Six months after opening, the new Ayer Neuroscience Institute Spine Wellness Center in Westport welcomed its first female Hartford HealthCare neurosurgeon.

Dr. Arianne Boylan joined the center during Women's History Month -- in a male-dominated field.

"I think all doors are open," Dr. Boylan said. "I think if somebody has a dream or a passion, you should just keep chasing it. And you're going to hit some roadblocks along the way, all of us do no matter what our background. But just continuing to believe in yourself and finding those moments that for you make it worthwhile."

Only one in 20 neurosurgeons across the country are women. Dr. Boylan believes giving women a chance is so important.

"The more diversity that's in a field, the more creativity there can be," she said. "So I think it's really great that there's more different types of people who are coming in."

Dr. Boylan also works at Saint Vincent Medical Center, and teaches. She says she's had a lot of great mentors who have been the true trailblazers before her.

"I'm a neurosurgeon who just happens to be female, I'm not a female neurosurgeon."