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A Trip to Auschwitz: A Powerful Lesson for Future Medical Students

Another visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum left a lasting impact, filled with emotions, challenging conditions, and this year, an impressive display of physical endurance by the students in the Czech post-secondary preparatory programme for medical faculties. Once again, the participants were guided through the seven-hour tour by an experienced guide, who tailored his commentary to suit the specific needs of future doctors.

The excursion took place in difficult weather conditions - persistent freezing rain, ice, sub-zero temperatures, and wind - which made it especially challenging to navigate the camps, particularly Birkenau. The slippery terrain added a somber layer to the experience, highlighting the suffering endured by the prisoners. The students not only showed physical endurance but also demonstrated a deep interest in the historical context and a strong appreciation for the ethical dilemmas tied to the site.

Throughout the tour, students visited several key locations. They stood at the execution wall, descended into the torture dungeons, walked through the gas chambers and crematoria, and visited the site of the former open incineration pits. They also explored the area known as "Canada," where the personal belongings of deported victims were sorted, and passed by the ruins of the crematoria and the places where the ashes of the murdered were discarded.

A particularly sensitive moment was the stop at the foundations of the former Block 30, where sterilization experiments using X-rays were conducted on humans. Equally shocking was a glimpse through a window into a building where prisoners, mostly women and children, were killed with phenol injections directly into the heart.

This entire excursion not only provided the students with a deeper historical understanding but also heightened their awareness of the ethical challenges and responsibilities inherent in the medical profession. The timing of the trip, coinciding with Valentine's Day, added a poignant layer to the experience. In a place where human dignity was systematically stripped away and life was devalued, the importance of preserving historical memory and honouring the victims of Nazi crimes resonated more profoundly than ever.