Chandra Are, M.D., the Jerald L. & Carolynn J. Varner Professor of Surgical Oncology and Global Health, has been named the designated institutional official (DIO) and associate dean for graduate medical education for the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine.
Prior to this appointment, Dr. Are served as the vice chair of education and program director of general surgery in the UNMC Department of Surgery.
As DIO, Dr. Are will oversee all of UNMC’s residency and fellowship programs. UNMC has 56 residency and fellowship programs, which include more than 500 trainees.
“We are thrilled that Dr. Are has accepted this important position,” said Bradley Britigan, M.D., dean of the UNMC College of Medicine. “I have no doubt that he will provide outstanding leadership to our residency and fellowship programs.”
Dr. Are succeeds Michael Wadman, M.D., who was recently named chair of the UNMC Department of Emergency Medicine.
Dr. Britigan noted that UNMC has had only three DIOs over the past 40 years. Prior to Dr. Wadman, Robert Wigton, M.D., held the position for 37 years. It is fitting to note that in 2016 Dr. Are was the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Robert Wigton Most Valuable Program Director Award.
“Dr. Are is very enthusiastic and dedicated to education,” said Gerald Moore, M.D., senior associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Medicine. “He has far thinking ideas on how to make graduate medical education better. One thing he wants to do is expand research into graduate medical education. He hopes to review data that are collected to help determine what interventions are effective in graduate education. It would be a whole new direction for UNMC.”
“It is an honor to be able to influence the careers of these bright young men and women who will become the physician leaders of tomorrow and hold the keys to better health care in America,” Dr. Are said.
Dr. Are File
1990 – Graduated from Osmania Medical College
1991- 1996 – Fellow of The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
1996-2004 – General surgery residency – The Johns Hopkins Hospital
2004-2006 – Surgical Oncology Fellowship – Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
2007 – Joined UNMC as assistant professor, division of surgical oncology
2011 – Promoted to associate professor
2011 – Residency program director, general surgery
2013 – Vice chair of education, department of surgery
2015 – Named the Jerald L. and Carolynn J. Varner Professor of Surgical Oncology and Global Health
2012 & 2013 – Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award – Department of Surgery
2014 – Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award – UNMC
2015 – Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award (OTICA) for University of Nebraska System
2016 – Dr. Robert Wigton Most Valuable Program Director Award
What others are saying:
“I am delighted that Dr. Are will assume the position of DIO and associate dean of GME. It is the next logical extension in his academic career and a real feather in his cap! I’m certain the dean of the College of Medicine and the departmental program directors will enjoy working with Dr. Are as much as I have in his former role as program director of general surgery. He is indefatigable and incredibly committed to education and research. He will be missed as our PD, but it is comforting to know that he hasn’t moved away too far.”
David W. Mercer, M.D., professor and chair, UNMC Department of Surgery
Dr. Are has already contributed greatly to the UNMC educational environment during his leadership of the General Surgery Residency Program. He will now share his passion for and expertise in postgraduate education to all programs. His thoughtful approach to decision-making and enthusiasm for advancing educational techniques will suit him well in this new position.
Jon Thompson, M.D., professor, surgery, and the person who will take over as program director of the General Surgery Residency Program
"As a former residency program director and someone who has been involved in graduate medical education for many years, I’m certainly aware of the important role played by the designated institutional official. With Dr. Are in the lead, we couldn’t be in better hands. This is a time of great innovation in residency education. We have complete confidence that Chandra will provide stellar leadership for our residents and fellows and will make sure they gain the experience they need to be top-notch physicians once they complete their education."
Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., UNMC chancellor
“The issues of patient safety and resident/faculty wellness in resident education are undergoing a rapid nationwide transformation. Dr. Are brings a strong understanding of these issues and their important role in the accreditation process at UNMC.”
Rowen Zetterman, M.D., professor of internal medicine, director of faculty mentorship programs and associate vice chancellor for planning. Dr. Zetterman is chair of the governing board of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
“Dr. Are is an outstanding candidate with a strong dedication to graduate education having been the program director in general surgery. He now expands his efforts and skills to ALL residency and fellowship programs at UNMC. He is a visionary that will transform our graduate medical education."
Sarah Thayer, M.D., Ph.D., associate director for clinical affairs & physician-in-chief, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center
Strong UNMC ties to ACGME
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is a private, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that sets standards for U.S. graduate medical education (residency and fellowship) programs and the institutions that sponsor them. The ACGME renders accreditation decisions based on compliance with these standards.
UNMC has strong connections to the ACGME. In October, Rowen Zetterman, M.D., was appointed chair of the ACGME governing board. Dr. Zetterman, who is associate vice chancellor for planning, director of faculty mentorship programs, and professor of internal medicine, will serve a two-year term as chair of the governing board.
When Dr. Zetterman completes his term in 2018, UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., is slated to succeed him as chair of the ACGME governing board.
In academic year 2015-2016, there were approximately 800 ACGME-accredited institutions sponsoring approximately 10,000 residency and fellowship programs in 150 specialties and subspecialties.
Every ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship program must be overseen and supported by an ACGME-accredited sponsoring institution. In order to receive and maintain institutional accreditation, sponsoring institutions must substantially comply with ACGME institutional requirements. Each sponsoring institution must identify a DIO who has the authority and responsibility for oversight and administration of its programs.
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