RAF

How a tragic loss inspired a military doctor's career

Watch: Suggestion from terminally ill childhood friend led to career as military doctor.

A military doctor with the Royal Air Force has shared 'the bittersweet' story and tragic event that inspired her commitment to service.

Filmed during a simulated medical training exercise in Cyprus, the RAF GP Squadron Leader Megan Chamberlain reflected on the journey which began with a suggestion from a friend and culminated in a fulfilling career in the military.

Recalling the events that set her on this path, Sqn Ldr Chamberlain said, as a teenager, her best friend Heather was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.

Heather loved the Air Cadets and told Megan to join, saying: "It's one of the best things that you'll do."

Simulated training preparing Medics in Cyprus prepare for real-world scenarios 040823 CREDIT BFBS — Simulated training in Cyprus preparing medics for real-world scenarios.

Heather insisted, saying her best friend would get to experience incredible opportunities, such as getting the chance to fly, but Megan, initially unsure, had reservations about joining.

Tragically, a year later Heather passed away.

"And I said to myself, you know what? I'm going to do what she asked me to do," Sqn Ldr Chamberlain said.

On the anniversary of her best friend's death, she joined the Air Cadets.

Megan loved her time with the Air Cadets, saying she did get the chance to fly as Heather said she would, and she also got into gliding.

During her university studies, Megan joined the University Air Squadron in the east of Scotland at Leuchars.

Watch: Medics in Cyprus prepare for real-world scenarios as training nears its end.

Megan acknowledges that her career journey started from the moment her friend told her to join the Air Cadets.

Fast forward to the present, and Squadron Leader Megan Chamberlain stands in the arid Cypriot heat, being interviewed during a simulated medical training exercise, honing the skills she'll need to save lives while serving her country.

Her journey from a young teenager coping with loss to becoming a squadron leader is a heartfelt testament to the power of friendship and the profound impact that a single friend's wish to see another fly can have.