Schloss Arenberg was purchased by the Salzburg Stifung in 2001 and converted into a state-of-the-art conference center. Operations began in 2005 and the facility was used for medical seminars during the academic year and music camps for children during the summer.

Schloss Arenberg was destroyed by fire in April, 2009. The reconstruction of Schloss Arenberg is running to plan and the science and arts centre is scheduled to reopen in April, 2010. Until then, seminars will take place at Hotel Castellani in Salzburg.

The 13th annual Music for Medicine Benefit concert took place on November 5th, 2009, at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall and was a resounding success, raising $430,000 to support the Salzburg Medical Seminars of the Open Medical Institute (OMI), a global initiative founded by Weill Cornell Medical College, NewYork-
Presbyterian Hospital, the Open Society Institute and The American Austrian Foundation to educate young and promising physicians from countries in transition through seminars, observerships and distance learning.

Our work would not be possible without the support of our coordinators, who have the vital job of being the first contact point for physicians interested in the OMI and the AAF. They offer valuable support for applicants and are happy to help with any other queries regarding the AAF/OMI programs.

The coordinators took part in two meetings at the AAF office in Vienna to discuss the program to date and plans for the future.

Dr. Michael Stewart, trustee of the American Austrian Foundation, has been appointed the new senior associate dean for clinical affairs at the Medical College. Dr. Stewart will fulfil this role while retaining his titles as proffesor and chairman of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Weill Cornell Medical College and otorhinolaryngologist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hopsital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Stewart replaces Dr. E. Darracott Vaughan, who is retiring from the Medical College.

Dr. Stewart served as faculty member for the ENT seminar in 2005 and was course director for the Otolaryngology seminars in 2008 and 2009. We wish him every success in this new role!

Drs. Michael Carr and Thomas Kolon from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia travelled to Belgrade, Serbia to conduct a satellite symposium in pediatric urology, organized by Salzburg fellow and coordinator, Dr. Biljana Bulgicic and held at the University of Belgrade School of Medicine.
Prof. Dr. V. Bumbasirevic, Dean of the Medical School and Prof. Dr. N. Lalic, Vice Dean for International Collaboration at the Medical School introduced the international faculty from CHOP and took part in the roundtable discussion at the conclusion of the symposium.
Dr. Kathleen  McCray from the U.S. Embassy joined the group for dinner.

Each new day of the calendar separates me from the week held in Salzburg, October 2009. Each new day brings a new understanding of the importance of this event in my life.  
 What's changed? I have a new view of my specialty, Dermatology. I learned that in this world there are many people who think like me, people who care about their patients suffering from skin diseases and, most importantly, want to make this world a better place.
  What am I feeling? First of all, I have an enormous sense of gratitude for the organizers and lecturers. I want to thank each of them and also want to give a heartfelt thank you to all of my dermatologist colleagues from all 29 countries. I have a great desire to share the knowledge I acquired in Salzburg with my colleagues and students in Ukraine.
      
What do I want? For other dermatologists to attend the medical seminar in Salzburg, and return feeling the same way as I do.  For our wonderful lecturers to make new progress in the development of dermatology.  For my colleagues to have great success treating their patients.  And for each of us to be healthy, happy and to achieve all of our cherished desires ... 

If you have a similar story to share, please email newsletter@americanaustrianfoundation.org

May your lilies wait until I blossom.
May your roads await my coming.
May your cares encounter my joy.
May your prayers turn to gratitude.
May all you wish for one day be fulfilled.
And may all of it be just too little,
for you know now what happiness is -
you can never have too much happiness.