You belong here

It can be hard to find your place in medical school. In 2019, studying in a country where I knew nobody, where I sounded different, and where my only contact with the medical profession had been my family GP, I worried that I never would find my place. I didn’t feel like the right kind of medical student and I didn’t know the right way to get through medical school.

Preparing to return to the wards after a year at The BMJ feels different. I’m apprehensive, of course—will I make friends in my new year, and how will I adjust back to student life? But I’ve learnt that despite these anxieties, I do belong. You do too.

Students from all walks of life have shared their journeys to and through medical school using our #YouBelongHere campaign. Some of our colleagues have struggled financially, and others have struggled with mental or physical health. Many students have …