Bernhard Winter welcomes his guests with a smile in the Unterbräusaal on the market square. And the good mood at the former market mayor of Swabia and initiator of the “Sunday encounters” is no coincidence. He is pleased about the great interest in the 105th edition of the popular series of events, at which every chair is occupied once again. The topic could hardly be more topical these days, it is about “health, illness, resilience”. The organizer has invited Marion Kiechle, director of the women’s clinic at the Munich clinic on the right of the Isar, and Karl-Walter Jauch, the long-standing medical director of the Munich university clinics.
Kiechle specializes in the prevention, diagnosis and therapy of cancer in women. She has been the director of the clinic for two decades and has written several books. On this Sunday she gives very private insights into her life. Jauch has known Winter for several years, at that time the doctor had operated on him himself. Today both stand fit in the Unterbräusaal and indulge in old times for a while. Jauch also wrote several books. One thing that connects all three on stage.
The dialogue between the two invited begins with a brief look back at their relationship; they have known each other for 20 years and have been close friends since then. “As a cooperation partner, we are unbeatable in Germany,” says Jauch. The two work at different universities, Kiechle at the Technical University of Munich and Jauch at the Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität until 2021, but the ever closer cooperation also ensures the two universities their place in the educational landscape.
To get into the subject of health, the two doctors tell what they do for themselves and their bodies. They specify their rhythms and rituals from nutrition to exercise and sleep. Kiechle, for example, always has a pair of trainers with him. “It doesn’t have to be jogging. You can walk or hike quickly anywhere.” Sleep also seems to play a particularly important role. It ensures balance and inner equilibrium, explains Jauch. We should treat ourselves to at least six hours per night, adds Kiechle. She always sleeps at 18 degrees Celsius and put her worries aside before going to sleep. This leads to a more relaxed and firmer sleep.
Another big point that accompanies the dialogue between the two book authors is the social context. Here they all agree: there should always be a good connection between the attending physician and the patient. A relationship basis is important in order to maintain the patient’s trust and to be able to help him. Kiechle points to a study that found that patients of doctors who express themselves intelligibly get better faster because they follow the doctor’s advice better. A doctor who only throws around Latin terms should work on his communication skills, says Jauch. He and Kiechle are certain: Social skills should be taught a lot more during their studies. “You can learn that,” says Kiechle. A family doctor from the audience can reassure them later: through students who gain experience in his practice, he knows that empathy is on the curriculum today.
The usual question and answer session ends with a discussion on an ubiquitous topic. Although everyone in the room at this Sunday meeting is vaccinated against Corona, the obligation to vaccinate is still a major topic of conversation today. In response to a question from the audience, the two doctors speak out in favor of compulsory vaccination. “As a doctor, I am generally a proponent of vaccination,” says Kiechle. It is important to both of them that medical personnel are required to be vaccinated. For this they get applause from the audience.
Nonetheless, Jauch sees the difficulties in causing such an obligation. “Since it was always said in the beginning that there would be none, I now imagine it to be difficult to carry out a mandatory vaccination.” But he also sees the need for vaccinations to finally get the virus under control and shows incomprehension towards those who do not want to be vaccinated: “Patients die because others do not want to be vaccinated.” That also met with great approval in the audience, with many nodding or clapping. Kiechle sees vaccination against the corona virus as an act of solidarity. For them this is part of life in a society.
At the end you can see three satisfied speakers behind their desks on the stage. Winter thanks both of them and all those involved who make the Sunday encounters possible. As a thank you, Jauch and Kiechle receive a package with beer, a city guide of Munich and with a personal dedication, Winter is also giving away two copies of his own book with mantras for a happy life.