I was in my last few months at university and I had it all planned out. It was my last ever summer before I begin working life. It was meant to be packed with activities and holidays. I would see out my time with the squash team with a tour away to Poland. I had events planned with my friends, a holiday with my brothers and the boys would go to Bali again. Nothing could go wrong!

*COVID HAPPENS*. A life lesson: anything can happen. As much as you can try and plan everything out, somethings are out of your control. I suppose this unpredictability is what makes life so beautiful.

As the COVID outbreak was beginning, I was on A&E placement at Arrowe Park Hospital. An e-mail from the medical school told us that we were to no longer attend placement. Initially this was met with excitement but was soon replaced with confusion and uncertainty. I was unsure of what was expected from me, unsure of the severity of this virus and concerned about the safety of loved ones.

Over the following weeks it was stated that final year medical students would be offered a chance to volunteer and help in hospitals. I remember speaking to James about the whole situation. He said something along the lines of “Mate, if they offered me to go into the hub of the virus in London, I’d do it. If shit goes down I want to be there to help sort it out”. This helped me realise I felt the same way. Working to help against some crazy virus would be an amazing opportunity, a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I volunteered and was partnered on a Covid ward with Umair. The majority of the patients were elderly. This inevitably meant that I saw people die. Even as a student, you tend to build a strong attachment to patients and their relatives. Seeing them pass away, really put things into perspective.

As the weeks went on myself and the boys of flat 110 began fasting for Ramadan. This meant we had no food or drink all day while working. We would come back exhausted, often going straight to bed. We would then wake up and all break our fast, often eating and praying together. We would then stay up till around 3am to eat and drink before commencing the fast for the next day.

Ramadan for me, was a time often spent with family. However, COVID had meant that I had now not physically seen my family for the longest period of time, ever. The people around me became my family. I would spend all day in hospital working alongside Umair and Misha. Common room discussions with the Arrowe group would be my lunch. I would then spend all night with the 110 boys. Even with all these people around me, I could not help but feel a sense of overwhelming loneliness. In that moment, all I really wanted to do, was simply hug my mum. The day I finally went home, I cried in the car.

A truly special moment for me was when some of my friends, who don’t partake in Ramadan, decided to give fasting a go for a day. They didn’t have to, but they did it. It was a beautiful moment. Those boys will never know just how much that meant to me. It was an act of solidarity, friendship and compassion. James, Brad, Richard, Mitch and Yu, thanks for doing that. I love you all dearly.

As the placement was coming to and end, I felt very close to those around me. I spent a lot of time on the wards working with Umair and Misha. I have seen how they both are with patients and I can confidently say, from the bottom of my heart, they will be outstanding doctors. Together we all had family we missed and people we were worried about, but still we were all there, working together. The three of us were all under the same consultant, Dr Jamadar and we were proud members of the jam jar club.

Now, as I look back and reflect, I miss this placement. I miss the makeshift table tennis matches with Wahid and Yu. I miss the common room debates. I miss the dried mango slices. I miss writing stupid messages on the whiteboard. I miss doing cannulas with the GANG. I miss seeing Adele and Evelyn. Of course, last but not least, I miss Bowmans Fish and Chips!