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Membership / Member of the Month / Emeritus / Matthew J Kraay, MD, FAAOS

Matthew J Kraay, MD, FAAOS

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Matthew J Kraay, MD, FAAOS
Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Case Western Reserve University
Kingsbury G. Heiple, MD and Fred A. Lennon Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery
University Hospitals Distinguished Physician
University Hospitals
Cleveland, OH
Member Since: 1990

As an Emeritus Member, which AAOS resources do you use most and why?
I enjoy access to the JAAOS and AAOS Now as well as reading the Emeritus member newsletter. These publications help keep me up to date regarding what’s going on in Orthopaedics.

If you were mentoring a new member, what important advice would you give them as they progress in their career?
Live within your means so that you can take care of your family’s needs, retire when you want to, and have the financial security to enjoy a fulfilling, worry-free retirement.

Remember your post-career life will very likely be almost as long as your career as an orthopaedic surgeon. Make sure to develop avocations and interests outside of orthopaedics along the way that can become your “dream job” or “encore career”.

Don’t ever forget that when all is said and done, the only thing that really matters is your family and your health. Make sure to pay attention to these along the way.

What aspect of retirement surprised you the most?
How did I ever get everything I had to do and wanted to do outside of work completed when I was still working?

What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
Sailing, golf, gardening, fly fishing, and working in my yard and around the house – all things I enjoyed but didn’t have enough time for when I was working!

Tell us a fun fact about yourself that not many people know?
Growing up in Michigan, I always dreamed of spending a summer sailing the Great Lakes. Last year - immediately after retiring - my wife and I spent 6 weeks sailing our new boat from Cleveland across Lake Erie, up Lake Huron to the Straits of Mackinaw, and down the Lake Michigan coast to Holland, Michigan. We made the reverse journey back to Cleveland this summer. What an adventure - check that off my list!