Most visitors to Europe agree that Rome, Venice and Florence are among the most beautiful cities in the world. They help make Italy the fifth most visited country in the world. The Sistine Chapel and the Vatican are close by and are only two of the many tourist destinations that make the country the third most visited in Europe. Add great pasta, wine and pizza and a trip to Italy becomes that much more inviting.
These are many well-known characteristics of the country. It is a nation that also offers good training for biomedical engineers.
Michele Manzoli, CCE, is a manager of clinical engineering at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Manzoli grew up in Italy.
He discovered biomed as a senior in high school.
“I found out about the field of biomedical engineering leafing through the booklet of my local university, during my last year of high school. I knew I liked – and was pretty good at – math and science, but I was also fascinated by the health care field. None of my parents or other relatives are health care workers, so the interest must have come from somewhere else, probably from the curiosity about how the human body works and the desire to help others through my work,” Manzoli says.
He says that the booklet also indicated that, among all engineering branches, biomedical engineering looked like the fastest-growing occupation at the time. He says that this fact reinforced his conviction to pursue the degree.
“I attended the University of Bologna (fun fact: it is considered the oldest in the western world) for my bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering. That is where I first learned about the existence of clinical engineering, during my last year, after being exposed to all other possible paths within biomedical engineering (like biomaterials, bioinformatics, biomechanics or genetic engineering). What interested me the most was the idea of pairing engineering and management skills into one professional profile, and of course the direct beneficial impact on people,” Manzoli says.
He says that he wanted a job that could offer him the opportunity to use his engineering knowledge and problem-solving skills, but also the chance to interact with a variety of other professions, at all levels, from front line staff to leadership.
“After a three-month internship at the local hospital, learning about medical equipment evaluations and procurement, I continued with formal education. There was only one university in Italy that offered a master’s program in clinical engineering, and it was 200 miles away from where I lived. So, I moved to the beautiful city of Trieste, known for the largest sea-facing square in Europe and for its strong wind (called ‘Bora’). During those two years, I learned from the most respected clinical engineers in the country, and I became more and more passionate about the HTM field,” Manzoli says.
Before getting his degree, he spent a couple of months in the U.K., interning at a major CE independent service organization, working on the quality management system (specifically – standard operating procedures).
After graduating, Manzoli’s first job was in medical device regulatory affairs. His team provided support to worldwide manufacturers and to the Italian Ministry of Health in the management of the National Medical Device Database as well as the National Classification of Medical Devices.
He still felt that he wanted to work in a hospital, despite enjoying his colleagues and the work environment where he worked.
“At the same time, I also sought another international experience to broaden my horizons. I had never been to the USA, did not know anyone, but had always wanted to pay a visit, at the least. That’s when I found out about the well-known UConn Internship Program nine years ago. I applied, interviewed at 12 hospitals in New England and matched with Yale-New Haven Hospital,” Manzoli says.
He says that the internship was one of the most valuable experiences of his life, as it provided him with the knowledge and the tools he needed for a successful career.
“I am forever grateful to my mentors at the university and at the hospital. After surviving the two coldest winters of my life, when I was presented with the offer to join the Cedars-Sinai team in Los Angeles, I was intrigued by the idea of trying out the West Coast lifestyle. My position was initially clinical systems engineer (CSE). After a few years, I was promoted to senior CSE, and shortly after, the opportunity to step into management unexpectedly came up. It is so rare to be able to advance that quickly without changing workplaces. ‘This is my chance;’ was my first thought,” Manzoli says.
New Friends and New Challenges
The challenges that come along with pursuing a career in a different country may seem like a full plate, but Manzoli says that moving into a leadership role was also a challenge.
“Stepping into management was definitely a big change for me. In addition to projects that continued to need oversight, I was a bit overwhelmed with the new responsibilities of the job. We have a team of over 30 members, and a medical equipment inventory of over 33,000. I am sure you get the idea. But I would also like to add that I’ve felt backed by the team and my leadership since day one, and that support has certainly made the transition more manageable. I love my new job and the opportunities that it presents me every day, and I feel very lucky and proud to work at Cedars-Sinai,” Manzoli says.
Away from the office, Manzoli keeps active with fitness and getting out on the town.
“I have a pretty active lifestyle. I regularly run 5Ks, play tennis and go hiking. But I also like cooking, trying different restaurants, exploring the city and going to exhibits and cultural events. There is always something going on in L.A. My vacations are also on the active side: This year, I’ll explore two Hawaiian Islands as well as Iceland,” he says.
In the American melting pot, Manzoli has made new friends, but still misses his family back in Italy.
“My whole family is in Italy, and I miss them every day. It was definitely a bold move to cross the ocean by myself. I am also very happy here; I believe I found my place in the world for this phase of my life (I do not exclude going back once retired). I was lucky enough to find a group of good (Italian) friends that I consider my second family. I met them just a month after arriving in Los Angeles, believe it or not, on a hike to the Hollywood sign. They have a variety of jobs and interests, so it is great to ‘unplug’ from work when I am with them and talk about other things. We try to gather at least once a week and cook,” he says.
For now, the medical community in Los Angeles benefits from this international clinical engineer’s knowledge and experience. For Manzoli, la vita è bella until he may rejoin his family back in Italy someday.
