Studying medicine has been a life goal for University of the Sunshine Coast student Connor Stewart from the time he was 12 years old. “I was in Year 4 or 5 at school when I decided I wanted to be a doctor, and my mum laughed and said, ‘Everyone at this age says they want to be a doctor.’ But everything about it drew me, I truly didn’t want to do anything else.”

Now in his second year into a Bachelor of Medical Science at UniSC, Connor says while he knew there would be “a LOT to learn,” he didn’t quite understand just how much that would be. “I’ve been studying for the last year a half and we’ve only just scraped the surface, but I love it,” he says.

While his journey to becoming a UniSC student was at times uncertain, Connor says it has worked out for the best. “I’ve always loved the beach - having been a nipper from a young age - and I have a passion for running. With UniSC being a stone's throw from Mooloolaba Beach and having an Olympic standard running track, I can live out both my academic and my sporting/recreational dreams.”

Connor successfully applied for a UniSC scholarship which he says gave him enough money to be able to move to the Sunshine Coast instead of commuting to Brisbane. “The lifestyle at UniSC is unique and living right here near the campus allows me to be immersed and form a tight bond with other students. It’s a very supportive environment, a second home.”

Connor started a social run group which meets once a week for a friendly jogging session where they can “chat and destress.”

And while Connor says his parents were “a little sceptical at first” that medicine was the right path for their son, they now see that it’s “a good fit” and are happy with his dedication. “I have no family history in medicine, other than a grandfather who was a pharmacist. Some students in my course feel pressure if they have a family history in medicine, but for me it’s purely my own path - which is nice.”