For three decades, Dr. Ann Collins ran a full-time family practice in Fredericton, New Brunswick, which she started after serving three years with the Canadian Armed Forces in Kingston, Ontario. In addition to providing office and hospital care, she also provided nursing home care for over 20 years and was a family medicine residency teacher at Dalhousie University from 1998–2019. Dr. Collins graduated from Dalhousie University in 1985.

Dr. Collins has served as president of the New Brunswick Medical Society (NBMS) and spent five years as chair of the NBMS Board of Directors. She has led two NBMS governance reviews and served on the 2008 CMA Governance Review Committee Task Force. Prior to taking on the role of CMA president, she spent seven years serving as the New Brunswick representative on the CMA Board of Directors.

Her community involvement has been highlighted by a six-year term (two years as chair) on the board of governors of St. Thomas University, a leading liberal arts school in Fredericton.