Elif Oral, MD
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About
Dr. Elif Oral is a professor in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes (MEND) at the University of Michigan. She completed her medical education in her home country of Turkey at the University of Istanbul. In 1996, she completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Sinai Hospital Detroit (Michigan). She then completed a fellowship in Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes at the National Institute of Health, where she also chose to stay as a Senior Fellow under the mentorship of Drs SimeonTaylor and Phillip Gorden in in the Diabetes Branch of NIDDK.
Since joining the University of Michigan in 2002 as an Assistant Professor of Medicine, along with her regular faculty responsibilities, Dr. Oral also completed a Masters of Science Degree in Clinical Research Design and Biostatistics at the School of Public Health. Her clinical interests are in insulin resistance, obesity, lipid disorders, and diabetes.
Dr Oral's research focuses on the importance of adipocytes in human metabolism and adipocyte hormones such as leptin. She is best known for her work showing the remarkable efficacy of leptin in rare lipodystrophy syndromes. Metreleptin received approval by the FDA (2014) and EMA (2016) as a treatment for lipodystrophy owing to a large part to her original vision and work. These studies provided the basis for her current work with three big goals: identification of novel metabolic diseases, discovery of new disease mechanisms and finding treatments for patients afflicted with these disorders.
In addition to her roles as physician, educator, and researcher, Dr Oral is also the director of two programs at MEND: Atypical Diabetes Program and Obesity and Metabolic Disorders Program. She directed the Post-Bariatric Surgery Care Program from 2012 to 2021 and continues to conduct research on the cohort of patients who had bariatric surgery performed in the Michigan Bariatric Surgery program.
Areas of Practice
Atypical diabetes , rare endocrine disorders, undiagnosed metabolic disorders (mystery cases), genetic and acquired forms lipodystrophy and/or obesity, rare causes of Type 2 or Type 1 diabetes (atypical diabetes), lipid disorders (common or rare).
Expertise
Locations
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Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes Clinic | Domino's Farms 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Dr Ste 1300
Lobby C
Ann Arbor, MI 48105-9484Get Directions -
Cardiovascular Medicine Clinic | Domino's Farms 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Dr. Ste 1300
Lobby A
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-0363Get Directions
Insurance Accepted
University of Michigan Health participates with most health insurance plans.
Education & Training
Medical School or Training
Residency
Fellowships
Board Certifications
Research Overview
Lipodystrophy, obesity, lipid metabolism, physiological roles of leptin, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
Links
Patient Ratings & Comments
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Patient Ratings
260 Patient Ratings
Patient Comments
June 5, 2026 - "Dr Oral is one in a million as far as doctors go, she goes beyond the norm everyday"
May 27, 2026 - "Dr Oral was very friendly, professional, knowledgeable and empathetic. She made me feel at ease with a lot of new information and diagnosis."
May 2, 2026 - "Dr. Oral is an outstanding physician and I am very lucky to have her as my doctor. [...]"
May 1, 2026 - "Dr Oral always listens closely and answers my concerns. She is very compassionate."
April 24, 2026 - "Dr. Oral is exceptionally thorough. Highly recommend"
April 10, 2026 - "Dr. Elif Oral was recommended [...]. She is superior in her field and helps me manage both [...] issues. [...] I am blessed!!!"
March 6, 2026 - "Dr. Oral is not my cup of tea. I immediately did not like that she walked in reading her phone and she recorded the visit. After explaining that I was not interested in [...] testing she kept pressing me. When I told her I was not comfortable with her she kept explaining how her patients love her! Awful office visit!!"
March 6, 2026 - "Dr. Oral is thorough, concise and articulate."
February 26, 2026 - "Dr.Oral has kept my [...] in check for over [...] years. All my experiences have been outstanding. Dr. Oral responds to my health concerns promptly."
January 30, 2026 - "Dr. Oral is fantastic. She makes me understand the problems, and the solutions she offers."
Featured News & Stories
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