Becoming an HST meant far more than a new title – suddenly I was leading resus, guiding juniors and learning to carry real responsibility.
START OF HST 1
After a sleepless night shift, caffeine, awkward questions and one near-fumble, my HST interview ended with an unexpected result.
FOREWORD
Four years of higher specialist training begin – night shifts, exams, burnout, growth and the chaos and privilege of emergency medicine.
AFTERWORD
I reflect on two years in the emergency department as medicine becomes less of an obsession while teaching me its greatest lesson: humility.
END OF BST 2
As BST 2 ends, I prepare for an HST interview while protecting the travel, curiosity, ambition, and hope that make the rest of my life whole.
BST 2 – Q4: Journal Entries
Journal entries from my fourth quarter in my second year of basic emergency training.
Tying Up
I pass the MRCEM SBA and departmental exam, reflect on a chaotic year and prepare for HST without postponing the rest of my life any longer.
Quito: Four Worlds, One Country
On my final day in Quito, I visit El Panecillo, drink canelazo and reflect on Ecuador, comfort zones and whatever adventure might come next.
Galápagos Islands – Day 9: Adiós Calipso!
I leave the Calipso, say goodbye to my Galápagos dive family and confront the strange exhaustion that arrives before a great adventure ends.
Galápagos Islands – Day 8: Under the Lava
On my final Galápagos cruise day, I dive at Cousins Rock, meet wild giant tortoises and realise how much I will miss my unlikely new family.