Julia Kaliba studied Health Sciences Management (HCM) at the university and successfully completed her Master's degree in early 2019. Last year, she was awarded the Health Economics Prize for her Master's thesis entitled "Direct access to physiotherapy in Germany - status quo and necessary requirements and changes". During and after her studies, Julia Kaliba worked as a research assistant in the Controlling, Management, HealthCare Department. Since February 2020, she has been a Junior Product Manager at Angio Consult GmbH, a management consultancy in Speyer specializing in the field of medical devices.
You completed your Master's degree at the university with flying colors and worked with great enthusiasm as a research assistant during and after your studies in your degree programs. Do you have fond memories of your time at Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences?
Julia Kaliba: Definitely. I found studying here very enjoyable. This was mainly due to the small group size and the resulting very good supervision ratio in the Master's program. I also found the support from the full-time teaching staff and the lecturers to be above average. The content of the degree programs also appealed to me, as the topics are wide-ranging and actually cover all aspects of healthcare. In the summer semester, the courses were more research-oriented, while in the winter semester they focused more on management topics and networks in the healthcare sector. As a result, you have a very wide range of career opportunities after completing your studies.
And your time as a member of staff?
As a research assistant, I also felt very comfortable in the Department and at the university as a whole. I was very well received and despite my initial dual role as a student and member of staff, I was immediately a fully-fledged member of the team. The collaboration was very pleasant and the decision to switch to business was not an easy one.
What made you decide to study at the university in Ludwigshafen?
I had previously completed my Bachelor's degree in Health Economics in Wiesbaden and - to be honest - I wanted to return to my home in the Palatinate. It was a lucky coincidence that Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences offers a Master's degree in Health Care Management, as there are only a fairly limited number of Master's programs in this field in Germany. And in terms of content, it was also a very good fit.
Why did you switch to management consulting?
The job description really appealed to me. It's an opportunity to apply the specialist knowledge I acquired during my Master's and it also seemed important for my personal development. The reason I switched at this point in time is that my new job generally involves a lot of traveling - it's exciting, but it also requires a lot of flexibility, energy and strength. And it's precisely this flexibility that I'm more capable of at the moment than perhaps in ten or fifteen years' time.
What tasks do you do there?
Among other things, Angio Consult GmbH supports companies and start-ups in the field of medical products - from the idea to the market launch. We provide advice, carry out studies on behalf of companies, assist with the approval of new products or present them at trade fairs on behalf of companies. We also work together with cooperating institutions from the healthcare sector, such as hospitals. Angio Consult has been an important cooperation partner of the Bachelor's degree course in Health Economics in Practice at the university for many years - I would like to further intensify this partnership between the university and management consultancy in the future and also further network with the regional and national healthcare industry.
What skills from your studies are of particular benefit to you?
Basically, the ability to view the healthcare sector from the perspective of different stakeholders and the ability to work accurately and scientifically. A lot of emphasis was placed on this during your studies, as well as on interdisciplinary projects. Solving complex tasks in an interdisciplinary team is certainly one of the skills that I bring with me from my studies and my work at the university. And then also the tendency to question things and be curious - but perhaps these are also more personal characteristics (laughs).
Do you want to keep in touch with your "old" university in the future?
Definitely, it's very important to me! I had to make a firm promise to my colleagues in the Department that I would come by for a coffee every two months at the latest and report back (laughs). I also firmly intend to attend the Health Economics Talks at the university, which take place once a year and are now a real institution. I would also like to continue attending the graduation ceremony in the Pfalzbau and keep in touch via the alumni association.
Thank you very much for the interview!
