Susan Kerrigan received her BS in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her MD degree from the Medical College of Virginia. She continued at MCV for her residency before completing a fellowship in gynecologic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. She then joined the faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina as an assistant professor and worked there until she went into private practice. She retired from practicing to take care of her four kids and has been writing since after a stint at volunteer work.