FOREWORD

From med student to doctor, just like that, my life suddenly turned upside down. Five years of seemingly endless studying led to that very moment – the moment I received the news that I’d finally become a doctor. I had made it.

From the minute I decided I wanted to become a surgeon, I was resolute, unwavering in my pursuit. Throughout my five years in med school, I never had a single doubt. I knew what I was doing and I knew why I was doing it. I never complained because I understood that the path to becoming a surgeon is an arduous one, and that med school was only the first step of many. Like I always say, “stop whining, start doing”. I did the doing and I managed without so much as a single all-nighter (actually, I did it once just to prove I could – never again). Not having a steady partner, a tight-knit family, or an all-consuming hobby might have had something to do with that. And so, five years flew by and there it was – the hard-earned medical degree.

And now? Now the real work begins. The title is there, framed and official, but it comes with weight – responsibility, doubt, long nights, and decisions that actually matter. This next chapter isn’t about exams or textbooks anymore, but about showing up when it counts, learning fast, making mistakes, and owning them. It’s about finding my feet in hospital corridors, earning my place one shift at a time, and slowly becoming the kind of doctor I look up to. And even though I don’t know exactly where this road will lead, I know one thing for sure – I’m finally on it.