Alumni story / How an HFMA qualification helped me find water in the desert!

Dr Soham Bandyopadhyay, a trainee neurosurgeon, has been undertaking two HFMA diplomas in healthcare business and finance. Initially, he was looking to learn more about how the healthcare system works from a different perspective, beyond his role as a clinician, by exploring the more executive and financial aspect. In his own words, he details his experience of study so far and his aim to move into to a managerial role and achieve an MBA.

After a discussion with a hospital CEO, who had been a renal physician and progressed to managerial roles through an HFMA diploma, I contemplated what I wanted to achieve in life and where I could make impact. In my current clinical practice, I can only impact one person at a time, whereas having a wider knowledge on what we do at the hospital or community level, I will be able to have an impact on more people and take it forward to future roles.

So, I decided to undertake the HFMA diploma to develop my knowledge, to be able to reach more people and to explore the business aspects of healthcare, especially as we must ensure it is financially affordable to provide patient care. So far, the diploma has given me an insight into how decisions are made from within the NHS, in government and from a clinical perspective in terms of how costing is done, where we prioritise active care and how integrated care boards come together.

Starting studies

I began my first diploma in September 2021 and began the second in September 2022, with the aim of completion by September 2023. I have really appreciated the flexibility of the courses, which allow you to learn remotely: the content is all available online so you can curate your own timetable, which is especially useful in a very busy, full-time job, such as mine.

I also benefitted from the dedicated tutor in each module – they are experts in their field, so it is helpful to see how they respond to different individuals and how each deal with feedback or any issues raised during the live sessions. It is quite a time commitment as each module lasts for a few months, however this is beneficial for those who want to take their time. Luckily, I have been able to work to my own timelines, studying alongside my clinical role and research work, ramping up my study in the period before submission deadlines.

This type of study is very self-directed and while there is a lot of material available, there is an expectation (and a benefit) to reading around the material to get the most out of the learning. Fortunately, all the right resources are assigned and posted online, so it’s easy to find and access the material. As long as you have the motivation to build upon the live sessions with your own work, you will get a lot out of the study experience.

Benefits of study

Studying for the diploma has really given me a greater appreciation of how decisions are made in the NHS, allowing me to gain a more realistic understanding of why financial decisions are made and enacted in specific ways.

Not only that, but I am now more reflective of my own practice and whether the decisions being made are clinical or financial, as well as what drives them. I can reflect on what I do myself, the impact it has on other people – for instance in relation to their ability to get a task done – and how to motivate those around me to achieve their tasks, which is great.

Building an understanding of how the system works as a whole and how it all comes together at a community level when delegating funding is beneficial as, often, you’re quite isolated and trying to determine where the funding or resources are. The diploma has therefore allowed me to appreciate the multiple demands on the NHS as a whole, as well as on a financial level.

For those planning on undertaking an MBA, this diploma provides the credits and route you need, so it will be much easier and quicker to complete compared to other programmes. And by having the opportunity to continue my studies remotely, it will allow me to continue my clinical work at the same time.

Motivations to study

My advice for those considering a qualification with the HFMA would be to have a look at where you see your career leading. If you are contemplating a managerial role, if you just want a deeper understanding of how the system works, or both, then it’s worth studying. It is possible to find this information independently, but I like to use the analogy of looking for water in the desert – you could end up walking around forever, or you may find the oasis and have a drink. It is easy to go in the wrong direction, so a degree or diploma points you to the right resources quicker.

As it stands, I have learnt a lot more about the healthcare system, so the key is to now keep this knowledge at the forefront of my mind and in practice, because once you stop utilising something, it can get displaced by more contemporary knowledge. My challenge now is to establish how to take this forward and apply it to my day-to-day working life, especially as it is detached from my normal working patterns.

If you would like to learn more about the qualifications the HFMA has to offer, click here.