Alexandria Uy Shares How UIC’s MS in Health Informatics Program Transformed Her into a Confident Healthcare Leader

The Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) program at the University of Illinois Chicago helps students bridge the gap between health information technology, data, and patient care. Designed with working professionals in mind, it offers the flexibility to balance coursework with career and personal commitments while building leadership skills for the future.

For Alexandria Uy, enrolling in UIC’s MS in Health Informatics program was a turning point in her career. Coming from a background in physiological science, she first discovered her passion for health informatics while working as a data systems analyst. The program’s leadership concentration gave her a deeper understanding of organizational strategy and project management, providing her with confidence and new opportunities for career growth.

Can you share your educational background, career path, and current role?

Throughout my undergraduate career, I was on a pre-med track like many of my classmates, thinking I wanted to become a physician. However, as I progressed, I realized that a medical degree wasn’t the right fit. I explored alternatives like physical therapy, optometry, PA school, and even dentistry, but none of those fields truly spoke to me.

I graduated with a B.S. in Physiological Science in 2020, right at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and started working at a biopharmaceutical company as a Quality Control Chemist at a manufacturing site. This significantly differed from my original plan to apply for a full-time position at UCLA Health with the Data Integration, Architecture, and Analytics Group (DIAAG). I had worked briefly with DIAAG as a student before the pandemic and felt I had finally found a field that excited me. Fortunately, in 2021, DIAAG hired me as a Data Systems Analyst, and that same year, I began my MSHI program at UIC.

What are the most valuable skills you’ve gained from UIC’s Master of Science in Health Informatics program, and how have they impacted your work?

The MSHI program has provided me with a more comprehensive understanding of the current and future state of the U.S. Healthcare system. It has helped me better understand the role of technology and informatics in bedside clinical care and hospital administration. I now better grasp relationships between the various stakeholders involved in crucial organizational decision-making.

For instance, the rapid growth of AI in the healthcare industry has directly impacted the work that my team prioritizes. We focus on developing end-to-end research database infrastructure and pipelines by extracting health data and metadata from the EHR. Then, we transform it into usable and compliant research information and ultimately present key insights from the data into a more interactive dashboard for clinicians.

The leadership concepts covered in the MSHI program, particularly in the BHIS 546: Leadership Development in Health Informatics course, have been incredibly relevant to my work. Learning about organizational dynamics, effective communication, and leadership strategies has helped me better understand the implications of the outcomes during the meetings I attend. This includes whether they are steering committee meetings, stand-ups, or all-hands meetings.

How did you decide which concentration was the best fit for you? How has that choice influenced your career path?

I initially started in the data science concentration but switched to the leadership concentration midway through the program. This decision was influenced by a performance evaluation where my manager asked what kind of work I envisioned doing in five or more years. That question prompted me to reflect on the rapidly changing landscape of technology, big data, and healthcare.

I had never seriously considered myself a “leader” in the traditional sense, but the courses required for the leadership concentration offered the soft skills that I think are important no matter your industry or organization.

The most significant takeaway from the MSHI leadership concentration is the understanding that modern healthcare challenges are complex, system-influenced, and require adaptive solutions. I’ve learned about various adaptive leadership frameworks and techniques to mobilize a team toward the productive zone of equilibrium when facing an organizational challenge. More specifically, I’ve learned how to distinguish between technical problems and adaptive challenges and how to first get on the balcony to observe organizational dysfunction before immediately jumping blindly into action.

I’ve also developed soft skills such as understanding what motivates people, assessing an organization’s adaptability, and recognizing the importance of fostering a culture of reflection and continuous learning.

Was there a specific assignment you found particularly valuable during the program?

One assignment that stood out to me was a project management simulation where we had to gather requirements for health IT (HIT) development and implementation. This assignment was especially relevant because it mirrored the type of work my supervisor often asks me to assist with. It gave me a stronger framework for understanding project planning, stakeholder communication, and HIT implementation, all of which are critical in my job.

How has earning the online MSHI degree given you an advantage in your field?

The most significant advantage I’ve gained from the MSHI program is greater confidence in myself when it comes to my career. The leadership concentration has strengthened my communication and project management skills and overall work strategies.

One example of this is the more independent role I’ve taken on within my team’s projects. I am now largely responsible for coordinating our team’s work with other departments, independently collecting and communicating the requirements for new health research IT implementations and generating digestible documentation of our standard processes.

When collecting and communicating requirements, I make sure to generate action items and next steps for each agenda item, then communicate them back to the involved parties to ensure everyone is on the same page.

What advice would you offer someone considering enrolling in UIC’s online MSHI program?

My best piece of advice is to stay proactive, especially when it comes to checking Blackboard and reaching out to professors or classmates. Since each class is only eight weeks long, there’s no room to fall behind. Keeping up with assignments and engaging in discussions will make the program far more rewarding.