charite Augenklinik have few guest doctors they can’t provide or a signed you any person how will observe your practice or organize your placement and visits to different departments. This fact was explained me upon my arrival so I manage to organize my own practice according to my preference and clinical interest, what was very useful for me and my future practice as ophthalmologist.

I spend all 6 weeks at Anterior segment surgery and Eye plastic surgery section, and I was introduced to a excellent and admirable eye surgeon, PD Dr Eckart Bertelmann, with whom I have spent most of my time in operating theater.

The focus of my interest was to observe, learn, assist and perform anterior segment operations since my hospital does not have posterior segment surgery department.
In my hospital we perform limited number of eye surgeries so during my residency and subspecialty I will focus on educating myself for eye plastic surgery and try to contribute on developing my eye department and introducing new surgical methods to my fellow colleagues. So, practice in Berlin which SOE provided me, was a essential step in my future education and practice.

I had opportunity to assist and to observe numerous of great ophthalmic surgeries every day, including: PHACO, dacryocystorhinostomy, ptosis, tumors resections, orbitototomy, blepharoplastic, corneal transplantation, strabismus surgeries, reconstruction of the bulbus and eyelids etc.

I was able to see the top of the ophthalmic surgeries, well equipped ORs, high-tech instruments and machine in examination rooms, all the things I am not able to see in my hospital. So, i value that this experience will be of a great benefits for my future practice for me as well for my hospital and eye department.

The staff of Augenklinik was very pleasant and welcoming, and they answered all my questions and solved my dilemmas I had considering surgery methods I have learned home and new methods they have showed me.

During these 6 weeks I had opportunity to join their Cataract and anterior segment surgery symposium. At the end they provided me with the Certificate of Attendance, which was signed by Dr Eckart Bertelmann.

At the end I can recommend Charite Virchow Augenklinik Centre to the future SOE grant recipients, and wish them great time there.

Nina Jovanovic