MB ChB Aberdeen 1968, MD 1976; MRCP 1973.
Shepherd studied medicine at the University of Aberdeen and was house officer at Dumfries Royal Infirmary. He was senior registrar in neurology at Wessex Neurological Centre, Southampton, before being appointed consultant neurologist for North Manchester General Hospital. Shepherd lived in West Yorkshire, but had consulting rooms in Manchester. He was a member of the Association of British Neurologists.