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Dr. Hubert Zajicek embarked upon his career in medicine in 1996 when he graduated from the University of Vienna. Upon graduation, Zajicek wanted a change of pace and the opportunity to learn at a research-driven hospital. With this in mind he accepted a post-doctoral fellowship in nephrology (study of the kidneys) sponsored by the National Institute for Health at UT Southwestern in Dallas, thus giving him the long awaited opportunity to work in the United States.
While at UT Southwestern, Dr. Zajicek was faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine -Division of Nephrology, and after that he served as faculty in the Department of Cell Biology, where he became Principal Investigator and Co-investigator of research grants totaling more than $1 million from various grant agencies. Dr. Zajicek also authored or co-authored more than 15 articles, has delivered more than 30 presentations at national and international meetings and written two book chapters.
After establishing a successful career in medical research, Dr. Zajicek wanted to gain an education in business as well, allowing him to bring the business side into his career. After much thought, Dr. Zajicek decided that the best way to accomplish this goal would be to enroll at SMU Cox in the PMBA program.
"Cox stood out with a stellar reputation and a great network. The campus is centrally located and the professors are accessible and distinguished in their respective fields," he said.
Once enrolled in Cox, Zajicek found that he enjoyed the strategy, entrepreneurship and finance classes the most, where he uncovered his drive for entrepreneurship. He saw that there was a tremendous opportunity to combine business, research and medicine, as each of his classes worked in harmony to create a well rounded educational experience.
"I realized early on that each class I took was going to provide a piece of the puzzle in my quest to speak the 'language of business'. I was surprised by some classes and how they provided insight into some of the most interesting aspects of business. The curriculum of certain courses, like securities law, have recently become of practical value to me," he said.
Even with a very busy schedule at UT Southwestern, Dr. Zajicek managed to find time to become involved on the SMU campus. He participated in the Cox Mentoring program, received the SMU Cox Business Leadership Center's Distinguished Business Leader award, the Dean's Circle award, served as President of the Healthcare Club and was a Dallas Business Journal MBA All-Star in 2006.
For Zajicek, the Cox experience was about applying himself to his education, finding a new path, and eventually was able to change careers
Recently, Dr. Zajicek left his position at UT Southwestern and accepted a full-time position with North Texas Enterprise Center for Medical Technology (NTEC) where he combines his business skills with his knowledge of medicine, evaluating new medical device businesses that have the potential to change the landscape of North Texas. For Dr. Zajicek, this career move is also about going back to his roots, fulfilling his desire to have an impact on people and using his skills learned at Cox to best combine his abilities in both business and medicine.
"There is a real need for people cross-trained in medicine and business. The combination of my skills has opened many doors for me. The Cox MBA has given me credibility in the business world and enabled me to make a smooth transition. Given that, Cox has opened the doors to pursue my dreams," he said.
With his new career at NTEC, Dr. Zajicek will continue to be on the forefront of innovation in the medical field-now with the added practicality and insight provided through the macroscope of business.
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