Medical Engineering - Bachelor's study program

Radiation therapy is one of the three pillars of cancer treatment. In this process, cancer cells are destroyed using high-energy X-rays. As a Medical Physics Expert (MPE), I am responsible for quality assurance of the radiation equipment, treatment planning, and the overall implementation of radiation protection. My engineering-based education enables me to analyze the highly complex structures of a linear accelerator and effectively resolve any issues. For me, the profession of a Medical Physics Expert (MPE) is the perfect fusion of medicine and technology.

[Image: private]

The company I work for produces instruments for the operating room, such as an electric scalpel. Every day, thousands of these scalpels are used by doctors worldwide to save lives. As an engineer, it is my job to think a great deal about these instruments. I am driven by the question of how a particular instrument can be improved; for example, how can I enhance our electric scalpel so that it cuts even more effectively? I am particularly motivated by innovative manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing, to enhance and modernize outdated or unsafe instruments.

[Image: private]

As a development engineer in the “Enhancement” area, I am involved in the further development of our products for endoscopy. No two days are the same. My responsibilities range from design development to prototype construction and testing, all the way to product approval and handover to series production. In my medical engineering studies, I was able to gain solid professional insights into various areas, ranging from design engineering to regulatory requirements. But perhaps even more importantly, I was taught to have a comprehensive technical understanding in the medical context. Working in a team was and continues to be essential. It provides new perspectives, makes finding solutions easier, and makes work more enjoyable.

[Image: private]

Baxter International Inc. is a globally operating American company in the fields of pharmaceuticals and medical engineering. The Hechingen branch, where I work, specializes in the development and manufacturing of innovative dialyzers (artificial kidneys) and dialysis catheters (artificial vascular access). One of my main responsibilities is maintaining the validation system at the site. As a result, I am responsible for quality in the planning and execution of process validations and the qualification of equipment, buildings, media, etc. My motivation - and at the same time my highest goal – is to improve patients’ quality of life and extend their lives. Among other things, my medical engineering studies taught me about the dialysis process and strengthened my desire to help people.

[Image: private]

The path my future career would take was not clear at the beginning. In my studies, I always chose what interested me and sounded exciting. A common thread then emerged naturally. Through the interdisciplinary focus, I learned to adopt different perspectives. This now helps me at work to understand the context of projects and to empathize with a variety of situations. As a research assistant, during a semester abroad, in internships, and through student council work, I became familiar with practical applications and discovered my preferences as well as new interests. That was very motivating. In interdisciplinary projects, we are now working to create better, proactive medical care across the board – whether in hospitals, with general practitioners, or at home using wearables.

At the start of my medical engineering studies, I had not yet considered pursuing a doctoral degree. Through an internship at Carl Zeiss Meditec, I ended up at the Medical University of Vienna. In my doctoral research, I am integrating new optical imaging technologies into a surgical microscope to visualize brain tumors intraoperatively. What fascinates me about my work is being in close contact with neurosurgery and collaborating with Zeiss at the intersection of medicine, research, and industry. The program provided me with a solid technical and medical foundation for the diverse tasks I undertake.