Thousands of young girls and boys around the nation are currently considering their post school ambitions as the "annual graduating class" venture out into a world that quickly transcends an otherwise structured environment of school and living with mum and dad. The scene is substantially repeated each year and Abbie Heffernan was one such student back in 2013 when the former student of Trinity Catholic College Lismore awaited her HSC results.

Parents Tony and Janelle had seen eldest son Aaron and second child Jacob navigate high school and successfully pursue university education. Each would eventually follow Janelle into a career in school education, but Abbie had a clear vision of where her skills were destined to be forged.

An unfortunate mishap at age 11 saw Abbie fracture her leg and it was this incident that inspired a young mind that medicine was to become her mission in life.

"I thought that it would be cool to help people who were sick or injured" Abbie recalls. Although 2014 proved to be a gap year, a successful application for entry into a Bachelor of Medicine Degree, saw the outstanding student commence her studies at Newcastle University in 2015.

This story is also about one of those rare individuals who excel in most activities that they try and for Abbie, this includes soccer, where she was a prodigious talent since first playing at about age 4. Like her brothers, Abbie played for Lismore Richmond Rovers and at age 16, in 2011, she was named the Football Far North Coast Women's Player of the Year (jointly with Tenielle Shaw from Bangalow), perhaps claiming bragging rights as being the best player in the Heffernan family?

The move to Newcastle saw Abbie continue her love of soccer, including at South Wallsend in the top league and scouts reported to me that the midfielder/striker could have easily played in the W-League. Medicine is of course a demanding and challenging field of study and true to her commitment and dreams, her sporting career was reluctantly put on hold (a decision that Abbie insists will only be for a few more years). Social life was also limited as five years of intense theoretical and practical studies proceeded in a way that Abbie describes almost nonchalantly as being, "a fairly steep learning curve."

Abbie Heffernan in the thick of the action for Richmond Rovers.

She also muses about often being addressed by patients as, "Excuse me nurse...", and last week saw the graduation of Dr Abbie Heffernan from Newcastle University, which I understand has satisfied the very highest standards of academic attainment.

The next two years will see Dr Heffernan complete a rigorous program that is delivered through a progressive ten x ten week rotation within different areas of medicine. These placements will be in Newcastle, including John Hunter Hospital where Abbie has already forged most of her initial career in medicine. Her ultimate goal is to specialise in paediatrics and her history of high achievement would lead me to conclude that Abbie will prove to be a brilliant practitioner in due course.

Abbie with her parents Tony and Janelle, brothers Aaron (left) and Jake and extended family.

As I spoke with Abbie in recent days, one of the region's most respected paediatricians, Dr Chris Ingall coincidentally appeared and I was delighted to introduce Chris to our newest clinician. What a privilege it was to see Abbie, as a new doctor engaging in an unscripted, but very relevant and professional conversation with a specialist of such repute and experience as Chris Ingall. A sliding door moment perhaps?

Commitment and purpose are concepts that underpin the pursuit of most critical components of life. Whether through sport or career, excellence in performance should be applauded and I have been fortunate to have seen Abbie deliver on both counts. The community joins with her proud family to say, "Congratulations and well done, Dr Abbie Heffernan!!"

Article by Steve Mackney