I can hardly believe it’s happened. Yesterday, for the first time in 40 years, doctors went on strike. I went out to the picket line at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital today to speak to and support the doctors out there. It was incredible how dignified this whole campaign has been. They know they have […]
Striking Doctors and Healthcare Innovations Read More »
UPDATE – SEPTEMBER 2023: I don’t want to delete this article as it’s a part of my story, but I must tell you that I cannot continue to endorse Medic Footprints as a company, following their decision to pursue the highly unethical Multi-Level Marketing business model, in the form of ‘Travel Doctorpreneurs’. As a marketing
So… what do you do? Read More »
When I talked to my dad about my resignation, it was difficult to bear the disappointment in his voice when he said: “So, what, you’re officially unemployed now are you?” He didn’t say it at all cruelly – it was just the statement of the awful truth that hurt. It was qpainfully real. I hit
Officially Unemployed Read More »
Dear Me, This year, for the first time in perhaps your whole life, you have opened your eyes to who you really are. Your history of anxiety, self-loathing and doubt have left you feeling scared in the face of this discovery. “Is it too late to change?” you say. “I should have done things differently.”
A New Year letter from my better self to me: Read More »
It’s been two weeks since I stopped working. Two weeks sober. What a fortnight I have had… When I woke up the next day at 8am instead of 6am and had nowhere to be, it felt delicious. The hours of the day stretched out before me, with waves of potential, and to be honest, all
Hitting Rock Bottom – apparently you bounce Read More »
The other day, I was on my way to the Royal London Hospital to discuss my resignation with the Dean of my Foundation School, when a man going past on a bicycle stopped next to me. “Are you lost?” he asked, with an accent that I recognised to be Sri Lankan. I turned away from
The Dangers of Ego: how medicine became my self-esteem Read More »
On Tuesday 1st December 2015, we all thought it was the last day. Every four months, foundation doctors rotate round into their next specialty, meaning a new team, new patients, new rules and sometimes even a new hospital or town. Tuesday was to be that day, but then the unprecedented industrial action was called over
A great deal has already been said about the junior doctor contracts row, so I will keep this short. As the years have passed, working as a doctor in the NHS has become more and more about service provision and meeting targets than about good patient care. As training overhauls like MTAS, eportfolios and the
The New Junior Doctor Contract Read More »
Having had my mind on medicine for the last few years, I feel very out of touch with the literary scene. I’ve barely even allowed myself to read the books of other authors, let alone write myself. There always seemed to be something else I ought to be doing – exams to study for, my
First forays into the literary world Read More »
I told my parents about my resignation today. I cheated. I chose this weekend because on Sunday they’re throwing me an engagement party, and are currently busy with preparations – I was hoping this would be enough to distract them from the magnitude of this revelation, hoping it wouldn’t make headline news. I suppose I
The Parental Reaction Read More »