Dr. Michael Schmitz has been the medical director of the Department of Nephrology at the Clinic for Geriatrics, General Internal Medicine and Nephrology since May 2021 and the chief physician of the Medical Clinic III at the University Hospital Solingen since April 2022.

In his professional career, specializes in internal medicine and nephrology and is a leading specialist in this field in Germany and Europe. His numerous qualifications make him a respected and sought-after specialist in medical circles.

He qualified as a specialist in internal medicine in 2006 and in nephrology in 2007. In 2007, he obtained the title of DHL Hypertensiologist and in 2013 he became a hypertension specialist of the European Society of Hypertension. He gained further qualifications in Internal Intensive Care in 2014 and in 2022 in Laboratory Diagnostics. He is also qualified in radio diagnostics and emergency medicine. In addition, he is qualified as a transfusion officer and holds «Good Clinical Practice» and «Good Medical Practice certificates.

Education

1993 – completed his medical degree and continued his studies until May 2000 at the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and the University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

2002 – obtained his medical license

2003 – defended his doctoral thesis on ‘Antiproliferative effects of Paclitaxel (Taxol®) on human renal cancer cell lines and multidrug resistance phenotype’ at the Institute of Pathology of the Heinrich Heine University under the supervision of Prof. Gerhartz.

2018 – 2021 – started a Master’s program in Healthcare Administration (MHBA) at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.

Work experience

2021 – chief physician of the nephrology department

2008-2021 – held the position of Lead Physician of the Clinic of Nephrology and General Internal Medicine at the Solingen City Hospital, where he was responsible for quality management at the Interdisciplinary Stroke Unit and deputy responsible for transfusions under the supervision of Prof. Peter J. Hering.

2009 – employee of the Curation of Home Dialysis (KfH) at the University Hospital Solingen.

2000-2008 – assistant physician and researcher at the Clinic of Nephrology and Rheumatology at the University Hospital Düsseldorf.

Specialties:

– Geriatrics, general internal medicine, nephrology

– Specialist in internal medicine, nephrology,

– Internal Intensive Care, Laboratory Diagnostics,

– Hypertensiologist DHL and ESH

Dr. Schmitz is an active member of numerous professional medical societies, including the German Society of Nephrology (DGfN), the German Society for Internal Intensive and Emergency Medicine (DGIIN), the German Interdisciplinary Society for Intensive and Emergency Medicine (DIVI), the Rhine-Westphalian Society for Internal Medicine (RWGIM) and the German Hypertension League (DHL). He is also involved in the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and the German Society of Internal Medicine (DGIM). As conference secretary and member of various commissions and sections, contributes to the development and dissemination of knowledge in these fields.

For his scientific achievements, he was awarded the renowned Philipp Klee Prize of the Medical and Natural Science Society of Wuppertal in 2017 and the prestigious scientific prize of the Rhine-Westphalian Society of Internal Medicine in 2016.