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Farewell Speech from the UNSW Medicine Class of 2022

I’ll begin today by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we meet today, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present. I extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

Good morning. It is an honour to be celebrating our final day of Medical School at UNSW as one big cohort. 6 years at least. For many of us that’s ¼ of our lives and we’ve come a long way.

For most of us we started in Phase 1 – lectures, pracs, SGs, End of Course. The sheer terror of being asked a question in the computer labs by Dr Mark Hill or Professor Kumar with their microphones. Then Phase 2 – our first proper foray in the hospital, our research, our Gen Eds. Finally, Phase 3 – there was some study at the start, then more study, and a sprinkle of study topped with exams.

On paper that was 6 years – a journey which was not exactly smooth sailing – especially with COVID. In reality though there was so much more and all of us came through with different moments that helped to define us. In fact, our journeys started much earlier and I’d wager it was an enormous challenge and dream for us to even get in. It was the sum of high school exams, interviews, pressure from quite a few angles, and a lot of hard work that opened a door to a new world for us. For many at the time it was the end goal and, once in, I don’t think many of us could have seen how deep Medicine went, or how crazy the next 6 years might look like, not to mention life after graduation.

I think one of the beauties of it all though was that we were able to share these memories and moments with some of the brightest, most talented, and most genuine students from all across the nation and even all across the world. In this time, some people met a mentor, their partner, their best friends; in Wallace Wurth SGs, in Rex Vowels, in Clancy, in hospital. Together we’ve got to know patients from all walks of life, with stories that have touched us deeply. We have faced incredible workloads, stresses, our own mental demons and doubts – hopefully with the help of a friend and others close to us. We’ve studied together, partied together, shared in our passions, and given back to the community. We’ve shared the thrill of being done with exams, and now we’re sharing the relief, nostalgia, and I hope optimism that we will graduate and move to the next chapter of our lives.

We have to thank and recognise those that helped to make this possible for us and helped us all become better versions of ourselves. Firstly, our Year Representatives, and all volunteers in MedSoc but also outside of MedSoc, Rural and in Sydney, this year and all the years before. We are grateful for your service in representing us, in giving us experiences, and binding the community of our cohort but also of our juniors. Secondly, we owe a great deal to all doctors, academics, Faculty, convenors, teaching support staff, administrative staff, including those formerly in MESO – in Sydney but also all of our clinical sites - for getting us through. These were the people that supported, taught, and inspired us, and it is no exaggeration to say that our knowledge, our graduation, and our future success is credited in no small part to their tireless efforts and genuine desire to ensure we become good doctors. On behalf of the Class of 2022 we cannot thank you enough.

Now that we’re graduating though, our next chapter is not going to be an easy one. We won’t be able to hide behind the team as a ‘Med student’ anymore. We’re now in a privileged position as leaders of the community, and with that comes the duty to stick to our values and integrity. At times, we’ll be stuck alone in the middle of the night, lost and uncertain, and we’ll make mistakes I’m sure. We’ll be filled with doubt and question whether we live up to the expectations of our colleagues, our community, and even ourselves.

But I hope when that happens, we remember what we’ve been through. We have given so much to be here today and that version of us from 6 years ago who struggled to understand the chemical mediators of acute inflammation has changed so much, worked so hard, and now understands all of those sciences and countless more diseases. Though none of our journeys have been the same, and we’ll each go down unique paths, we’ll all find a way to make our own impact. And with the skills we now have, every one of us can say they could change a person’s life.

So to all of you. I hope that in 1, 10, in 20 years time or more – that we can remember what we’ve been through here fondly and with pride. I hope that our friendships will persevere and that we will continue to celebrate our successes as a cohort in future. I wish you all the very very best, and it’s an honour to graduate with you as the UNSW Medicine Class of 2022.

Reece Pahn
Year 6 Medical Student, UNSW Medicine
Student Representative, South West Sydney Clinical School
Past President (2020), UNSW Medical Society