What I studied:
- Bachelor’s degree – Biomedical Science
🔬 My job: Biomedical analyst at KAGes in Graz.
How to reach me: E-Mail
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‘Behind every sample there is a person – that’s what makes my work in the laboratory so meaningful.’
Milena Öttl studied Biomedical Science and made lifelong friends during her semester abroad.
My Friendship Book Entry
Me in three emojis: 👩🏼🔬👨👩👧👧🌎
In my free time: travelling, spending time with family and friends, reading
The coolest internship was: at the Institute of Pathology at LKH Graz II – that’s actually how I landed my current job.
I spent my semester abroad in: Gothenburg, Sweden, at the Sahlgrenska Institute.
If I hadn’t studied Biomedical Science, I would be: a biology and history teacher
This is how I celebrated my graduation: A few of my fellow students and I went out for a really lovely meal on the day of our bachelor’s degree exam. After the graduation ceremony, we all went out to celebrate together.
Tell us what your job is, without telling us what your job is: Yes, I work in a pathology department, and no, I haven’t seen a dead body yet.
About my studies
What you definitely learn in my study programme: You learn how to carry out tests on patient samples manually (i.e. without automated equipment). This gives you a very good sense of just how much work is involved and the individual steps required to reach a diagnosis.
The best course was: I really enjoyed all the practical sessions where we had to put the theory we’d learnt in lectures into practice in the lab. That was the case for almost all the practical sessions during my degree, and I have particularly fond memories of histology and microbiology.
This course was a challenge for me: biochemistry, as there’s no practical component for it and you simply have to learn a lot from the lecture notes and textbooks.
Fun fact from my studies? In physiology, we learnt that cats sweat through their paws, which is why you shouldn’t carry them in a plastic bag.
My advice for you
One of the best experiences I had during my degree was my semester abroad in Sweden. Not only did I learn a lot there and write my bachelor’s thesis, but I also made friends with whom I’m still in close contact, even now, more than ten years on. So if you have the chance to go abroad, go for it!
About my job
I work at the Institute of Pathology, where, as a biomedical analyst, I prepare tissue samples so that pathologists can make diagnoses. This involves embedding, dehydrating, pouring, sectioning and staining the samples – until a stained tissue section is mounted on a microscope slide.
I got my start in this profession through an internship in my final year of university, which led to a maternity cover role. During my studies, I learnt many of the steps by hand, whereas in day-to-day work they are usually automated – this helps me to understand the processes better.
I particularly appreciate the fact that behind every sample there is a person whom we can help. The hands-on work and the brilliant team also make my job special. Dealing with difficult situations is challenging.
This profession requires precision, the ability to work in a team and the ability to cope with stress. A highlight was giving four presentations at a major pathology congress in Vienna. In future, I’d like to share even more of my knowledge – the part-time Master’s in Health Management was an important step towards that.
Our Graduates
Would you like to get to know other FH JOANNEUM graduates and find out more about their studies and career paths? You can find all the portraits here.