In January 2024, during my annual appraisal, a suggestion was made that resonated deeply with me: to pursue an MBA. It wasn’t just a tick-box recommendation—it was a meaningful nudge toward a path I’ve long been curious about. The idea of stepping beyond the clinical and operational day-to-day, and diving into structured leadership, strategy, and innovation training, was both exciting and timely.
I’m incredibly grateful that my employer saw the value in this journey and offered to support me through the Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship scheme. With that backing, I’m pleased to share that I’ll be starting an MBA at the University of Birmingham in February 2025.
For those who know me professionally—as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Clinical Director, and someone heavily involved in digital transformation and medical education—this might seem like a natural progression. But for me, it’s more than that.
This MBA represents:
- A fresh learning environment, away from the operating theatre and boardroom.
- An opportunity to sharpen the tools I already use daily—decision-making, team leadership, innovation—but through a broader lens.
- A personal investment in future growth, especially as I continue to juggle roles in clinical care, national projects, and medical education.
- A professional opportunity to connect with a whole new group of people and learn more about healthcare and leadership in a broader context
I’ve always believed in lifelong learning, and this is another chapter in that philosophy. I’m looking forward to:
- Gaining new frameworks to drive change across systems,
- Engaging with professionals from outside the NHS,
- And ultimately, becoming a more effective leader in a healthcare system that needs agile, thoughtful, and bold leadership.
If you’re considering a similar path or have already taken the leap into postgraduate management education, I’d love to hear your experience. And if you’re just curious how an orthopaedic surgeon ends up deep in financial modelling, operations strategy, or marketing theory—stay tuned. I’ll be sharing bits of my MBA journey as it unfolds.
Here’s to new beginnings and continuous growth.