Please can you tell us about your career after completing your undergraduate degree? How has your career evolved over the years?
After completing my undergraduate degree, I went to medical school in St. Lucia. Our course was four years long, with the first two years being theory based, and the next two a mix of theory and hospital rotations. I completed my clinical rotations in the USA at various hospitals and clinics. I also got an opportunity to attend a three-month elective course at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, India. During my electives, I was exposed to the Indian healthcare system and the number of individuals struggling without medical care. I was interested in returning to India to pursue a career there.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, I needed to take a break and took up volunteering at a de-addiction center run by my church. As a result, I became more interested in the administrative side of the hospital system.
I then completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Hospital Administration from IBIS Academy, where my course modules gave me a more in-depth understanding of the hospital administrative process and operations.
Why did you decide that now is the right time to complete a Master’s degree? Did anything in particular influence your decision to return to higher education?
For me, my focus was job hunting after my Postgraduate Diploma course. Although the course was detailed, most operations roles in the hospital sector require a Master’s. With this in mind, I thought this was an opportune time to start a Master’s as I had recently completed a course and I would be able to implement the knowledge gained.
A Master’s degree from abroad is held in high esteem in the Indian job market and this could give me a decisive advantage in the future.
How has the transition been so far, getting back into the swing of higher education?
The transition has been a mixed experience. MSc degrees in the UK are structured differently to the Indian education system. There is a lot more emphasis on self-study and research, which I feel better prepares you for the job market. I feel like I have not been at this level of study since my medical school days.
However, the support offered by the university is a positive that helps ease the burden, especially the support of the International Support Tutor and Library Services. In addition, the opportunity to meet a lot of international students from such a diverse range of countries helps broaden my perspective in thinking about health as a global issue.
Group study with my classmates is something I treasure as it helps us strengthen our friendships and lets us tackle the tougher course material together.
How are you finding balancing study with personal commitments?
I am applying for jobs, but I am able to balance my studies and other commitments. My primary focus is on completing the Master’s and then obtaining a part-time job.
Once I start working, it is likely to be a challenge to balance my commitments. However, I am confident I will be able to manage successfully.
How will this Master’s degree help your personal development, and/or your career development?
The course will teach me crucial concepts about management theories, practices, and economics, and how they apply in a global health system. The modules on policy, politics and health needs assessment also give us insight into how governments draft health care policies and how it affects the targeted population. The module on contemporary issues in global health brings us up to speed on the current and emerging health issues that we need to focus on. All the modules train us to research and learn independently.
All these skills and knowledge are transferable across different contexts and opportunities, for example in healthcare systems such as clinics and hospitals or in global health initiatives. I believe the management classes will enable me to enhance my knowledge about hospital administration.
In what ways does your subject impact people's everyday lives?
My subject deals with the management of global health programmes. Very often these are implemented but the benefits do not always reach the target population. In some cases, the plans do not get off the ground due to policy issues, the political climate, or a lack of funding. My subject will help me tackle and prevent issues that plague health programmes and initiatives. Our management course will help us to understand the crucial elements of any healthcare programme including the human resources aspect in terms of how best to motivate and inspire people as well as the management frameworks that allow people to function. I believe that this course will give me the opportunity to help people on a larger scale. More than I could ever have achieved working as a doctor. I will be part of systems that affect lots of people.
What has been/what do you think will be the most challenging aspect of completing a Master’s degree? What aspect are you most looking forward to, or are you most enjoying?
I am most concerned about the Dissertation since I have not done one as part of my higher studies. However, I appreciate the support the lecturer offers during our classes. Learning and researching on our own is a skill that is crucial for our future, but it is something that I feel most students coming from an Indian background would find difficult. This is because our education system is structured very differently from the UK.
I would say I am enjoying the vast array of services provided by the university. I was incredibly happy to learn about the international student and mental health support provided by the university. I also appreciate the library classes and workshops and the access to LinkedIn Learning.
The course is based at Greenwich campus and I think that it is one of the most beautiful and calming places I have ever had the pleasure of studying at. The view from the Royal Observatory overlooking the university is one that I will treasure for all my days.
What was it about the University of Greenwich that convinced you this was the place to study for you?
As part of my research to choose a university to study for a Master’s, I shortlisted three universities. What drew me to Greenwich was the London location close to the centre. Greenwich’s ranking compared to the other shortlisted universities was also a factor as well as the programme structure which focused on healthcare management in a global context. I was sure that learning about the global context would put me in a position where my skills could be adapted to different countries and their unique contexts. This would also give me an opportunity to return home to my country one day and apply my skills there.
The management programme also gives me some flexibility in my career choices – to focus on either hospital/facility management or on global public health programme management. The modules equip us with the skills that can be transferred to jobs across a variety of sectors.
The large international student population was also a decisive factor for me, since I would be able to meet a lot more friends from different countries around the globe.
