Daniel P. Elskens, MD

Biography

I received my medical degree from the University of Michigan, where I also received my undergraduate degree. The program I attended was a fast-track, fully-funded experimental program they no longer offer. I loved it and was able to complete my undergraduate and medical degree in six years total. After that, I interned at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit Michigan.

Growing up in the 1970s, I watched the astronauts on television and I really wanted to be an astronaut. Unfortunately, I needed corrective lenses for poor vision and couldn’t become an astronaut, but I found out that the first non-pilot astronaut was a flight surgeon. That’s why I chose to become a doctor. At first, I thought I wanted to be an ER physician, but after my first rotation in neurosurgery at Henry Ford Hospital, I was hooked. I have always loved the brain and I love neurosurgery.

My family is from the Midwest and I attended school in the Midwest. I spent a small amount of time in Washington but wanted to come back to this region of the country. When I became a physician, I opened my first practice in Lafayette, Indiana, and then a few years later my partner and I came back to Detroit to practice. Ultimately, I like being in the Midwest because I like to be close to family and it is where I am from.

I’ve just joined Dr. Braun in practice in July, but I am already impressed by Firelands Regional Medical Center. Firelands is a wonderful example of a successful, independent healthcare system. That was really attractive to me. I like that Firelands provides a full complement of services, but the environment is still intimate enough for the physicians and care team to get to know each other well and easily collaborate on cases.