We interviewed Chiropractic Alumna Dr Cindy Hurst, she describes her experiences during and after Murdoch University, and rising to leadership high in rural Western Australia.

Career Journey and Achievements

Can you briefly describe your career since graduating from Murdoch University with your degree?

I relocated to the Goldfields as a new Graduate and took on an associateship. After one year, I took ownership of the regional clinic. Since then, I have increased the clinic's scale and improved its reputation to be one of the most awarded health clinics within the region. I have since furthered my study, gaining postgraduate Business and International Sports Chiropractic certificates.  

In 2019, I became a member of the State Government by becoming a board member for the Small Business Development Corporation. In 2023, I relocated to the Midwest. I gained a position with Murdoch University as one of the regional Clinical supervisors for the Chiropractic program and remain an active mentor and supervisor for 5^th year chiropractic students. I still retain ownership of the clinic in the Goldfields and FIFO each month for 1-2 weeks.

What have been some of your career's key projects or accomplishments since completing your degree?

Key highlights would be some of the recognition and awards my team and I have won through the years, along with being sought out to be on the Small Business Development Corp. Board.

Key Awards:

-          Young Business Person of the Year – Goldfields 2009

-          Business of the Year with 1-5 Employees – Goldfields 2010

-          Community Engagement Award – Goldfields 2017

-          Nominated for the State Community Engagement Award – 2017

-          Business of the year with 5-10 Employees – 2020 & 2021

-          Australian Chiropractic Association’s National Community Service Award – 2021

-          Key Speaker at the 2025 Women’s Leadership Forum, with other international and national speakers  – Goldfields

Cindy meeting WA Senator Michaelia Cash 

What lessons have you learned in your field since graduating, and how have they shaped your future aspirations?

The need to be resilient and hard-working. Nothing worthwhile should come easy when it comes to work and business. Things earned through hard work and dedication are so much more valuable. One key ‘learning’ I have noticed more recently as a business owner, health professional and mentor, is that success is earned, not given.   

Murdoch University Experience

How have the skills and knowledge you gained at Murdoch University influenced your professional success?

Murdoch University provided me with my Chiropractic degree in 2007. Being the second cohort to graduate from the program, I am so fortunate that Murdoch was willing and able to provide such a valuable degree.

Is there a particular experience at Murdoch that impacted your personal or professional development?

I connected well with our Dean of Chiropractic, Dr. Brian Nook, who inspired me to be passionate. I was not the highest achieving person in my year, with slightly above average grades. Still, he put time and effort into helping me become more confident. This changed my view not only of myself but also of the profession I was entering.

What were your expectations of studying at Murdoch University as a prospective student, and how did your experience compare?

When I went to Murdoch, it did not have the same reputation as Curtin or UWA. However, being the only place in WA to offer my program meant I had no choice in where I went to university. At first, I was a bit dismissive and thought my study would be less impressive than at another WA university; however, as my degree unfolded, I found that Murdoch University’s culture and the Chiropractic program exceeded my expectations.

Why would you encourage someone interested in becoming a Chiropractor to pursue their studies at Murdoch University?

100%! Having myself gone through the program and having hired multiple MU graduates over my 18 years of work, I found that MU has an exceptionally high degree of well-equipped and very skilled graduates.

Cindy has supervised and subsequently hired many Murdoch University students.

Industry Perspective and Future Aspirations

How do you envision the future of your field, and what key skills do you think will be essential for future graduates?

Resilience – I am unsure how this can be trained; however, newer graduates need to be more adaptable, able to pivot more easily, and more flexible, which are key skills that all future chiropractors/new graduates could be assisted with. There seems to be a trend where resilience is not seen across most professions, and employees/professionals tend not to cope with the everyday pressures of working life. I understand times have evolved, and the world has different pressures. Still, from my time as a mentor, business owner and health professional, I have seen a shift in coping strategies.

What are your professional goals or aspirations for the next five years?

I don’t like looking too far forward and living more in the moment. However, in the next 5 years, I hope to increase my business skills and work towards increasing my satellite clinic in Geraldton.