Meredith Grey

Grew up… under the shadow of her mother, Ellis Grey. The elder Dr. Grey, who pioneered the laparoscopic “Grey Method” and won the prestigious Harper Avery award twice, didn’t have much time for family life. That was one reason that Meredith’s father left the family when she was young, leaving Meredith all but alone.

Living… on the edge. That’s how it is when you’re a surgery intern, explains Meredith: “They make it hard on purpose. There are lives in our hands. There comes a moment when it’s more than just a game, and you either take that step forward or turn around and walk away.”

Profession… surgical intern at Seattle Grace Hospital. Meredith has just begun her tenure in the most prestigious residency program on the West Coast, and she’s having a few doubts about the entire experience. “The game,” she says. “They say a person either has what it takes to play or they don’t. My mother was one of the greats. Me on the other hand, I’m kinda screwed.”

Interests… having fun, which she doesn’t do much of these days. Meredith was known as a bit of a party girl when she was in college at Dartmouth, but she knows that there’s very little time for a normal life while she’s a medical intern.

Relationship Status… single, and doing her best to resist the advances of the handsome neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd. Meredith knows that it’s best not to mix work with pleasure, as her mother did. But Dr. Shepherd (aka Dr. McDreamy) is not making it easy for her.

Challenge… becoming a surgeon. As the Senior Attending general surgeon tells her on her first day: “The seven years you spend here as a surgical resident will be the best and worst years of your life. You will be pushed to the breaking point.” This is the ultimate test for Meredith. Her mother never believed in her, but this is her chance to prove the elder Dr. Grey wrong. Even if her mom, who is suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s, may never be able to acknowledge it.

Personality… feisty, fun, yet also serious. Meredith is, at first, a bit intimidated by her new job, but her intelligence and strength should carry her through these seven years of residency.