I Was A Felon

About the Book

About the Author

Philadelphia native Gertrude Freeman Copperman, M.D., graduated from Philadelphia High School for Girls in 1939, the University of Pennsylvania in 1943, and Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1949. She practiced general medicine in the Wynnefield and Bala Cynwyd areas from 1952 until 1998. When she began in the 1950s, only 11 percent of medical doctors were women. Patient relationships and intimacies are often lost in present day medical practice. Many of Dr. Copperman's experiences were unique to the time and her sex. Her stories are about the 50 years she worked as a General Medical Doctor. After retiring, Dr. Copperman began participating in writers' workshops and classes. The result is this book: a collection of stories from her long career as a pioneering woman in medicine. Some of her stories have been published in Enigma and StoryTeller magazines. A lifelong athlete, Dr. Copperman has always advocated the benefits of exercise. She was active in the Women's Sports Foundation of America and participated in its seminars on "Exercise and Women's Health" in Guatemala and Costa Rica and at the United Nations in New York City. At age 82, she continues to ride her bike, play tennis, ski, roller blade, and practice yoga. She is the mother of two daughters, Barbara and Joan.