John Heffernan is originally from the Midlands and came to the North East before studying medicine as a mature student. “I have found the North East is an amazing place to live and work. It is the country’s best-kept secret – it has everything! The people are friendly and genuine, the roads are quieter than most of the country and within easy reach is some of the country’s most beautiful attractions. Newcastle is a busy and vibrant city with an international reputation for being a great place to have fun.”
“There are some hidden gems too; within a hour’s drive there is the English Lake District, the gorgeous white sandy beaches of Northumberland or even the Scottish border country, closer to home there is great surfing along the coast and inland there is some of the country’s best white water kayaking. Indeed on the Tees there is one of the country’s few artificial white water centres; where you can learn to kayak or enjoy white water rafting.
“I have found studying and working here an excellent experience. There is a great spectrum of hospitals in which to work, each delivering a different aspect of work and study – from the large specialist tertiary centres to smaller friendly district general teaching hospitals. HENE and the training and support teams within the hospitals have been very supportive and encouraging, with lots of protected teaching time and great tuition and supervision.