GROWING up as the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who started a new life in Australia with nothing but a strong work ethic, Anh Nguyen has spent the best part of her 40 years trying to make the most of the opportunities her parents created for her — breaking many barriers in the process.
Dr Nguyen has worked her way to the top in the male-dominated field of plastic surgery, opened her own private clinic at Crown Perth for people who want to improve what they see in the mirror, and spends one day a week doing public work at Fiona Stanley Hospital. This work ranges from spending 15 hours in the operating theatre reattaching four severed fingers of a sheep shearer, to operating on skin cancer sufferers, domestic violence victims and those who have self-harmed.