Spotlight on MBA student Khalid Alderaa

Student Name:  Khalid Alderaa

Programme: MBA Health
 
Nationality: Saudi Arabia

Why did you choose to apply for the MBA Health? 

After I graduated from the College of Dentistry, I worked in a private hospital, managing a dental department with more than 45 clinics. That gave me a basic understanding of how to manage a business. I started to search for business-related programs and found various MBA programs, but I needed to find one related to healthcare. I Knew about the program from one of my friends; by the way, he is with us in this program! 

I read about the program details and the teaching blocks. It was immensely enriching, especially in the areas I wanted to understand more. Human resources, marketing, and finance are topics I did not have the chance to study during my undergraduate as a dentist, but they are covered in this program!

Whether you are from a medical background, health informatics, or finance, you will find this program tremendous and enriching with creative ways of learning.

Is there a particular area of MBA Health that you are interested in? If so, why? 

I am interested in finance, and understanding the essential business reports and how to read and interpret a balance sheet and income statement is critical for analysing any company. The investment in healthcare is forecasted to increase in the coming years due to higher demand and the increase in life expectancy worldwide. 

Also, human resources are essential for managing both well-established companies and newly established startups. Both need to understand the main concepts of human resource management. Working in a company without knowing is increasing the chances of failure!

The way the program is designed to merge the theory understanding with the applied practice. Examples of current firms are used to deploy your understanding. Peer discussion is a good topic as it increases and enriches your knowledge.

What value will this programme add to your career moving forward? 

There are many points I did not get the chance to learn during my medical studies, which this program will add. Like how collective work usually generates better outcomes if managed well. Managing teams and mediating conflict are great points that I gained from this course.

This is critical as, in real life, there is no solo work. Most of the work done will intersect with others if not group work. So, as a project or task owner, you should know how to navigate all the difficulties in making it successful. 

What advice would you give prospective students considering applying for the MBA Health?

Don’t hesitate to read about the program and assess how you could benefit from the program in your future career path. MBA program directors hold multiple open days, answering prospective students’ questions and queries. So, attending one of the scheduled available days will be a good practice for a better view and understanding. A recommendation from previous graduates from the program can help you get a better experience of the program. You can always use professional social networks like LinkedIn to reach them out!

Talk me through a typical day in life as a GBSH student. 

With the newly opened East Campus building (Marshgate) in September 2023, you will have state-of-the-art facilities and all that you need in one place, not only for study and library things but also cafes and open areas. You will meet students from different programs, and you will be able to build a great professional network. Also, the GBSH supports their students by providing activities related to the courses being taught. Moreover, there will be frequent public events where students are invited to attend to network.

With the UCL Students’ Union, many extracurricular activities are held. Whatever your interest is, you will find a match! And remember, part of your well-being is to enjoy the extracurricular activities. 

What have you enjoyed the most since starting at the UCL GBSH? 

I liked how people interacted with the students with respect and understanding of their cultural backgrounds and differences. Also, the services provided to students to deliver their assignments are astonishing! Library services include access to many databases, precious websites, and sources of information. At GBSH, if you need help, you can directly discuss it with the library team to solve your issues. There are many courses on using reference management software to help you write your report.