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42 years of professional life
A career defined by serendipity
I began medicine with my internship in 1982, followed by 6 years of general surgery and 3 years of plastic and reconstructive surgery. December 1991, I focused on hand surgery, which I performed until the end of September 2024. During that time, I advanced from residency to attending, finished my PhD in hand surgery and became head of a department, Professor at the University of Heidelberg and medical director of the Vulpius Klinik, were I spent over 22 years of my career.
Parallel, I invested much time in data science, R-programming and artificial intelligence. From surgery to hand surgery, from medicine to data science, AI, and digital health, this journey was filled with unexpected
twists and turns.
When I view backwards, what are the most important factors that have influenced my actions and advanced my career?
Punctuality expresses respect
Influenced by my parents, I am always on time. For me, punctuality is respect as I stated in an article some years ago:
„Ultimately, starting a surgical procedure on time is a question of respect for all colleagues, inside the operating theater but also outside it — respect for the staff, the services they provide, but also…
