I was born in Huddersfield to a 28-year-old Gujarati Muslim mum and a 54-year-old white Irish/British dad. On paper, it sounds like a strange mix and honestly it sometimes felt it too. We moved around a lot when I was young, from Huddersfield to Dublin eventually settling in Bolton.

Being both Indian Muslim and Irish in the UK meant growing up with two strong, sometimes clashing cultures. One gave me tradition, family, faith, and food. The other gave me humour, honesty, and a stubborn sense of independence. One side taught me how to keep the peace, the other reminded me to speak up, especially when it’s hard. Both shaped how I see the world.

Growing up I never felt like I belonged anywhere. At school there was the continuing undertones of racism and rejection, how I could be Irish “with that name” and “where was I really from”. In South Asian spaces, I didn’t always fit in with others’ expectations either - too outspoken, too different. Too brown for one side, too white for the other. Too visibly Muslim. Too queer. Too much.

It took me a long time to stop thinking of that as a bad thing.

Figuring out I was queer didn’t always feel safe or welcome in the communities I came from. There were moments I thought I had to choose between culture or queerness, belonging or honesty. But slowly, I’ve realised I don’t have to split myself in two just to make other people comfortable.

There’s power in being the one who doesn’t fit neatly into any box. It’s exhausting at times but it’s also freeing. I’ve learned how to move through spaces with care, to listen properly and to read between the lines. And that’s shaped the kind of doctor I’ve become.

I don’t live between cultures anymore, I live fully in all of them. Messy, complicated and proud. Some days I still feel out of place, but more and more I see that people like me aren’t ‘exceptions’, we’re just not always seen. But we’re here.

I left home in Bolton to study medicine at the University of Sheffield and it has been a difficult path. I struggled with the sudden independence of the environment and undiagnosed neurodivergence. I failed my first year, but I picked myself up and eventually graduated with a distinction. 

Entering psychiatry training has been challenging at times especially with managing college exams alongside full time work. But with the support of my community, I have pushed thorough and am now waiting to sit my final exam in September. Hopefully after this I will be entering higher training to finally become a consultant.