Hey, what’s up?

I haven’t posted a weekend update in a while, so here’s one fresh off the memory shelf: my latest hangout with two of my close friends from medical school! We created a group chat about a year ago with grand plans to meet up, but—as any FY2 doctor will tell you—between job applications, chaotic rotas, and adjusting to SHO life (read: controlled panic), time just slipped through our latex-gloved fingers.

To add insult to already sore feet, we all live in different parts of the country. So the trip? It simmered in the group chat like an abandoned casserole… until now. Almost a full year later, we finally made it out of the chat and into the streets of York.

Let me introduce the gang.

First up: Jade. We’re the same age, but I’m older by a few months—so obviously I’m more mature (clears throat). Her signature pose is the classic double peace sign, though on this occasion, she was a little stingy with the peace. Maybe inflation’s hit hand gestures too. I only properly got to know her during our final year of med school when we ended up in the same clinical group. She’s now based somewhere in the North of England, but I’ll keep the exact location a secret in case any admirers get ideas. (You never know who’s reading these.)

Jade is kind, supportive, and all that sentimental fluff—but let’s skip the clichés. You get it. She’s great.

Next up is Miss Sara, our resident K-pop enthusiast, closet gamer, and surgeon-in-the-making. She’s basically a scalpel-wielding warrior who probably built her own desk with leftover femur bones in a past life. We’ve been in the same group since first year, so I basically know her search history, sleep patterns, and irrational fears. Main highlight? She must eat every five seconds, or she transforms into a hangry beast capable of verbal destruction. Oh, and she plays badminton like she’s training for the Olympics. Of all the amazing things she could do with her talents, she became a doctor. Life’s full of mysteries.

Together, we were the carpool crew during final year, driving to Kluang Hospital every week. So many things happened there that we made a pact: What happens in Kluang, stays in Klang. (Don’t ask. It’s an inside joke with geographical inconsistencies.) This time around, we reunited in the historic streets of York. Yes, York. Again. I’ve been there so many times, I might start paying council tax. But it never gets old.

The York Saga Begins

It all started on a fine Saturday morning—well, afternoon, for Sara, whose trains kept getting cancelled like bad Tinder dates. Once she finally arrived, we kicked off our main itinerary: eat, talk, repeat.

We had lunch at a Vietnamese place called Pho. In the photo, you’ll see Sara studying the menu like she’s prepping for finals, while Jade is clearly just admiring my stunning presence. (I mean, who wouldn’t?)

Next stop: Heavenly Desserts. It’s 100% halal, which sealed the deal. We ordered two desserts—one of which looked like a glorified houseplant. It was literally called Grow Up! I took that personally and told the girls they should do just that. (Kidding. Mostly.) The dessert itself was a solid meh, but the company made up for it. We also shared a lot of deep and dangerous secrets during that sugar high, but sorry—not everything makes it into the blog. Some things are best kept between waffles and whispered confessions.

By evening, we checked into our luxurious 5-star hostel—aka the YHA Youth Hostel. No pictures, but you’ll have to trust that it was…humble. On the way back, we caught a dreamy glimpse of York Minster.

Sunday: And Then There Were Four

The next morning, we grabbed breakfast at a tiny cafe whose name I’ve completely forgotten. (Great food, poor branding.)

That’s when our fourth musketeer arrived: Priscilla. She’s one of the hardest-working people I know, a walking encyclopedia of medicine, and my go-to survival buddy throughout med school. She’s also a photographer—with camera gear so fancy, my humble lenses develop performance anxiety just by being in the same bag (just kidding). Ask her any question, and she probably knows the answer. Word on the street is she even knows the last digit of Pi.

TThe four of us spent the day wandering around York. The city, as always, didn’t disappoint. We found this fancy little chocolate shop and ordered iced chocolates with varying cocoa strengths—because we’re refined like that. I forgot the name (again), but I hear it’s quite popular among people who like their sugar with a side of sophistication.

The Bittersweet Goodbye

And like all good things—holidays, desserts, med school crushes—our little reunion came to an end. We took a final photo at the train station, each of us heading off in different directions, back to our respective wards, bleeps, and night shifts.

It’s strange how time passes. One moment you’re cramming for finals together, and the next, you’re catching up between shifts and grown-up responsibilities. The trip was short, but it reminded me of something important: that in the chaos of hospital corridors and never-ending rotas, some friendships still feel like home.

To Jade, Sara, and Priscilla—thank you for being the constants in my ever-shifting world. May our group chat stay alive (barely), and may our next reunion not take another year to crawl out of the abyss.

And if it does, well… I’ll be waiting, phone in hand.

Thanks for reading—see you in the next one.