Start Year: 2018

College/University: Duke University

Medical School: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

Clinical and Research Interests

• Critical care, resuscitation
• MedEd

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While it has been wonderful in residency to gain both an academic and community EM experience, I have found my passions align best with academic EM as I really enjoy teaching and being actively involved in pushing our field forward with respect to research and am learning how to do that better this year in my research fellowship.

I started out residency interested in so many EM niches: sports medicine, US, med ed, health policy, peds - so many things ~ and while my first priority is to build a strong clinical foundation in EM, I have been fortunate to have had the necessary opportunities here at Duke to refine, learn, and pursue what I want my niches to be: critical care (thanks to great resuscitation and ICU experiences) and med ed (which is the main reason I pursued a chief resident role this year and plan on taking advantage of the med ed leadership track as a PGY4).

What were you looking for in a residency program?

My main criteria for choosing a residency program:

• A program with a strong clinical education curriculum and plentiful opportunities for learning with respect to patient complexity and volume (so I could be prepared to manage anything, anywhere as an attending)
• A program where I would be happy & well while training so ultimately I could provide the best care possible to a diverse patient population

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When I started researching residency programs, Duke easily caught my eye with their commitment to academic excellence (with respect to the clinical education curriculum and research & innovation) and providing compassionate care that was reinforced during my sub-internship experience at Duke as an MS4; the most lasting impression of my SubI experience was learning so much from all the incredibly accomplished faculty and residents who were not only impressive and great teachers but more importantly fun, kind people who were excellent with patients; I knew I wanted to go somewhere that would train me to be like that!

What are the strengths of the Duke program?

• The residents!! supportive, inclusive program culture, with a family-feel (I feel at home at Duke and I hope everyone is able to find that in the residency program that they choose)
• Strong clinical education (conference, simulation experiences, all-star faculty/nurses/pharmacists/respiratory therapists/social work/amazing team, diverse & medical complex patient population, incredible consultants + all the resources of a tertiary and quaternary hospital to provide patients with the best possible evidence-based care)
• Commitment to wellness (from program leadership & residents who embody work hard/play hard)
• Robust research (pretty cool to be a part of a program dedicated to advancing the field of EM is pretty awesome)
• Opportunities for growth (mentorship, funding, opportunities to explore sports med, global health, ultrasound, hyperbarics, the list goes on!)
• Commitment to diversity & inclusion + advocacy/addressing healthcare disparities

What advice do you have for incoming interns?

1. You are incredible, you’ve learned so much in medical school, even if it doesn’t feel that way - YOU GOT THIS!
2. Keep learning - yes, you’ve learned so much, and there is so much more to learn - which is exciting :)
3. Take care of yourself: eat well, exercise, sleep, spend quality time with friends/family/fur-babies, don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it

What do you like best about living in Durham and the Triangle?

• V dog friendly
• Foodie heaven (Durham has been “Tastiest Town in the South” by Southern Living magazine and “America’s Foodiest Small Town” by Bon Appétit on numerous occasions)
• Plentiful bars, breweries, shows/performing arts (DPAC), sports (GO DUKE, UNC, NC State; Carolina Hurricanes, Carolina Panthers; Durham bulls)
• 10-15 min drive to trails & greenways for hiking + mountain biking, swimming holes for floating/swimming
• 3-4 hour drive to OBX and Asheville (beaches + mountains)
• Easy to travel, including international travel (RDU Int'l airport is ~20 mins away!)

What do you like to do outside of Duke?

• Spending quality time with my husband Austin (college sweetheart - we met at Duke in undergrad, class of 2012) + our rescue baby pup Olive (ACD mix)
• Orange Theory Fitness, Pure Barre, distance running, hiking + outdoor adventures (NC is perfect for this - from OBX (beaches) to Asheville (mountains) all within driving distance)
• Duke basketball & football
• Travelling (favorite trip to date is Italy - where Aust and I got engaged in Tivoli!)

Honors and Awards

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles/Abstract

• Arulraja, E., Whicker, S., Shaver, K., Wells, L., Dallas, Ap., & Musick, D. (2020).
• Assessment of a continuing medical education intervention designed to change physician practice regarding blood transfusion. Global Journal of Transfusion Medicine, 5(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.4103/GJTM.GJTM_6_20
• Guerrios, L., Howard, L., Sourbeer, K., Arulraja, E.K., Beverly, D., Grant, D.J., Hoyo, C., Freedland, S.J. (2015). MP14-11 IS BMI THE BEST ADIPOSITY MEASURE FOR PROSTATE CANCER RISK? The Journal of Urology, 193(4), e155. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2015.02.873

Book Chapters

• Nischal, N., Arulraja, E., & Shaheen, S. P. (2020). Pain management for orthopedic injuries. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, 38(1), 223–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emc.2019.09.013

Oral Presentations

• Arulraja E, Eucker S, Manandhar P, Erkanli A, Pollack C, Freiermuth C. Intranasal Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatories Are Associated With Improved Health Care Utilization vs Opioids. Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Annual Meeting 2019, Las Vegas, NV, May 16, 2019.
• Arulraja E, Freiermuth C, Manandhar P, Erkanli A, Pollack C, Eucker S. Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Annual Meeting 2019, Las Vegas, NV, May 16, 2019.
• Gerrish A, Kalmar C, Safford S, Arulraja E. Management of Anastomotic Stricture following Tracheoesophageal Repair with Endoscopic Biliary Stenting in Infant. American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2017, San Diego, CA, October 25th, 2017.
• Arulraja E, Musick D, Dallas P, Whicker S, Gazo J, Wells L, VanBlaricom K. Initial Results of a Multi-Faceted Continuing Medical Education Intervention Designed to Reduce Unnecessary Blood Transfusions. Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Research Day, Roanoke, VA, March 23rd, 2018.
• Musick D, Arulraja E, Dallas P, Whicker S, Gazo J, Wells L, VanBlaricom K. Initial Results of a Multi-Faceted Continuing Medical Education Intervention Designed to Reduce Unnecessary Blood Transfusions. Society of Academic Continuing Medical Education (SACME) Conference: Best Practices and Innovation, Scottsdale, AZ, May 16-20, 2017.
• Arulraja E, Musick D, Dallas P, Whicker S, Gazo J, Wells L, VanBlaricom K. Initial Results of a Multi-Faceted Continuing Medical Education Intervention Designed to Reduce Unnecessary Blood Transfusions. Carilion Clinic Research Day, Roanoke, VA, April 11th, 2017.
• Arulraja E, Musick D, Dallas P, Whicker S, Gazo J, Wells L, VanBlaricom K. Initial Results of a Multi-Faceted Continuing Medical Education Intervention Designed to Reduce Unnecessary Blood Transfusions. Poster session presented at: 9th annual Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy; February 10-12, 2017; Blacksburg, VA.