“It’s practical as well as theoretical”: how a Dual Accredited MBA benefited NHS doctor Hiba

Dr Hiba Khan CMgr FCMI splits her time between clinical practice in obstetrics and gynaecology and a senior leadership role at edtech company Medics Academy, where she is chief revenue officer. Hiba is focused on expanding and upskilling the healthcare workforce – a mission informed by her own on-the-ground experience in the NHS.

We caught up with her to learn more about her journey from junior doctor to senior leader, including the contrasting pressures of managing in both clinical and non-clinical settings, the value of listening in leadership and the importance of strategic thinking. 

Hiba shared the transformative impact of undertaking a Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship, which later led to her being named CMI’s Apprentice of the Year 2024. She also challenges the view that the NHS is over-managed…

What is your current role and how did you get involved in management?

Hiba Khan: Half of my time is spent working as a doctor in the NHS in obstetrics and gynaecology, and then the other half I work as chief revenue officer for Medics Academy, which is a healthcare education technology company geared towards trying to support expansion of the healthcare workforce through educational programme delivery using technology built specifically for healthcare.

At Medics Academy, I came in to essentially build out the curriculum and teach, but very quickly I was able to find opportunities in the market where we could expand. The pandemic accelerated what we were doing and suddenly I went from a team of three to a global team of 15. I knew quite quickly I needed to be able to navigate that and help everyone in the team from a management perspective.

My management responsibilities as a doctor happened almost overnight! One minute, you’re in medical school, the next you’re now a doctor, managing complex situations out of hours, helping unwell patients and then having to work with and manage the wider team.

What motivated you to get involved in edtech?

Hiba Khan: I wanted to build my leadership skills as an early-career doctor, and I came across the Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA), a social enterprise and partner of Medics Academy that runs a year-long scholarship programme to develop healthcare leaders. At the third time of applying, I got in! I was successful in gaining a place on the HLA scholarship programme, where I was given exposure to the management and leadership side of working in healthcare. I started developing an app as my leadership project and working with the wider HLA team. They asked me to come into the business. My boss brought me into the company and sponsored the Level 7 apprenticeship programme with CMI and Exeter University.

What was it about the apprenticeship that caught your eye?

Hiba Khan: I'd been managing a big team for about four or five years, and I knew I wanted to be better for my team. I now had a couple of direct reports rather than everyone reporting into me. I wanted to be able to effectively support everyone, even though I didn't have direct contact with everyone every week.

So, I was researching and the apprenticeship programme looked really good. I looked at the dual qualifications you gain – both the Chartered Manager accreditation and the Exeter MBA. I thought it would be great, because it's practical as well as theoretical, which mirrors my medical education and experience.