Derek

Marital Addison Forbes Montgomery (wife)

Siblings Nancy Shepherd Kathleen Shepherd Liz Shepherd Amelia Shepherd

Parents Mr. Shepherd † Carolyn Shepherd

Profession Attending Neurosurgeon Board Director

Derek spent most of his life prior to his arrival in Seattle in New York City. Derek and his sisters attended a French Preschool.[29] As a child, Derek had no hair products, so he had a large afro, acne, a weight of 110 pounds, and played the saxophone in the school band.[30] He was raised by a single parent, his mother Carolyn, along with his four sisters: Nancy, Kathleen, Liz, and Amelia. Like Derek, all four of his sisters are doctors. His father owned a shop when he was younger, and one day two robbers approached him and demanded that he give up the watch his wife Carolyn had saved tirelessly to buy for him. When he refused, the robbers shot him to death, with Derek and his younger sister Amelia bearing witness to his death while hiding in the back of the store. This event forms a large part of Derek's moral compass and consequently may have inspired him to become a surgeon to help save lives. As a result, he is especially cynical when treating criminals and feels that they do not deserve any compassion from him.[31]

While in high school, Derek played hockey. One day, he pushed his friend into the wall and his friend got hurt, but got up and continued to play. It wasn't until the next day that he found out that he developed a brain bleed. He was left in a vegetative state for the rest of his life. Every month, Derek sent money to his friend's mother to help pay for his long-term care.[32]

Derek's childhood best friend was Mark Sloan, who came from a wealthier but emotionally deficient background and was like a second son to the Shepherd family.

Derek used to ride a motorcycle, but after an accident that gave him a scar, he stopped doing so.

Derek went to Bowdoin College in Maine for his undergraduate years. He then attended Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons with Addison and Mark. During his medical education, Derek was taught by Richard Webber.

Derek married his medical school girlfriend, Addison Montgomery in 1994, and the two began their residencies, studying under Dr. Richard Webber. Following residencies and fellowships, Derek and Addison quickly became very successful in their respective fields. They appeared to lead an affluent lifestyle, owning both a Manhattan brownstone overlooking Central Park and a home in the Hamptons, as well as running their own private practices. However, their success and busy workloads put a strain on their marriage, and the two grew apart; the emotional distance eventually drove Addison to cheat on Derek with his best friend, Mark Sloan. Derek himself admitted that he was never around. After discovering Addison in bed with Mark, Derek declared the marriage over and relocated from a private practice to Seattle Grace Hospital, accepting a job offer from his former teacher, Dr. Richard Webber, as Head of Neurosurgery at Seattle Grace Hospital and trading in the brownstone for an Airstream trailer on 40 acres of rural property on Vashon Island.

Dr. Derek Shepherd, famously known as "McDreamy," is a charismatic, Boston-raised neurosurgeon. Portrayed by actor Patrick Dempsey on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, his signature physical appearance includes wavy, dark 2C hair, striking blue eyes, and an average height of 5'9". He is known for wearing medical scrubs, tailored suits, or casual flannels