Miguel A. Pirela Cruz, MD
Dr. Miguel A. Pirela Cruz, a distinguished orthopedic surgeon, was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He earned his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York (S.U.N.Y.) at Old Westbury, Long Island, where he was honored with a Health Scholarship Award from Harvard University for two consecutive years, allowing him to focus on Biochemistry.
Dr. Pirela Cruz attended medical school at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following his graduation, he completed his internship in General Surgery at the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, an affiliate of Tulane University. This internship was part of his obligatory service incurred during medical school. However, due to federal budget cuts under President Reagan, the hospital was closed, resulting in a temporary halt to his orthopedic residency.
Subsequently, Dr. Pirela Cruz worked as an emergency room physician in Rochester, New York, fulfilling his obligation to serve after medical school. During this period, he was accepted into the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) as the inaugural graduate student in the medical illustration program, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree. This unique background later proved invaluable in his role as a professor of orthopedic surgery.
After completing his studies at RIT, Dr. Pirela Cruz entered the orthopedic surgery residency program at Downstate Medical Center/Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Much of his training occurred at Kings County Hospital, a major public hospital serving a large indigent population.
Upon finishing his orthopedic residency, he advanced to the James B. Hunter Hand Surgery Program at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. After completing his fellowship training, Dr. Pirela Cruz joined the U.S. Air Force, where he provided hand surgery care to active duty personnel, their dependents, and military retirees. He served a total of seven years on active duty, later transferring to the reserve unit, which enabled him to continue pursuing his academic interests. Over the course of 35 years, Dr. Pirela Cruz has dedicated himself to military service, including time with the Public Health Service and the U.S. Air Force. His final assignment was at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona, where he served as the Commander of the 944th Medical Squadron, fulfilling roles as Squadron Commander, Flight Surgeon, and Orthopedic Surgeon.
Throughout his orthopedic career, Dr. Pirela Cruz has primarily worked in academic trauma centers, including the University of New Mexico and Texas Tech University in El Paso, where he served from 2000 to 2019. He ultimately held the position of Chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. In addition to overseeing the orthopedic department, he played a crucial role in establishing the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, and he continues to be an active member of the department, training orthopedic residents and providing care at the Level 1 Trauma Center.