Hello everyone!
It’s been a minute.
So much has happened since I last used this blog. I’ve completed my Masters in Global Health Research spending a 3-month stint in northern Tanzania doing my data collection. I then returned to the UK to finish medical school and graduated early in March 2020 due to COVID-19.
I spent my first couple of months working in Northumberland before moving to Carlisle to complete my Foundation Training (the first two years as a doctor) rotating through Neurorehabilitation and Stroke, Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Respiratory Medicine, Emergency Medicine, General Practice and Gastroenterology.
After a few months off and after completing all 214 Wainwright’s in the Lake District I moved to Tauranga in New Zealand back in November 2022. I lived and worked there for just under 18 months and managed to see a fair bit of the country. Maybe one day I’ll get the chance to blog about my incredible time in NZ – for now, I’m just busy playing catch up trying to add photos to my Instagram.
I got back to the UK in May and have spent the last couple of months catching up with friends and making lots of new ones. Having never been to Ireland, I’ve now visited 3 times in the past 3 months. It’s been a summer I won’t forget in any hurry.
This time next week, I’ll be up in the air hopefully most of the way to Johannesburg. My next adventure is to do my Professional Field Guide (PFG) Course with EcoTraining which will take me just over 11 months. I’ve been aware of this course since I was last in Johannesburg for my medical elective back in July 2018. I’ve always felt very at home in the bush and I cannot wait to be fully immersed in this environment.
It’s not been an easy decision to completely take a break from medicine for the next year but I’m confident it’s been the right one for me. I’m at a stage where I’m not sure what training scheme I’d like to apply for and I’m hoping having some time away from the job will help give me some clarity.
As always, if you’re reading this, I hope you’re keeping well. I’ll be doing my best to post updates frequently but cell service and WiFi will be very limited, as I’m sure you’d expect.
Love to all,
Em x