Leadership in Laboratory Medicine
Kevin O'Boyle

Leadership can be defined as a process whereby an individual influences a group to achieve a common goal. In 2005, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) established the Institute of Leadership with campuses in Dublin, Dubai and Bahrain to coordinate and deliver postgraduate courses in Leadership and Healthcare Management. 

The MSc in Leadership is a 2 year, part-time course of study comprising 7 distinct modules and a research project accredited by the National University of Ireland, Trinity College. Each module builds upon the learning of previous modules.

Module 1 concentrates on self-reflection and personal improvement, moving into Module 2 which introduces team dynamics and leading others. There is a strong emphasis on experiential learning, encouraging the student to take their learning home with them and deliver projects in their own organisations.

Modules 3 and 4 further extend into managing services and managing change. These modules provide the skills and knowledge required to run any service in healthcare, as befitting a class from all healthcare specialties, but the coursework is designed to focus the student’s mind on their own workplace. Project work includes collaborative initiatives within the student’s organisation.  

Module 5, Strategic Planning and Implementation, and Module 6, Developing a Future-Oriented Mindset, teach the importance of strategic thinking in modern healthcare. In a constantly changing, chaotic work environment it is necessary to consider the bigger picture and the overall direction of one’s organisation.

Module 7 focuses on research methods and methodology, providing the skills to carry out an extensive research project to complete the course. My project, Advancing Staff Representative Input into Career Progression for Medical Scientists in the Republic of Ireland, was accepted and I graduated in November 2021.

Each module is designed to enable the student to adapt to the increasing complexity of modern healthcare, and to their own role in its function. Combined, they equip the student to manage and lead the complex services that modern laboratories provide.