As a physician, Marius Scarlat has always viewed the world through an analytical set of eyes, probing the unexamined and searching for solutions when information is scarce. Originally from Romania, Marius decided to pursue his medical career in France, later studying in the United States at the University of Washington in Seattle. The language of science transcended these cultural barriers that characterized his career, soon granting him the opportunity to develop a robust orthopedic practice in the town of Toulouse in Southern France. This scientific language, however, is best spoken among peers, an experience Marius found when attending a medical session as part of the Salzburg Global Seminar in 1991.

“I learned how to deal with different cultures, how to respect people no matter where they come from, what their skin color or beliefs are,” Marius said. “Actually, it was very refreshing and very, very good to be able to communicate with all those guys because everyone has a story to tell.”

Doctors, hospital administrators and professionals representing the multi-layered world of the medical field convened during Marius’ session to discuss the future of medicine and its role in bettering society. As an avid writer and member of the International Society for Orthopedics and Traumatology, Marius fully participated in the exchange of new ideas, some of which came to fruition in later years. Fellows who participated hailed from diverse backgrounds, including South Africa, the Middle East and South America. Israeli and Palestinian doctors dissected medical theory and practice with little to no regard for their national origin, something that left a deep impression on the European physician.

Upon returning to Toulouse and in the decades since the seminar, Marius carried these vivid experiences with him, encouraging similar dialogue in his adopted hometown and translating the consensus of these exchanges into improved bedside manner for countless life-long patients. As an editor for a medical journal, he finds himself harkening back to the lessons learned at the Schloss, an experience he describes as truthful, thoughtful and even loving.

“We have this feeling of being taken care of by people who are smarter than us, by a faculty that was actually very nice and by people with high experience in teaching and sharing,” Marius said.

Although he hesitates to look too far into the future, he fervently hopes for the in-person interactions he encountered at the Schloss to never be replaced. Marius also wishes to see the number of participants grow and for the SGS to find new ways to engage fellows as online communication evolves, without taking those precious real-life interactions for granted.

“Nothing can compare to the real seminar, the real Schloss and the places where we are used to, to be with our teachers and with our colleagues who became later friends and partners,” Marius said. “I think that in the next 75 years, this should remain in this kind of idea of sharing and growing together.”