Health freak? Meet Ann McPherson

Ann McPherson has a busy day ahead of her. In between trying to secure funding for a new website and a meeting at the Royal College of Physicians, where she is a fellow, she is being interviewed by the BBC about the latest edition of her book in the Teenage Health Freak series. Add to this her CBE for services to teenage and women's health, she has had a remarkably successful career for someone who has been an “only” part time general practitioner for most of her medical career. A success that can possibly be attributed to her ability to see and then take positive actions where others may see only problems.

Ann has not always taken the easy route either by choice or coincidence. She went to a school in north London that had not produced a medical student in over 15 years and was “rejected everywhere” until after her A level results came out, when St George's accepted her. Then, although general practice was “deeply unfashionable” and frowned upon by her tutors, she decided she was going to be a general practitioner. By this time she had a baby and managed to train part time when there were few measures in place to cater for working …