Duke Orthopaedics is excited to welcome Elshaday “El” Belay and Randall “Tim” Kreulen as our first rising Duke third-year medical students. They will begin the inaugural Accelerated Pathway in Orthopaedics starting August 22, 2016.
This innovative and competitive program is a year-long structured curriculum supported by the Duke University School of Medicine and created to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of orthopaedic surgery training. The students will participate throughout the year in the Duke Orthopaedics CORE curriculum and we are looking forward to having them as a part of our team! To learn more about El and Tim, we asked them to tell us more about themselves!
Question and Answer with Elshaday “El” Belay:
Q: Give us a brief history about you (where you’re from, why you came to Duke).
El: I was born in Ethiopia and moved to Houston, Texas at the age of seven with my family. I studied biochemistry and played soccer at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, OH. I choose to attend Duke for medical school because of the amazing classmates, commitment to excellence, and leaders in medicine.
Q: What attracted you to Duke Orthopaedics?
El: Duke Orthopedics has created an exciting and unique opportunity for medical students to bridge the transition from medical school to residency with a focused Third-Year scholarly experience in Orthopedics. For me, this program reaffirmed the tradition of Duke leading the change in medical education and I look forward to the challenge.
Q: Do you have any research interests at this time?
El: I have experiences in spine and joints research related to outcomes but I am open to exploring many different areas within Orthopedics.
Q: What do you like to do for fun outside of medicine?
El: My fiancé and I like to explore the Triangle food scene and go to Duke basketball games. I also enjoy playing/watching soccer, supporting Houston teams, hiking, and skiing.
Q: Any other fun, interesting facts you’d like people to know about you?
El: I just got engaged!
Question and Answer with Randall “Tim” Kreulen:
Q: Give us a brief history about you (where you’re from, why you came to Duke).
Tim: I was born in Scranton, PA and raised in nearby Clarks Summit, PA with my three younger siblings. I first came to Durham as an undergraduate and graduated from Duke in 2014 with a degree in chemistry. I then started at Duke Med and developed a strong passion for orthopaedics.
Q: What attracted you to Duke Orthopaedics?
Tim: I enjoyed studying musculoskeletal problems and interacting with both the attendings and residents in the orthopaedics department. I am excited to become a member of the Duke Orthopaedics team where I’ll be able to take care of patients as well as contribute to exceptional research projects and meaningful community outreach.
Q: Do you have any research interests at this time?
Tim: I do not know what sub-specialty I want to pursue, but I am excited to reach that decision by working with the orthopaedics team in the OR, clinic, and research lab.
Q: What do you like to do for fun outside of medicine?
Tim: When I’m not at work I enjoy hiking, running, going to the gym, exploring the Triangle with friends, and following Duke basketball.
