"Armed with lever-arch files and chafe-proof underwear I was embarking on my first operational tour of duty..."

Writer Sarah Armstrong tells her story of how she signed up to be an army doctor. Her imagined life as a real-life Lara Croft was quickly forgotten when the fitness challenges left her retching at the side of the running track. It took several months but she got stronger.

Was she strong enough for Afghanistan?

Sarah Frances Armstrong (Fran) is a graduate of Birkbeck's Creative Writing Masters. For her day job, she works for the NHS. Prior to this, she spent a few years working as an army doctor.