Dr. Are is UNMC’s OTICA winner

Chandra Are, M.B.B.S., vice chair of education for the UNMC Department of Surgery, associate professor of surgical oncology, and program director for general surgery residency at UNMC, is a recipient the Unversity of Nebraska’s Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award (OTICA).

Since arriving at UNMC in 2007, Dr. Are has earned a reputation as an innovative educator, a meticulous surgeon, and someone with exemplary dedication to patients.

His innovative thinking led to the establishment of an international rotation program that allows residents to spend nearly six months in India, expanding their international awareness and exposing them to different health care models.

Dr. Are also was instrumental in the development of a novel surgical anatomy curriculum for first-year medical students, physician assistant and physical therapy students. Similarly, he developed an innovative and unique open surgical skills/procedures training curriculum for general surgery residents using lightly embalmed cadavers.

Since simulation is at the forefront of medical school education, Dr. Are’s efforts to stay ahead of the curve led to a virtual simulation-based operating room in the Sorrell Center.

Finally, to help residents pass their American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) exit exams and improve their scores, Dr. Are developed a remedial course.

Dr. Are’s impact is best summed up by his students, with one former student calling Dr. Are “the most influential person” during his general surgery training.

Asked about his teaching philosophy, Dr. Are said it was to “teach unto others what has been taught to you with respect, and to train students not only to acquire competence but also build good character.”