Alchemy University & Auf Wiedersehen Salzburg!

This morning we visited Paracelsus Medical School, named for the 15th century alchemist and physician. They have some fantastic facilities here, particularly their anatomy department and lab (check out the picture of the lab with its giant model of a brain, and fiberoptics tracing the neural pathways to the senses), and their fabrication laboratory, run by Synthes ( an orthopaedic implant company). In the lab, they can take an idea for an implant or instrument from drawing board to prototype in less than a week. It’s really impressive, particularly the “printer” which “prints” 3-D plastic models that emerge from the machine in one piece, but with moving parts, if necessary (look at the cute little pigs they made!) It’s really unbelievable.
After the tour, we said goodbye to our wonderful host, Dr. Dorn, and took a brief walk along the Salzach River back to town. Coming back here after all these years has truly been special. I honestly don’t know if the rest of the trip can top it or match it. Here I am saying a bittersweet Auf Wiedersehen to Salzburg just before heading to catch our train to Vienna.