Rachel Quandahl, MD, has been appointed director of the liver transplant fellowship, just over two years after joining the faculty at the UNMC Department of Anesthesiology. Allyson Hascall, MD, division chief of multispecialty anesthesiology said her passion for education, clinical excellence and complex patient care uniquely position her to lead the program.
Dr. Quandahl joined the department as faculty in 2023 after completing her residency and liver transplant fellowship at UNMC.
“Patients receiving a liver transplant are truly some of the sickest and most complicated patients to take care of,” Dr. Quandahl said. “What excites me most about this role is shaping a program that prepares fellows to not only meet but thrive in that challenge.”
The program accepts one fellow per year, allowing for focused mentorship and tailored learning.
Dr. Quandahl describes the ideal liver transplant fellow as someone with deep clinical knowledge, advanced technical skill and the ability to make fast, confident decisions in high-acuity moments. But beyond procedural mastery, she said she hopes fellows graduate with something even more enduring.
“My goal is that anyone training in our program leaves feeling extremely confident in whatever future job they pursue,” she said.
Looking ahead, Dr. Quandahl is already exploring opportunities to expand and innovate the program. With growing interest among residents in dual-training tracks, such as combining transplant anesthesia with cardiac or ICU training, she envisions more integrated options for fellows whose interests cross disciplines. “We’re seeing this curiosity from trainees who want to be well-versed in multiple high-acuity specialties. I’d love to evolve the program to support that,” she said.
Dr. Quandahl said a unique strength of the program is the strong pediatric training offered in addition to the adult liver transplant cases, including liver transplants, small bowel transplants, multivisceral transplants and intestinal rehab surgeries.
“We’re one of the few centers in the country that routinely performs multivisceral transplants,” Dr. Quandahl said. “These are extraordinarily complex cases and offer an unparalleled training experience.”
Dr. Quandahl’s dedication to medicine is matched by her love for family and the outdoors. She and her husband live on an acreage with their two young children, where they enjoy spending time together outside.
If she weren’t in medicine, Dr. Quandahl said she might have ended up in home building or design. “We just finished building our home, which we designed from the ground up,” she said. “I’m really good at tiling – I’ve done full bathrooms, kitchens, floors, you name it.”
Dr. Hascall congratulated Dr. Quandahl on her new role, adding, “We welcome Dr. Quandahl to this well-deserved role and look forward to her direction. She has been active in the education side of the department since she began and is currently acting as co-director of the anesthesia medical student rotation.”