He completed his undergraduate medical training at the University of Queensland. He completed his advanced neurosurgery training at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. On completing his advanced neurosurgical training, Dr Tomlinson worked for three years at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in the USA, before returning to Australia to accept a position as a visiting neurosurgical consultant at the Royal Brisbane and Royal Children’s Hospitals. He worked as a Clinical Associate Professor, supervising neurosurgical training at the Royal Brisbane and Royal Children’s Hospitals. Dr Tomlinson has also been involved in research, being awarded a Doctor of Philosophy and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Queensland.