Papa's day

7:45 am 150-200 completely white-clad physicians from the Trauma Ortho, Neurosurgery and Intensiv Care departments meet for the 'Morgenbesprechung' in a room with a light floor, white walls and ceiling: It feels like a meeting in heaven...
The meeting starts ontime as soon as the boss arrives: suddenly all chatting is stopped, cellphones are silenced. Professor Bühren opens the meeting and always closes it with some short remarks. The meeting itself is shorter than 20 min, but all hospital-wide admissions and events over night are presented...and the Hospital is the biggest Trauma Hospital in the region!
Nurses and staff are very friendly and helpful: On the ward (Station 34 is my assigned ward) doctors and nurses share breakfast and snacks throughout the day. 'Visite' or rounds are being done twice a day with nurses, PT's and the 'Controller' (Coding and Hospital administration). Patients are being admitted still the day before their operation, even though that is not covered anymore by insurance companies, but Professor Bühren still sees it as a special 'bonus' that the hospital provides for the patient. Patients stay much longer in the hospital as well which is partially supported by the budgeting for this non-for-profit hospital: If less patient days then last year were reached the hospital budget shrinks...
There are five doctors on this Spinal surgey ward. Only one is in the last year of his residency, the rest of them has had 1-10 years of experience. Two of them are 'Oberärzte', three are 'Assistensärzte'. This team is being lead by 'Leitender Arzt' Dr. Gonschorek (on my left in the picture)...Lots of hierachy, but the atmosphere is very nice and personal , on first name basis, a little unusual for a german hospital, maybe?
3-5 Spine surgeries are being performed daily by the Trauma Orthopedic department, about the same amount by the neurosurgical unit. Patients are either covered as part of their mandated workman's compensation insurance or by their regular personal insurance. There is a 10% contingent who come from the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) due to a governmental contract. A large group of patients comes directly by helicopter from the surrounding ski resorts.
I am in the OR a lot and I am scrubbed in with all of the endoscopic assisted transthoracic spine surgeries and hope to bring these skills back home.
Due to my status as visiting surgeon I leave when I want: no paperwork, no dictations, no discharges, no records... like heaven for me. Once I take my white clothes off I am back to earth: help with German homework for the kids, garbage recycling and driving to skiing, soccer, figure skating and gymnastics!