Scholarship Spotlight: Dr Abdulkareem Mirza

Before joining the MBA Health programme, I completed my training as a General Practitioner and currently work as one in London. Alongside my clinical work, I’ve always had a strong interest in teaching and leadership — examining medical students and setting up a company delivering first aid and health and safety training in workplaces, schools, and community settings. This gave me a great opportunity to use my clinical knowledge to teach life-saving skills to a variety of individuals.

I wanted to better understand how healthcare systems operate, how to lead organisations effectively, and how to bring innovation and new ideas into practice. An MBA felt like an effective way to equip myself with the tools to influence healthcare at scale, beyond the GP surgery.

I chose UCL Global Business School for Health due to the unique health aspect of their MBA, which allows me to combine my clinical knowledge with the core components of effective leadership. This aligns well with my goal of pursuing opportunities in the health consulting industry. I was also drawn to the diversity of the cohort — people from different industries, cultures, and professions. Learning alongside such a mix of perspectives is an excellent way to broaden my understanding of different health systems and organisations.

I am incredibly grateful to Professor Sai (Group Chief Executive Officer) and the team, and to Modality Partnership, for making this scholarship possible. I truly appreciate the opportunity to use my background and vision for healthcare to make a meaningful impact on the future of healthcare, both here in the UK and worldwide.

In the short term, my goal is to combine my clinical insight with the leadership and management skills gained from the MBA to step into roles where I can shape healthcare delivery — whether through policy, strategy, or innovation projects. In the long term, I aspire to contribute to healthcare transformation on a larger scale, helping design systems and solutions that are more sustainable, equitable, and patient-centred, particularly in the UK where there is considerable health inequity.

Just over the last week, I have already learnt a great deal about the frameworks and skills needed to think differently — to see healthcare not just as a service, but as a system that requires strategic thinking, financial understanding, and innovation. The scholarship allows me to focus on developing myself and building meaningful connections that will help me make that transition from individual care to systemic impact.

To the donors and supporters, I would like to express my immense gratitude for providing me with this opportunity to further my ambition to provide more effective healthcare to our community. This scholarship will have an immeasurable impact on me moving forward, and I am excited about the prospect of creating meaningful change in healthcare and supporting others along the way.