Vienna, Austria: A Historically Rich City!

By:

Alina Wise

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Alina Wise

<i>Home Institution</i>: University of Central Florida <i>Expected Graduation Year</i>: 2023 <i>Academic Major / Minor</i>: Health Sciences (Pre-Clinical) <i>Destination</i>: Vienna, Austria & Berlin, Germany <i>"Hello" in your host country's language</i>: Hallo <i>Program Provider</i>: WorldStrides <i>Demographics</i>: African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Multi-Racial, First-Generation College Student <i>Future Career Goals</i>: I wish to become a doctor! <i>Top Three Study Abroad Goals</i>: To become more appreciative of the history behind medicinal practices used today, to become more culturally competent overall, and to have fun experiencing the magic of being abroad for the first time!

Vienna is undoubtedly the most beautiful place that I have ever had the pleasure of traveling to. It’s so gorgeous and its history is extremely rich. I saw a handful of artifacts that pre-date the entirety of the United States by at least a couple hundred years, which blew my mind and fully expanded my world view. The city is bustling, yet calm and the cafes have some of the best food I have ever tasted. It has been an absolute dream come true to know that I have been there and explored it to the fullest! I genuinely cannot wait to return to Vienna, Austria in the future.

Aside from the beauty of the city and its people, the main reason for the creation of this trip was to explore its roots in medical history. I saw museums with 300-year-old wax models used by surgical students, I saw the skulls used by Joseph Gall to study phrenology, and I had the pleasure of visiting Sigmund Freud’s house as well. It such a short span of time I learned so much and had hands on experience with engaging with these medically historic figured I have heard about from such a young age. To see the medical instruments, they used and where they lived and studied, it all makes it feel so much more real; and it makes you feel so much more appreciative of it as well.

Without understanding where we have come from it is difficult to be able to move forward. And what I saw in Vienna, Austria was the foundations of our understanding of the human body on a deeper level; without which, we would not be as medically advanced as we are today. I will be forever grateful to Vienna!