How One Pharmacist Used Healthcare Skills Training International Postgraduate Qualifications to Transform Her Career

When Elizabeth Dalton enrolled in Healthcare Skills Training International’s Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Education, she wasn’t looking to leave pharmacy behind. What she was looking for was a way to move forward.

Today, Elizabeth works as a Technical Delivery Lead within healthcare education, supporting the development of projects, overseeing quality assurance and evaluation, and ensuring programmes are delivered to a high standard across diverse international contexts. It is a very different career path from the community pharmacy role she spent the previous 17 years building.

For Elizabeth, the turning point came when she recognised that experience alone was no longer enough.

“I was looking at the job market, and it was very competitive,” she explains. “I felt like I needed an extra layer in qualifications. A lot of the jobs I was interested in required a higher level of qualification.”

After qualifying with a master’s degree in pharmacy, Elizabeth spent nearly two decades working in traditional community pharmacy roles. Alongside her professional experience, she completed a range of education-focused qualifications, including assessor, teaching and quality assurance awards.

However, as she became increasingly involved in education, curriculum development and training, she noticed a common theme in the roles she aspired to. Many listed a postgraduate diploma or master’s-level qualification as desirable criteria. That realisation came into sharp focus in 2025, when Elizabeth found herself up against candidates whose formal teaching qualifications gave them a clear edge.

Determined to strengthen her own credentials, Elizabeth enrolled on HSTI’s Diploma in Clinical Education (EduQual Level 7), PGDip Clin Ed.

Although she was already working within education and felt confident in many aspects of teaching and curriculum design, the programme helped her consolidate her knowledge and bring together concepts she had previously encountered in practice.

“It brought everything together. Even though I was already doing the job, I still gained so much from the course.”

Shortly afterwards, she secured a new role as Programme Lead.

As her responsibilities expanded, she recognised that leadership development would be equally important.

Leading a team in an educational environment, she discovered, required a different skillset from managing colleagues in a pharmacy setting.

That led her to enrol in Diploma in Leadership in Healthcare (EduQual Level 7), PG Dip Leadership in Healthcare.

“The leadership course came at exactly the right time. I had taken on a new role, I was leading a team, and being able to combine what I was learning on the course with my day-to-day experience was hugely beneficial.”

The programme helped Elizabeth better understand her own leadership style and where she needed to adapt her approach to get the best from others.

“It made me realise where I needed to adapt my leadership style. While I’d led teams before, I’d never received formal leadership training. The course gave me practical tools I could apply immediately, helping me become a more effective leader in my day-to-day role.”

Perhaps most importantly, the combination of practical experience and formal qualifications gave Elizabeth the confidence to pursue opportunities she might previously have dismissed.

With both qualifications completed, she found herself considering roles that sat well beyond the traditional community pharmacy pathway.

“I think of myself differently now. It has opened my eyes to roles that I wouldn’t previously have considered.”

For Elizabeth, returning to formal study reignited something she had not felt for many years.

Having moved directly from university into professional practice and then into family life, learning had taken a back seat to career and personal responsibilities. These programmes changed that.

“It’s ignited a new passion for learning. I feel more awake, more capable, and more competitive when applying for new opportunities.”

Elizabeth’s story is a reminder that professional development is not simply about acquiring new knowledge. Sometimes it is about creating new possibilities.

For healthcare professionals looking to broaden their career options, strengthen their leadership capability, or move into education-focused roles, formal qualifications can provide both the confidence and credibility to take that next step.

Ready to transform your career trajectory? View our upcoming courses or email course@healthcareskills.com for more information.