ASPH Episode 5: From “Just Visiting” to “I Belong Here”
When you’re an IMG, it’s easy to feel like a guest — someone always watching from the sidelines, grateful just to be included. But somewhere during my ASPH attachment, that feeling started to shift. By the time I reached SDEC, I wasn’t just observing. I was reviewing patients independently, documenting, communicating, making clinical decisions — […]
ASPH Episode 4: From Observer to Team Player
There’s this subtle pressure during clinical attachments — especially in the NHS — to start ticking off CV-building boxes: audits, QIPs, case presentations, publications. And I get it. They’re important. But as an overseas doctor, what I’ve found more essential is something far more basic, and yet often overlooked: being able to stand on your […]
جنگ، شکاف و حقارت
جنگ بالاتر از همه چیز است. شاید هنوز هم زود باشد که از احساسم بنویسم. معمولا حتی سعی هم نمی‌کنم که در میان استرس و تکاپوی هر موضوعی از آن بنویسم. می‌دانم که بالاخره موقعیتش پیش خواهد آمد. اما امشب سایه‌ی چیزی را بر سرم احساس می‌کنم که نه تنها مرا از اطرافیانم جدا می‌کند […]
ASPH Episode 3: The Quiet Power of Structure
When I started my ASPH attachment, I didn’t know how much the order of placements would impact my growth. Beginning with T&O gave me a soft landing — time to explore the hospital, understand the teams, get used to the IT systems. Even though I’d studied UK EPRs years ago as a clinical digital fellow, […]
ASPH Episode 2: Week 1: Induction
Induction week at Ashford and St Peter’s kicked off with what you might expect: a warm but formal welcome from the executive team. You sit there in a big lecture theatre, badged up, half awake, wondering what you’ve signed up for. But as the senior leadership began speaking, that familiar NHS feeling washed over me […]
ASPH Episode 1: A Different Kind of Beginning at Ashford & St Peter’s
February–March 2025 As an IMG, you’re often thrown into the deep end. No map, no support, just vibes and a full bleep. I’ve lived that reality — starting in a new system, with new expectations, zero induction, and barely a handshake. One week in and I was already doing on-calls, figuring out how to clerk […]
تاریخ فشرده‌ی انگلستان
تاریخ فشرده انگلستان by James Hawes My rating: 3 of 5 stars I started reading this book just before immigrating to the UK to get a better understanding. I’ve now been in the UK for 6 months during this 28th year of mine, and this coincides with the 2024 election, where the Labour Party won […]
FOFB: The Fear That You’re Falling Behind
360 days after my PLAB 2 exam, and here I am—sitting behind my desk in rainy Tehran. Last week, while scrolling through Instagram—which is something that I hardly ever do these days—I came across something called FOMO. As with most scrolls, I barely gave it a thought. I saw the term, skimmed the caption about […]
ویزا، یا قانون هافستتر در مهاجرت
یک سال پیش فکر می‌کردم که احتمالا دادن چند امتحان برای گرفتن شماره نظام پزشکی در انگلیس و مهاجرت به آن‌جا احتمالا آسان‌تر از امتحان ورودی به تخصص در ایران باشد آن هم در این شرایطی که صندلی‌های بدون سهمیه و آزاد بسیار کم شده‌اند. اما مهاجرت را باید انجام بدهی تا بفهمی حتی اگر […]
ماراتون
یک ماه قبل از ماراتون سیزده سال از تعریف ماجرای قبلی می‌گذرد. امروز صبح قرار بود در شیراز با دوستانم بدویم. شیراز بارانی است و پس از گرم کردن تصمیم درستی می‌گیریم که ندویم. اما شیراز است و کافه رفتن بعد از دویدن که حتی با ندویدن هم ترک نمی‌شود. دو تا از دوستان قدیمی‌ام […]