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How a healthcare leadership degree is preparing Priyanka to make a difference

As a pharmacist, Priyanka wanted to help people transform their health. As a future leader, she’s preparing to transform health systems from the top down.

When Priyanka began researching postgraduate health leadership degrees, she struggled to find what she was looking for. Most leadership degrees she came across were generic, but what she wanted was something specifically focused on the health sector.

So, when she discovered the ACU Master of Leadership and Management in Healthcare, which prepares students to lead, innovate and transform healthcare environments, she knew she was ready to take the leap—into postgraduate study, into an international student experience and into a new life in Australia.

“I’m a registered pharmacist, but I realised that a lot of the challenges in health care come down to leadership and making system improvements. That’s what motivated me to come to Australia and study this degree,” Priyanka says.

From day 1, the ACU course delivered on its promise. Priyanka found herself surrounded by high-achieving students from Australia and around the world who shared her passion for health sector innovation. The curriculum was inspiring, combining big picture thinking in areas like organisational culture, workplace management and ethical leadership with highly practical learning in areas like budgeting, finance, data management and business operations.

But what Priyanka valued most was the degree’s focus on confident, effective and ethical leadership that empowers health professionals to do their jobs well, even in the face of change. This includes the clinicians who are directly involved in managing patient care, as well as the administrative staff who oversee the facilities and technologies that allow that care to take place.

“The biggest skill I’ve developed is leading change in complex environments. I’ve learnt how to motivate people, communicate a vision and manage resistance, all while staying focused on present outcomes,” Priyanka says.

“I’ve also learnt to think about things like the effective management of IT systems and data to maintain patient privacy. It’s important to deal with those situations very carefully.” 

Beyond the bigger picture of health care leadership, the degree has also given Priyanka some insights into working in Australia, something she finds extremely valuable as an international student. Since arriving in Sydney, she’s found a job as a pharmacy assistant, and she says she often finds herself applying what she’s learnt in her daily work.

Priyanka's education is supported by an ACU scholarship, which covers a portion of her course fees. This financial assistance allows her to concentrate on what matters most: building her leadership skills and shaping her future.

Choose a healthcare leadership degree unlike any other with the ACU Master of Leadership and Management in Healthcare. Planning to commence in 2026? Explore our international scholarships to discover how you can get funding to support your education.