Simon Schweizer, BME student
Simon is interested in the transition of research into marketable products
"Taking part in a surgery at Insel as an engineer is a very impressive and fascinating experience."
How did you get interested in biomedical engineering?
I was always interested in the health and medical sector but was drawn towards a more technical education. During the last year of my Bachelor studies as a system engineer at ZHAW Winterthur, I had the opportunity to shift my focus towards Biomedical Engineering with quite a lot of interesting modules. During that time, I also found out about the BME program of the UniBe and visited the BME Day as a kind of ‘open house day’. On my way home, I was certain to register.
How did you come to know about the BME Master’s program?
At ZHAW Winterthur I had two professors from the IMES Institute somehow related to the BME program (mainly Prof. Dr. Daniel Baumgartner). Furthermore, there used to hang some info signs from the BME Day around campus.
Why did you choose this program among others?
At ZHAW Winterthur I had two professors from the IMES Institute somehow related to the BME program (mainly Prof. Dr. Daniel Baumgartner). Furthermore, there used to hang some info signs from the BME Day around campus.
What are the strengths of the program?
One of the strengths (or advantages for me) are the prerequisites to get accepted as an alumnus of a university of applied sciences. It was a big plus to me to get access to university (and therefore a MSc). The same path would have been much more difficult for example at ETH. Furthermore, the close interconnection to the many research groups keeps practice and relevance very close, which I find extremely motivating.
Where do you work and how is this experience?
I used to work 40% during four of my six semesters at ARTORG as a technical collaborator for the Lung-on-Chip Research Group. The interdisciplinary, young, and motivated team gave me the trust to work on very diverse and important tasks from an early point in my studies.
What is your career plan after graduation?
Honestly, I am not sure yet. I will relocate to Geneva and in an ideal situation I would like to be part of a start-up in a similar phase as Alveolix was in 2019 here in Bern. I think I would very much enjoy to contribute to the growth of an idea that transitions from research towards industry.
Have you discovered anything new about Bern?
Due to the fact that my family and partner are located in Zurich and Geneva, I did not spend too much of my free time here in Bern. But while I have been here, I just enjoy the fact that Bern feels more like a small village to me than a city. I have experienced Bern as a cozy, small, and green city with many beautiful spots and nice people. If I had to name a certain spot, it would be the Oldies Shop at Hirschengraben – I am a big vinyl records fan and spent a lot of hours going through their selection.
Share one special experience!
Not so long ago, I had the opportunity to attend a surgery at the Insel. As an engineer, this was a very impressive experience for me. It emphasized the fact how dynamic, nonuniform and, therefore, challenging human bodies are when looked at as an ‘object of interest’ from an engineering point of view. To me, this is fascinating.