This podcast features an interview with Axie Finch, who discusses her career progression and her experience with The HLA programme. She highlights the transformative impact of The HLA, particularly its role in encouraging her to advocate for patients and to challenge the status quo.
Axie recounts her early frustration as a medical student, feeling like a “tiny fish in a big ocean”, and how The HLA provided the structure and confidence to launch the successful 100 Word Project, a collaborative effort to redefine resilience in healthcare.
Ultimately, the conversation underscores The HLA’s core philosophy: cultivating leadership from below through consistent engagement, strong relationships among diverse peers, and the courage to pursue meaningful change. All principles that directly influenced Axie’s decision to specialise in geriatric medicine to better advocate for vulnerable patients.
Josephine Elliott, a paediatrician and former scholar from the third cohort of The Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA), reflects on her career journey and the impact of the programme. She recounts her initial reluctance to apply for The HLA, despite encouragement from a peer, because she felt unqualified. However, she explains how the programme significantly boosted her confidence and inspired her to pursue an Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) in paediatric genetics.
Josephine also describes her project as a board assistant for the European Junior Doctors Association, an experience that offered valuable exposure to international collaboration and leadership. She highlights the importance of communication, humility, and negotiation skills developed through the HLA, which continue to play a vital role in her current clinical and research work focusing on rare genetic conditions such as Wolfram syndrome.
This podcast episode features an interview with Ifan Jenkin, a former scholar of the The Healthcare Leadership Academy. Ifan discusses his unconventional career path from medical school at Oxford, through early clinical training during the COVID-19 pandemic, and eventually to a master's programme in translational medicine at Stanford. He shares insights into his decision to move beyond traditional clinical medicine into the biotech and life sciences industry, his experiences with The HLA community, and the contrasting networking cultures between the UK and the US. The conversation highlights the value of The HLA for personal and professional growth, particularly for those pursuing diverse paths within healthcare.
This podcast episode features an interview with Ahmad Elmansouri, a former scholar of The HLA (Healthcare Leadership Academy) and co-founder of The HLA Listen podcast. The conversation explores Ahmad's journey through medicine, including his initial interest in surgery, his decision to pursue medical education and dermatology, and his experiences living and training across the UK. The discussion also highlights the value of near-peer mentorship, the importance of authentic leadership, and how podcasting has evolved as an educational tool and a platform for community building within the healthcare field.
This episode features an interview with David Williams, a former Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) scholar. The conversation explores Williams' varied career path, including experiences in physiotherapy, the armed forces, and local politics, highlighting his passion for service and leadership. He discusses his journey with The HLA, emphasising the value of its diverse community and the space it provided for personal and professional growth. Williams also candidly shares his recent mental health journey and ADHD diagnosis, reflecting on how understanding himself better has influenced his perspective. The discussion touches on the complexities of leadership within healthcare and the political landscape, advocating for ambition grounded in service and encouraging others to pursue their interests despite potential challenges.
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This podcast features an interview with Hugo Layard Horsfall, a neurosurgery registrar and PhD candidate researching neurotechnology. He discusses his work on next-generation electrodes to understand brain information processing at a single-neuron level, its application in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), and the challenges of translating this technology into clinical practice. Horsfall also reflects on his participation in The HLA Scholars program, emphasising the importance of embracing failure, building networks, and the significance of soft leadership skills in both his professional and personal life. The interview concludes with a discussion of his current research and future aspirations.
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Sida Mao, a former HLA scholar, reflects on his experiences in The Health Leadership Academy program and its lasting impact on his personal and professional development. Sid recounts his initial motivations for joining The HLA, the application process, and the key aspects of the programme he found transformative, such as the emphasis on leadership versus management, the power of influence, and overcoming imposter syndrome. He details his project, creating a ward simulation for medical students and his subsequent role chairing The HLA conference, highlighting the practical leadership skills he gained, particularly in delegation. The discussion also touches upon the strong sense of community within The HLA alumni network and Sid's current career path in emergency medicine. Ultimately, the conversation offers insights into the value of The HLA in fostering leadership qualities, building confidence, and creating a supportive peer group that extends beyond the program itself.
Fasika Amdeslasie, a surgeon and healthcare leader from Tigray, Ethiopia. Fasika discusses his extensive career, including leadership roles during a wartime siege, and his participation in The HLA Scholars programme. He highlights the challenges of balancing clinical work with leadership responsibilities in a resource-scarce and politically unstable environment. The conversation reveals universal challenges faced by clinicians globally, regardless of their context, particularly the lack of formal leadership training and the struggle to balance career ambitions with financial security and family needs. Finally, Fasika describes his work with a local NGO focused on mental health rehabilitation in post-conflict Tigray.
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The Ripple Effect presents a podcast interview with Anne Meierkord, a former HLA scholar from the 2020 cohort who became a faculty member. The discussion explores her career journey, which includes working as a medical doctor in Berlin and a research scientist in health policy analysis, highlighting her unique perspective within the German healthcare system after studying medicine in a joint UK-German program. Anne shares her experiences in this international medical programme, including contrasting the UK and German healthcare systems. She reflects on how her involvement with The HLA, particularly during the virtual COVID cohort, impacted her leadership skills and career. Reinforcing the value of The HLA in fostering a global network and developing leadership capabilities for healthcare professionals at all career stages, encouraging others to engage with the community to drive positive change.
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Jacob Oguntimehin is an emergency medicine doctor and former Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) scholar. Jacob discusses his passion for equitable and efficient health systems, his journey into health policy and widening participation, and the significant impact of his social enterprise, The Aspiring Medic Support (TAMs). He recounts his initial ambition, the pivotal experience of his intercalated degree and his time with The HLA, which were instrumental in developing his leadership skills and expanding his network. Jacob shares the growth and achievements of TAMs in supporting aspiring medical students from underrepresented backgrounds and offers insights into the importance of strong leadership, networking, and staying connected to the core mission of an organisation. His experiences highlight a career dedicated to systemic improvement in healthcare and social mobility within the medical profession.
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This episode of The Ripple Effect features an interview with Maredudd Harris, a former scholar from The Health Leadership Academy (HLA). Med discusses his career trajectory since joining The HLA, detailing his current radiology training with a focus on interventional radiology and a past fellowship in artificial intelligence. He reflects on his experiences, including leadership roles during medical school and the impact of The HLA on his perspectives. The conversation explores his motivations for choosing radiology, the evolving role of AI in the field, and his general leadership philosophy, reiterating ambition and learning from opportunities. Med also shares his advice for individuals considering applying to The HLA, highlighting reflection, commitment, and perseverance.
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This podcast features an interview with Ahmed Kerwan, a doctor and HLA scholar, discussing his career journey. He highlights the importance of online presence in first impressions, his experiences at The HLA programme, and the impact of networking and mentorship on his success. Kerwan's path includes working in venture capital, studying at Harvard, and founding his own company in Silicon Valley. He highlights the value of embracing failure, building genuine relationships, and balancing his medical career and entrepreneurial pursuits.
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This podcast features an interview with Jim Determeijer, a global health PhD candidate and former HLA scholar. The conversation centres on Jim's unique journey, highlighting his experiences as one of the early international HLA scholars, his pivotal role in expanding The HLA's global reach, and his current PhD research on family participation in healthcare within resource-limited settings.
Jim emphasises the importance of building inclusive communities and fostering collaboration across diverse backgrounds and disciplines, showcasing these values both in his HLA involvement and his impactful global health research. The interview concludes with reflections on Jim's leadership style, highlighting his direct yet respectful communication, and his encouragement for listeners to forge their own paths.
Marguerite O’Riordan, a junior doctor and HLA (Healthcare Leadership Academy) scholar, discusses her leadership journey and her project, Political Medics UK. She explores the project's origins within The HLA, its aims to educate and engage medics in medical politics, and its successes, such as establishing a national network and creating e-learning materials. She also reflects on challenges related to workload, delegation, and long-term sustainability.
Marguerite offers advice to future scholars, emphasising the importance of focusing on small, sustainable objectives and making use of The HLA network. She shares how her experience has shaped her current role as The HLA Awards Manager.
This episode features an interview with Riddhi Shenoy, a 2019 Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) scholar. Riddhi recounts her early years at university, her unexpected entry into a management BSc programme—which sparked her interest in leadership—and her somewhat accidental application to The HLA, which turned out to be a surprisingly impactful experience. She discusses how The HLA programme and its networking opportunities influenced her career trajectory, including a significant role at the BMJ and her current academic clinical fellowship in ophthalmology. The conversation also explores themes of ambition, managing failure, the value of mentorship and networking, and Shenoy's evolving career aspirations, particularly her focus on addressing health inequalities.
This episode of The Ripple Effect features an interview with Dina Saleh, a member of the first London cohort of HLA scholars. The discussion explores Dina's motivations for joining The HLA as a medical student interested in leadership, her positive experiences within the programme, the lasting friendships she formed, and her subsequent career path in clinical oncology. The conversation also reflects on the early days of The HLA, the evolution of its mentoring programme, and the enduring impact of initiatives like LinkedIn articles. Overall, the podcast offers insights into the personal and professional benefits of The HLA experience through the reflections of one of its early participants.
This episode of The Ripple Effect is a recorded conversation with Asha Thompson MBE, a former HLA scholar who became a cohort director. The discussion explores Asha's unconventional career path, marked by diverse experiences from retail and beauty therapy to dentistry and clinical leadership, culminating in her current role in NHS England. Asha reflects on her initial involvement with The HLA, highlighting its supportive and non-competitive environment, and shares her experiences as a cohort director. The conversation also touches upon the significance of networking and the unexpected recognition she received with an MBE for her contributions, emphasising the importance of authenticity and empowering others.
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This podcast features Jahangir Alom BEM, a medical doctor and HLA alumnus, as he discusses his career journey.
Jingy’s story highlights how he overcame significant socioeconomic disadvantages to become a successful physician and a passionate advocate for health equity. He emphasises the importance of seizing opportunities—even when feeling unqualified—and building genuine relationships to create meaningful impact. His experiences underscore the power of perseverance, mentorship, and community engagement in achieving both personal and professional goals.
The interview concludes with advice for aspiring leaders, encouraging them to take an active role and build networks within organisations like the HLA.
The Ripple Effect podcast, hosted by Johann Malawana, introduces The Health Leadership Academy (HLA) community by featuring stories from alumni. The HLA focuses on empowering individual clinical leaders, nurturing their leadership potential, and fostering frontline innovation across various healthcare systems globally. It offers a competitive programme emphasising community, networking, and lifelong support for its scholars, aiming to build a strong and reliable professional network that encourages growth and shared problem-solving. The podcast intends to showcase the impact of these connections and inspire listeners to engage with The HLA's supportive environment.
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