Health, Sport and Bioscience Graduate Profiles
Pradip - BSc Health Services Management
Looking back from where I am today, to where I was in 2003 I feel now it was more than luck or chance that I ended up studying a BSc Health Services Management at the University of East London. After studying in Germany for three years and completing a Foundation Course in Medicine, I knew something wasn’t gelling. Not only was I not connecting with the subject, but I really wanted to come to London to study and live too. Feeling my strengths might lend themselves well to Psychology, I looked around and discovered the University of East London offered some great courses at great value. During an application interview, a very perceptive lecturer after assessment of my interest, skills and personality advised I should seriously consider Health Service Management. I’m so glad I heeded the advice given to me that day – as a single decision it has transformed my life in immeasurable ways.
Today, I’m the Head of Access and Capacity at Newham University Hospital. And I know I would not be here it if it was not for the opportunities the School leveraged for me. One of the biggest breaks I got was landing a place on one of the University’s “Earn As You Learn” work placements. In my final year, I worked for the NHS, and after I graduated they offered me a full time job as a Project Manager. The academic and practical grounding the course gave was indispensable in understanding public health administration and management, and meant I could hit the ground running in my placement and fast track my career. Studying this degree was such a lateral move for me, but in retrospect perfect – it gave me the opportunity to work as a care giver but in the broadest sense – if you like management and being in the position to make decisions and policies in public health, then this is a gem of a degree.
As an overseas student, the Stratford Campus was a great base to discover London and now three years later, I’ve made it my home. I feel proud, fortunate and humbled to have the life that I do and it’s thanks to that fateful day back in 2003 that has set off a chain of reactions.
