Cutting a Path with Doctor Sheri Dewan: The inspiring story of a local neurosurgeon

When board-certified neurosurgeon Dr. Sheri Dewan set out to write her memoir Cutting a Path: The Power of Purpose, Discipline, and Determination, she sought to fill a void in the world of literature and give a voice to women in medicine.

“There was a lack of literature about women neurosurgeons,” says Dewan. “I felt like that was a space that was unfilled.”

A resident of Lake Forest, Dewan never expected that her book would reach beyond the boundaries of her local community. After publishing the book in May of this year, she shattered her expectations, with Cutting a Path topping best-seller lists and gaining international attention.

Cutting a Path explores Dewan’s journey from young adulthood to the present day, documenting the trials and tribulations she faced during her quest to become one of only 219 female neurosurgeons in the U.S.

From a young age, Dewan was fascinated by the inner workings of the human body and aspired to pursue a career in medicine. According to the author, her mother was a driving force behind her ambitions, always encouraging her to strive for greatness.

“Everyone has an origin story,” Dewan declares in the opening sentence of Cutting a Path.

Sometimes, she says, an origin story is about being “in the wrong place at the wrong time."

For the accomplished surgeon, this point of origin came in her early 20s when her mother suffered a stroke and underwent life-saving brain surgery. “My mother’s illness and her life being saved by a neurosurgeon were pivotal moments for me."

At the same time, Dewan found herself at a crossroads, as she prepared to apply for graduate school. In the wake of her mother’s health ordeal, Dewan chose to study neuroscience at Northwestern University before continuing to medical school and eventually receiving her doctorate.

As a woman of color, wife, and mother of three, Dewan encountered many barriers to entry early on in her career. She was frequently met with doubt and discrimination from male peers, and told that the field of neurosurgery was too time consuming for women seeking to raise a family. 

In Cutting a Path, Dewan recalls a time she was dissuaded from applying to a residency program by a male director, and told the program was only suitable for men. Dewan also encountered pushback from colleagues for her decision to continue her work while also building her family.

Despite these obstacles, Dewan persevered. Now, with years of experience under her belt, Dewan is comitted to increasing visibility for women in medicine through her work. According to the doctor, women bring empathy, compassion, and other unique traits to neurosurgery that make it easier for patients to connect with them as healthcare providers.

“I have a lot of women patients who come to see me specifically for my gender,” says Dewan, “I think women bring a different patient care aspect, a lot of times patients feel they can be more vulnerable with us.”

Dewan has defied the notion that women must choose between career and family life, never sacrificing her relationship with her three children for her work. “I always wanted my children to be 100% a part of my life,” says Dewan, noting that obtaining work/life balance as a neurosurgeon is difficult, but not impossible.

For Dewan, balancing work and life means incorporating the two things whenever possible. Following the release of Cutting a Path, the doctor-turned-author had her children join her on a book tour, and brought her daughter with her while giving a talk at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Dewan’s accomplishments also include helping and healing patients all over the world. The surgeon previously spent time in South India where she performed pro bono neurosurgery for the underprivileged.

“I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of international charity work,” says Dewan “I think it's opened my perspective about global neurosurgery and the true need I see for healthcare across the board.”

Through all her travels and endeavors, Dewan has always maintained a commitment to giving back to the Lake Forest community which made her the successful doctor and author she is today. “Illinois is my home, I love the city of Chicago”, says Dewan, “I’ve lived in five different countries throughout my life and I still come back to Illinois.”

Many may say Dewan is a hero, but to her, it's more complex than that. “I don’t know if I’m a hero, but what I want to be [is a] beacon for people to show them that they’re capable,” says the doctor.

“For somebody to say ‘look at her life, she was able to do it, she had all these obstacles in front of her…look at all the things you can accomplish if you just don’t let other people’s voices get in your head.”

Cutting a Path: The Power of Purpose, Discipline, and Determination, is an inspiring tale of persistence in the face of insurmountable pressures. Doctor Dewan’s story is applicable to anybody facing adversity in their career, encouraging readers to look within themselves for strength, discover what purpose means for them, and follow their passion.