Servus! My name is Karl Rennick-Zuefle, and I am an incoming junior in the Frederick Honors College majoring in Biological Sciences and History and Philosophy of Science with a minor in Chemistry and a certificate in German. I am thrilled to travel to Austria and Slovenia this summer with Pitt’s Comparative Healthcare in Graz program and as a recipient of the Martinson Elevate Award. 

As a pre-med, I love learning about both the science behind modern medicine and the philosophical, social, and cultural underpinnings of healthcare. My double majors allow me to examine these two different but equally important areas of medicine. Outside of class, I conduct research on the effects of night shift work on the brain in the Department of Psychiatry and play ultimate frisbee on Pitt’s B team. I also love to travel and see the world.

The Comparative Healthcare in Graz program will allow me to understand attitudes towards healthcare in Austria and Slovenia, and will provide me with insight as to why these nations’ healthcare systems developed the way that they did. With this knowledge, I hope to discover ideas that I can bring back to the US and incorporate into my practice as a future physician. Doctors are often the changemakers of the healthcare system, and I would also hope to use my experiences to advocate for broader changes to American healthcare.

This program will also hold great personal significance for me. My mom is Austrian and I myself am a dual Austrian/US citizen. I have traveled to Austria several times already, and have relatives in Dechantskirchen and Mönichkirchen, two towns near Graz. I have spoken German in some form my entire life, from being cared for by my German-speaking Oma while my parents completed graduate school, to taking weekend classes and learning German throughout middle and high school, to earning my certificate in German here at Pitt. Spending time in Austria will give me a chance to immerse myself in German, see relatives and friends, and learn about the culture of the country of my nationality as it pertains to my future career.

I am thrilled to embark on this program and will share more updates soon!

Auf Wiedersehen!