Two First Nations cousins and doctors-to-be crossed the stage at this week’s graduation ceremony in Rockhampton as they completed the first leg of their seven-year study journey to practising medicine.
Tylin Guthrie and Jay Warcon graduated with Bachelor of Medical Science (Pathway to Medicine) degrees – Warcon with Distinction – as part of CQUniversity’s first cohort of medical students.
With proud families supporting their decision to pursue medical careers, the pair have only huge praise for the support they have received from their family and the CQUniversity community.
“I think my family are pretty proud of me and I am pretty proud of myself too,” says Guthrie, who is the first in her immediate family to complete any degree.
“For me, I just wanted to make my family proud and give other young Indigenous kids someone to look up to.
“Growing up, I didn’t really see any Indigenous doctors. So, I just want to be someone that other young Indigenous kids can look up to and make them realise that they can achieve anything they want to, and they can be anything they want to be.”
For Warcon, being able to study – and now graduate – has meant a lot
“This is really inspiring for us and our families.”
He says that “being able to study together on Country (as Rockhampton is in Darumbal country) has been a great privilege”.
“Not only that but knowing that we will become some of the first Darumbal doctors is also an honour and a privilege.”
Guthrie says the entire experience was “pretty surreal”.
“To have two Indigenous people graduating from university is a huge achievement within itself, so to be able to do it with your cousin is pretty cool!
“We have definitely become closer over the last few years. I think the end goal for both of us was to make our families proud, and I think we have done that.”
Inspiring First Nations students to pursue rewarding careers
Warcon says he hopes they inspire other young First Nations students to pursue rewarding careers.
“We have shown that it is possible for First Nations people to achieve our dreams, even if they are hard to achieve.”
The cousins will now continue their medical journey into the University of Queensland’s four-year Doctor of Medicine degree as part of the Regional Medical Pathway program.
The Regional Medical Pathway is an Australian‑first university and hospital partnership between CQUniversity, the University of Queensland, and the Central Queensland and Wide Bay Hospital and Health Services.
CQUniversity’s Bachelor of Medical Science (Pathway to Medicine) articulates directly to the University of Queensland’s Doctor of Medicine (MD), allowing students to complete the full seven years of study in the Central Queensland and Wide Bay regions.
The pair say there were many highlights in their uni journey so far, with both listing their close-knit cohort (of which 14 will graduate in Rockhampton this week) as something they cherished.
“I truly believe we have become each other’s family,” Guthrie says.
“You spend so much time with each other you begin to fight like brothers and sisters. The last three years have been filled with nothing but laughter. It’s nice to have people to relate to and who are going through a similar journey.”
