We were waiting for our small group teaching in our 6th semester OBGYN posting to begin, when I heard some chatter that caught my attention. A discussion about where you would want to do your residency post MBBS.
This is a conversation that has spun in my mind over the previous 2 semesters. Inclined to practice in a developed country like US was what was drilled into my brain once I joined MBBS. However, considering financial constraints amongst other things, the unpredictability of the match season is what made me realize that perhaps I should look elsewhere.
As the discussion proceeded, I realized that UK was offering similar opportunities, with a much lower investment. It also had the best training programs in my specialty of choice which was impossible for me to train in, back in India. I waited till my internship to actually reaffirm my interest and actual capability in this specialty. Once I passed my final MBBS I started taking the relevant UK licensing exams.
Emergency Medicine. A field which has somehow lost its relevance in India where it should be having the most as it caters to its humungous population. Having worked in big hospitals such as RML and LHMC, and having been a part of the ED made me realize how Indian Emergency Healthcare didn’t even compare to what UK had to offer.
In about 1 year of passing my Internship, I passed my PLAB exams, and secured a job four months after. Working in the NHS has been on my vision board since 2019 — counting back to the conversation back in the OBGYN posting.
Europe is known for its inexplicable beauty. I have always been in awe of this beautiful continent. Every day I wake up from my bed, and it feels like I’m living in a dream. It can’t be possible that I am in this beautiful country amongst such scenic beauties, actually doing what I have wanted to since I was 10?Every single day is a ‘pinch me’ moment.
Pinch me moment. Every single day
However, working in the NHS has been challenging. Not only am I talking about the cultural differences but also the difference in healthcare systems. It’s been about half a year in this country but I still feel out of place. It has been really hard. It has been lonely.
Away from family and friends. You are forced to go on solo dates which I otherwise enjoyed, but not so much anymore. You crave for belongingness after a rough shift and there is nothing but the silence of your own solitude.
It has been difficult to keep going and brush off thoughts like these. What has truly driven me to dive into this steep learning curve has been my undivided love for Emergency Medicine training. A training program that’s ranked one of the best in the world! Recently having passed the MRCEM Primary has certainly given me a sense of confidence which is helping me embark on all the difficulties I have faced until now.
There are times when I have felt that the Indian Healthcare system is much better than the NHS, and is so much more accessible to general public in general. This triggers me into thinking whether or not I took the right decision. The decision to leave everything for a country and place and a system where my focus is dissipated into just understanding how it all functions.
But there is one thing I do know. The work life balance I get here in the NHS is something I have never even heard or experienced back in India. Coming home from 36 hour shifts in internship and watching my PGs not taking a shower for a week and yet getting scolded, ragged by professors every single day had become a norm. In Internship I knew that I wasn’t looking forward to doing this ever in my life.
The balance of time and money and self-development here in UK is exceptional. It is something that cannot compare to anything I could have in India. I can hop on the train and visit any city in UK. Flights to European countries are actually cheaper than the train tickets. I can just drive across the beautiful scenic hills of lake district and let all the natural beauty sink into my soul. Is there something more beautiful than this spontaneous independence?
In the serenity of British waters healing your soul
Breathing everyday into this evergreen beauty of English breeze. It feels surreal. I feel blessed to be living the dream I have always wanted. Can’t wait to hop onto the next hill of adventures that are awaiting me.
A full circle moment
Looking back and realizing how far you have come. Blessed.
All the journeys you took upon led you up to this beautiful destination.
