Education/Training
SICOT Travelling Fellowships
2010 German Travelling Fellowship Report
Hamed AlhawaryÂ
SICOT member (Minia, Egypt)
I was very happy to be informed that I had received the SICOT German Travelling Fellowship in 2010 and it was a surprise for me to have been chosen by SICOT.
I arrived in Würzburg, Germany, on 5 November 2010. The König Ludwig Haus hospital had kindly asked a driver to pick me up from the main railway station of Würzburg and take me to the hospital where I met Mrs Roder, the secretary. She gave me the key to my accommodation and my Hospital uniform, after which she showed me around the Hospital and informed me about almost everything that I would need there.
On the morning of the second day, I met Prof Maximilian Rudert, the chief doctor of the Hospital, who is a very kind and civilised scientist with a wonderful smile on his face all the time. I attended the morning meeting, during which Prof Rudert introduced me to my new colleagues and invited me to tell them a little about myself.
During the following two days, I completed my accommodation papers and other administrative matters. I appeared on the hospital daily operation schedule from 07:25 to about 17:00 or later depending on the number of cases. The Hospital has five operating rooms working daily from Monday to Friday, sometimes dealing with emergency cases. At the hospital they undertake a variety of total knee and hip prostheses daily. They also undertake total shoulder replacement and arthroscopic surgery, foot, shoulder, and spine surgery. Depending on the operation schedule, I worked as a second or first assistant with Prof Rudert and all the other surgeons.
I enjoyed my stay in Germany very much. I also had the opportunity to travel within Germany and to visit other cities and countries in Europe.
I would like to thank Prof Maximilian Rudert and all his colleagues at the König Ludwig Haus Hospital University of Würzburg. I am also very grateful to SICOT. I would recommend the fellowship at this great centre to all young orthopaedic surgeons from around the world, as it would greatly benefit them in their careers and improve their skills.
