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Hussam Tayel, MD, and Hesham Tayel, MD.

The saying, “Born together, best friends forever,” aptly describes St. Luke’s physicians Hussam Tayel, MD, and Hesham Tayel, MD. The fraternal twins have been together since they were born in Kuwait in 1987, living in the same room, apartment or house in college, medical school, residency and even as young doctors today – though separation now looms on the not-too-distant horizon.

The Tayels have been with St. Luke’s University Health Network since 2017 when they started their three-year medical residencies. After completing his, Dr. Hesham Tayel, MD, joined St. Luke’s Monroe Campus as a hospitalist, a physician who provides care in the hospital. Dr. Hussam Tayel, MD, completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at St. Luke’s following his residency and is now a gastroenterologist with St. Luke’s Gastroenterology, seeing patients in the Bartonsville and East Stroudsburg offices.

Monroe County is a long way from where they began. The twins’ Egyptian parents moved to Kuwait to provide their children with a better standard of living. In 1990, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, and they fled, relocating to Central New Jersey. 

“Technically, we were refugees,” Hussam said. “As we grew older, we appreciated everything our parents gave us – their sacrifice to come to this country. They gave up their friends, family, culture, language, financial stability. It’s something we can never repay, and we are eternally grateful. We wouldn’t be in the position we are in now without their sacrifice.”

The twins, their parents and older brother, Ahmed, lived in a 1,000-square-foot apartment. Hesham and Hussam shared the same bed until they were nearly teenagers. While money was tight, their bond was even tighter.

“Growing up as a twin, we did everything together, and so we were best friends,” Hussam said. “It was a lot of fun, but we were also pretty competitive, and it pushed us academically.” Hesham agreed, “We always got along so well together. And we always wanted the best for each other.”

They earned outstanding grades and SAT scores, with Hussam receiving a perfect score in the math section. They received full scholarships to the University of Maryland. Next, they attended Xavier University in Aruba and studied for two years on the island and then two years in hospitals in Baltimore, MD. During college and medical school, Hesham used his competitive spirit to compete in and win eating contests, such as eating 100 pieces of Sushi.

“It never crossed our mind not to go to college and med school together because we were going to unfamiliar places,” Hesham said. “When you go to another state or country, you never know what battles or struggles you’ll go through. We studied together, tested one another and just hung out together.”

“When you are a twin, you are never lonely,” Hussam added.

When deciding where to complete their residencies, they interviewed representatives of several health systems. “When we interviewed at St. Luke’s, we could tell that the residents enjoyed working here. “They had smiles on their faces,” Hussam said. “When we walked down the hall, people said hi to us. And we knew St. Luke’s was growing. It was evident how bright its future was. We knew St. Luke’s had a lot of hospitals and fellowships, which would leave the doors open for an opportunity to specialize. I specialized in gastroenterology, so it worked out for me.”

Hesham added, “We knew if we were in a positive environment, we could maximize our potential because we were going to work hard, and St. Luke’s definitely was the best environment we saw.” So, both ranked St. Luke’s highly as a residency they wanted, and St. ranked them high as potential residents. They matched.

Being twins was an advantage during their residency, they said. While they were separated during their rotations, at the end of the day, they shared what they had learned separately and bounced ideas off each other. Also, each made friends and then introduced them to the other.

“My brother’s super smart, so he always made a good impression,” Hussam said. “So, when I did the rotation months later, they barely knew me but already liked me because they knew him. I thought it was kind of cheating.” Likewise, Hussam’s impression helped Hesham.

Medical students must complete rotations in specialties, like cardiology and oncology. Hesham loved the diversity and could not pick a favorite. He enjoyed caring for very sick patients and preferred the inpatient setting over the office, so he decided to be a hospitalist.

Hussam liked doing procedures in the hospital and building relationships with patients he saw in the office. But he credits the physicians he met during that rotation for his decision to specialize. “They were so nice and helpful and good at teaching. They could have pulled me into whatever field,” he said. “I’m just lucky they pulled me into gastroenterology because I love it.”

Hesham and Hussam each plan to make St. Luke’s their home well into the future. Hussam is engaged to Samantha Rollins, a St. Luke’s gastroenterology fellow. They plan to build a house soon, and then for the first time, Hesham will not live with Hussam.

Asked to describe one another in three terms, Hussam says Hesham is laid back, very smart and hard-working. Hesham describes Hussam as the hardest-working person he knows, selfless and funny. “Everyone thinks his laughter is infectious, and he’s just a very funny guy.”

Hussam adds, “He’s probably the better-looking twin, but I’m the bigger, better one.”