Medical Physicists at PTW

I have always been very interested in the combination of technology and health in general. I got my bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, but I have always been fascinated by medical devices. That's why I started working for the Iranian representative of PTW. Because I wanted to deepen my knowledge in the field of medical physics, I decided to come to Germany in 2014, as this specialization was not possible in Iran. My passion really grew thanks to a part-time job I had at a hospital while I was at university.It was there that I learned a lot about treating patients, radiation treatments, etc. After graduating, I started working directly at PTW.

My tasks are very varied and dynamic. I lead a team of professionals which mainly consists of sales managers and technical managers. Our aim is to boost business and grow in the market. My main tasks include strategic planning, analyzing the market, and implementing sales initiatives. To do this, I work very closely with different departments: marketing, product management, research and development, but also with customer success management, especially when market and customer feedback is concerned.

The opportunity to work with diverse teams is very interesting. Personally, I like to think strategically and I'm a very good analyst. And in my position, I can use exactly these analytical skills. I enjoy working with different people, such as medical physicists or colleagues in the subsidiaries with whom we work closely. It is also interesting that we have clear results at the end of the year – you can see from the turnover whether our campaign andsales efforts have been worth it.

In a clinic, the focus is very much on patient care. You have to ensure that radiotherapy is precise and that only tumor tissue is irradiated, not healthy tissue. This is different from industry where you need more technical knowledge and have a broader range of tasks. In the industry, you have the opportunity to influence strategic developments, for example, innovations. In a hospital, it's also very technical, but more patient-centered. Direct interaction with patients also plays a major role.

I have known about PTW since 2003 when I worked in Iran. PTW has a very good reputation worldwide and offers highly advanced solutions, high quality products, and good service. All these things were very important to me and my decision. At PTW, we pursue the mission to ‘make radiation safer’. It is very important to me that this mission is actually put into practice and that we are a very customer- and patient-orientated company.

I thought about this for a long time. It is important to be very curious, passionate, and also to continuously take advantage of learning opportunities, whether at university or during an internship. My recommendation is to look for an internship or part-time job in a clinic or at a medical technology company during studies. I did this and found it very useful. Networking with professionals is also very important for students. And in the end, you have to bear in mind: the well-being of the patient is always the goal. It's always about helping the patient, either directly in the hospital or indirectly in the industry.