Along with being a professor of pharmacology, Rinecker was responsible for several major developments at the University of Würzburg. With Franz Leydig, he created the school's physiological institute, and was an important figure in the establishment of the university pediatric clinic. In 1863 he became director of psychiatry at the Juliusspital in Würzburg, and in 1872 additionally became director of dermatology. Rinecker is also remembered for his efforts to replace natural philosophy from the school's medical curriculum with studies that were more scientifically based.