Dr. Nelson was born October 2, 1949, in Kankakee, Illinois. He earned his undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Illinois. His medical studies continued in Chicago at the Loyola Stritch Medical School where he received his Medical Doctor degree in 1974. Internship and Orthopedic Residency followed in Kalamazoo, Michigan, through the Southwestern Michigan Health and Education Center (SMAHEC).

After completing his Residency in orthopedics his studies continued with a one year sportsmedicine fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. There Dr. Nelson specialized in reconstructive knee surgery and also worked with the Philadelphia Flyers along with covering athletic events for the University of Pennsylvania and Villanova University. Dr. Nelson then returned to Kalamazoo in 1981 and began an orthopedic practice specializing in sportsmedicine. In 1983 he opened the Southwestern Michigan Sportsmedicine Clinic which eventually merged with K Valley Orthopedics. Dr. Nelson has been Board Certified in Orthopedic Surgery since 1983 and has been licensed to practice Orthopedic Medicine in the State of Michigan since 1981.

Dr. Nelson is a team physician for Western Michigan University intercollegiate athletic teams and developed a network for covering over twenty high school teams with athletic trainers.

As part of his professional career, Dr. Nelson has served as the Chief of the Department of Orthopedics, Chief of Surgery, and most recently, as the Medical Chief of Staff, for Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo.

Dr. Nelson and his wife live in Kalamazoo and have four children. Dr. Nelson’s outside interests include golf and running, and he has participated in thirteen marathons including two Boston Marathons. He is considered a local expert on the diagnosis and treatment of running related injuries.

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