Graduate Testimonials

Graduate Testimonial:   Hilda Gallagher

Course:   MSc in Healthcare Management

Location:   Ireland

My name is Hilda Gallagher, and I currently work as an Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) in Dublin’s Mount Carmel Hospital- Ireland’s premium provider of private maternity and general hospital services. My role as an ADON is very fulfilling, challenging and rewarding. I have always had a keen interest in leadership and management and I enjoy supporting and developing people as part of my own transformational leadership style.

Having already completed a BSc in Nursing Management, I decided whilst still working full-time, to undertake an MSc in Healthcare Management to further enhance my leadership style, and to equip me with the knowledge and skills required to lead and manage effectively in today’s volatile and uncertain economic environment. Having thoroughly researched the content of other Masters and MBA courses in the various universities, I ultimately chose the MSc in Healthcare Management provided by the Institute of Leadership and Healthcare Management (ILHM), RCSI as the content of this course is extremely relevant to anybody in a current leadership/managerial role and to those who aspire to such positions. All of the modules which are very much interrelated are very interesting and encourages you to think more critically. The MSc has now equipped me with the most up-to-date evidence-based knowledge, tools and models that I require to manage change in today’s complex environment whilst enabling me to think more critically, and more strategically, and to be flexible, adaptable, and responsive to changes in the market place- the key to competitive advantage.

I found this MS course to be very well organised, and the combination of group projects/assignments as well as individual assignments enhances teamwork, and sharing of knowledge and skills with other course participants who come from different healthcare backgrounds and cultures. In advance of every lecture, the lectures notes were published on the ILHM’s excellent intranet system known as ‘Moodle’, an interactive virtual learning environment which further enhanced learning and easy accessibility to course material.

In summary, my experience in undertaking this MSc was really positive, and all of the lecturers, who are experts in their different fields, possessed a real flair when delivering the various lectures/subjects which made the course very interesting and enriching. More importantly, all of the lecturers and invited international speakers were very supportive and motivating and encouraged class interaction which further promoted learning. Essentially, I had a really enjoyable experience during the two years of the MSc in Healthcare Management and would rate this course 10/10.

Graduate Testimonial:   Noel Stenson

Course:   MSc in Healthcare Management Pharmacy

Location:   Ireland

“With nearly 20 years in practice and having completed my Clinical Masters in 2004 I was looking for another challenge which would fit my practice in the future. I had looked at various MBA options but could find none that I could identify as relevant to my practice.  The M.Sc. in Healthcare Management at RCSI came to my attention in 2008 - it ticked all the boxes for me. The year 1 course material deals with all the global management issues - whether it is Organisational culture, Process Management, Marketing, etc. However what has meant the most to my practice is that all of the assignments are geared to take all these concepts and apply them to my day to day practice. For example Inventory Management has proven priceless in terms of stock control and management. The class mix has also proven very interesting - the class consists not only of pharmacists but also people from various levels of management in the Health Services. The class mix provides a forum not only for networking but also for the exchange of valuable ideas and information. I am now into the 2nd Year and am focusing on strategy - not just for my practice but also for me. Do not be mistaken - the course does involve a certain workload but the assignment design means I am getting a return in that I am actively reviewing and changing my own practice for the better. "

Graduate Testimonial:   Orna Tighe

Course:   MSc in Leadership & Management

Location:   Ireland

My role as a lecturer and academic administrator was enhanced greatly by taking part in the MSC in leadership and management. I received a solid grounding in management theories accompanied by their practical application during implementation of the final project. Of great value was the identification of my own personal qualities and an appreciation of how to develop further.  Working with a diverse group of colleagues opened my eyes to the different perspectives and approaches of others, enhancing my own organisational, teamwork and leadership skills.

Graduate Testimonial:   Brett Lynam

Course:   Msc in Leadership & Management Development

Location:    Waterford Community Services

I brought with me a degree of scepticism at the commencement of this programme. Coming from a medical background with twenty years clinical practice and a relatively recent foray into Community Care Medicine as an HSE employee can lead to a degree of bias.

Nevertheless, I found very quickly that the programme “does what it says on the tin”.  Firstly via a number of classroom sessions - but not in the usual sense - rather a series of “3 day events” with stimulating interaction with like-minded colleagues.  Secondly by reawakening an academic interest in learning and researching the components of the various modules, and although the knowledge and skills seem “blindingly obvious” at times, the researched and referenced basis of these management tools is reassuring when they are put into practice in the workplace.

Don’t undertake this programme if you wish to sit in a room and be told everything, as was the case as an undergraduate. If on the other hand you have some “on the job experience” at either managing people or processes and wish to enhance those skills and back up what you do with an academic grounding, then this is the programme for you!  I look forward to year two, knowing that it poses a challenge, but hopefully not an insurmountable one.

Graduate Testimonial:   Margaret Boland

Course:   Creative Leadership & Organisational Learning

Location:    St Vincents University Hospital, Dublin.

The applicability of the modules delivered in the MSc in Creative Leadership and Organisational Learning has been hugely beneficial in my management roles in SVUH in the last two years. The opportunity to implement the discovered knowledge through my learning community has greatly influenced both my personal and professional development. I continue to reference material sourced during the MSc and have an invaluable resource in my book shelf.  Sharing knowledge is key to influencing people and creativity gets things done in any organisation.

Graduate Testimonial:   Patricia Hackett

Course:   MSc in Leadership & Management Development

Location:   Wexford General Hospital

The completion of the MSc in Leadership and Management Development has been valuable for me giving an increase in self awareness and development of leadership skills. The knowledge of the concepts and theories of leadership and management gained through this course have been insightful, improving my understanding, appreciation and application to practice. The practical application of the learning has already been useful to me and I feel equipped with the necessary skills to cope with the current turbulent environment in the health service and indeed to help me through the next 10 years of my career. 

Graduate Testimonial:    Avilene Casey

Course:   MSc in Leadership & Management Development

Location: St Luke's Hospital

As Director of Nursing, the MSc in Leadership and Management Development was of huge benefit to me in practical and theoretical terms. It provided me with the opportunity to meet senior managers and hospital consultants from a range of disciplines in a learning forum. This allowed me to gain a variety of diverse perspectives from across the breadth of the health system encouraging me to critically analyse situations objectively. The new materials offered on the course – both theoretical and practical – provided me with tools and skills to take my approach to another level and reflect on my leadership and management style. The course content was varied and focused. Each module built on the previous material covered culminating in a holistic approach to leadership and management development. I made new friends and contacts through the course. I thoroughly enjoyed the two years and found the part time commitment approach to the study achievable even with a demanding day job.