[1] Her father was a chemist at the University of Dundee and her mother was a teacher of mathematics, and she wanted to become a medical doctor from an early age.

[2][3] She completed her medical degree at the University of Edinburgh in 1989,[4][5] and then undertook postgraduate studies in haematology in Auckland, New Zealand.

[4] McLintock was a clinical director of regional maternity services at Auckland City Hospital, and later a haematologist and obstetric physician at National Women’s Health.

[8][9][10] She also served as a council member (2004–2007) and president (2007–2009) of the Society of Obstetric Medicine of Australia and New Zealand,[11] as president of the Thrombosis and Haemostasis Society of Australia and New Zealand (2009-2011),[9] and on the editorial board of the Internal Medicine Journal[12] and Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

[13] She was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to haematology and obstetrics.