The toughest but best years of my life

I struggled to write this final student column for the year, as I could not find a single topic I felt passionate enough to write about. With all of my previous columns, I had a clear vision—this time, it seems as though my brain is hibernating. I have started and deleted several attempts with little progress and, even while writing this, I still had no clear idea of where it was leading.

All that seems to be running through my head is that these 2 years have been the toughest but best years of my life. The barrage of OSCEs, assignments, viva voces, presentations and the never-ending list of clinical competencies, have often left me feeling physically and mentally exhausted. But through the stress and the sleepless nights, I have achieved more than I could have hoped for. I have assisted with the delivery of three babies in a midwifery-led unit—an experience I will never forget. I was part of the team which enabled a young child with a subarachnoid haemorrhage to be in surgery within 3 hours of the initial injury. I have maintained a difficult airway during a traumatic cardiac arrest after a significant road traffic accident. I have also given my first major trauma handover and successfully did not cry.