Alia Al Hourani

I’m a senior clinical embyrologist with over 23 years’ experience in reproductive medicine. I’ve worked in different countries and gained diverse perspectives in lab management. I’m passionate about professional development in this field.

But when I established a brand new unit in my hospital in Kuwait, I wanted to improve my leadership skills. I particularly wanted to address communications and workflow in the IVF lab, so I looked around for the right course.

That’s when I found the RCSI Professional Diploma in Clinical Leadership. I already knew that RCSI has a strong reputation in healthcare, especially in the area of leadership.

I was hesitant about balancing work and study, but the programme was flexible and manageable. The course was online and it included live and interactive webinars alongside a blend of online content and activities. The staff were so responsive and always promptly replied to emails.

The course provided me with the tools to lead more effectively and navigate team dynamics. Through a series of real-world tasks, it also helped me to understand that our challenges are similar to those faced by colleagues in other medical areas, and understand how to manage my stress.

With students coming from different specialities, interprofessional learning was at the heart of the course. Together we did group projects, presentations and research.

I did an assignment about implementing a comprehensive data-monitoring system in the IVF lab to enhance quality control, improve efficiency in line with international standards, and implement better tracking of key performance indicators – the latter being crucial for the patient success rate.

The course was transformative, reshaping me as a leader and bringing a more human bent to my perspective as a scientist. Through the course and the assignments, I have been able to implement a system in my unit to improve data accuracy and enhance lab performance.

This has given me the confidence to study further. I had drifted from academic research, so this course could be a bridge: Next, I am considering further academic pursuits including, perhaps, a PhD.