Growing up in Syria, Alex Nyx attended an international school with the goal of coming to the United States for a career in medicine.
As an undergraduate, he did just that, majoring in medical laboratory sciences at Purdue University. That prepared him to become a medical technologist, and he was hired at the University of Chicago Medicine after graduation.
But he knew that wasn’t the end of his education journey. He wanted to go further — to go to medical school, yes, but also to gain the skills to combine medicine with engineering and innovation.
He found the right path forward with the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering’s Master of Engineering program, a one-year degree that prepares students to be leaders in engineering innovation.
“It is the only master of molecular engineering program in the whole country, and because it was a relatively new program, I knew I would be able to explore and direct my education in such a way that would be closely tailored to what I was interested in,” said Nyx, whose former name was Taslakjian.
In the Bio- and Immunoengineering Track, Nyx learned not only about chemistry of biological molecules but also about tech commercialization, project management, and innovation in practice.
“Other science and engineering master’s programs involve doing research and writing a thesis,” he said. “This brings in the engineering and innovation side, teaching you to think how you can connect everything to patient care, which is what I’m interested in doing.”
Nyx did the program full-time while also keeping his full-time job as a senior medical technologist, where he helped analyze human cultures for infection. He also made time to connect with other students in his program cohort. “The friendships you make in a program like this will be important for your success,” he said.
Throughout the year, he also applied to medical schools. His message of integrating medicine with engineering and innovation resonated with several programs. He garnered six interviews and received three acceptances. He accepted an offer from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine (receiving the prestigious Blanchard Carolina Family Scholarship) and began the program this fall.
As he continues his journey, he hopes to ultimately become a surgeon who can also become an innovator in the field. Perhaps he could become a neurosurgeon with knowledge of brain implants, or maybe an innovator in tissue engineering — something he learned about in his Master of Engineering courses.
“This program really helps you approach science from an industry angle,” he said. “Some students go on to get a PhD, some go to medical school, and some go right into industry. You can shape it in such a way that it benefits you no matter what you want to do. The faculty are very open-minded and supportive in doing that.”