Amelia Shepherd

Amelia Shepherd is the sister of Derek Shepherd. She has made several appearances in Private Practice

Childhood and growing up
When she was young, she and Derek saw their father get murdered. She said that afterward her world fell apart and she was in a "dark place" for a long time. During her teens she was so wild and out of control that she was called "Hurricane Amelia". To escape her pain she began using pills. She overdosed (accidentally) when she was a teenager and that almost killed her. She was dead for 3 minutes. She had been referred to as the black sheep of her family. She walked in on Mark and her sister-in-law Addison in bed together but kept it secret from her brother. She was apparently close to Derek at some point but she now tries to avoid contact with him.

Personal life
She is very close to former sister-in-law, Addison Montgomery and says that she has always been a better sister to her then her real sisters. She has three sisters and one brother. She does not believe in God. She doesn't give details but she tells Sam that she has "done stuff...bad stuff". She prefers to try and help other people with their personal problems rather than deal with her own life.

Romantic life
No romantic interests have been mentioned so far and Amelia has told Sam that she doesn't have "anything or anyone" so it appears unlikely that she left behind a boyfriend or girlfriend when she came to Los Angeles.

Career
Amelia graduated at the top of her class at Harvard Medical School and completed her residency at John Hopkins. She was one of Dr. Geraldine Ginsburg's teaching fellows until Ginsburg fired her for discussing with a patients husband a surgery that Ginsburg did not recommend. She is a neurosurgeon like her brother. Although talking to her brother about her situation could help her find a new position she does not want to call him because of the "you screwed up agains" that she fears will follow. She takes risks in surgeries and at times appears very confident in her own abilities but when problems arise she can become overwhelmed with self-doubt. Sam had to push her to finish her surgery on Addison's comatose patient after complications arose.