New faculty spotlight: Rishi Batra, MD

Rishi Batra, MD, is a new faculty member at UNMC.

• Name: Rishi Batra, MD
• Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
• Title and department at UNMC/Nebraska Medicine: Assistant professor, division of general surgery in the department of surgery, UNMC College of Medicine; colon and rectal surgeon, Nebraska Medicine

Specialty and clinical Interests: 

• Colon and rectal surgery
• Colon and rectal cancer
• Ulcerative colitis/Crohn’s disease
• Benign diseases of the colon and rectum, diverticular disease

Research interests:

• Disparities in colon and rectal care
• Diverticulitis in the immunosuppressed
• Watch and wait approach to rectal cancer

What I love most about colon and rectal surgery: Patients come and see us for a wide variety of reasons, including serious issues such as colon and rectal cancers that require a multi-disciplinary approach to care. We also see patients for very personal problems, such as hemorrhoids and fistulas. Helping patients through these challenging issues is very rewarding.  

Education and experience:

• Doctor of Medicine, UNMC, 2014
• Research fellowship, UNMC, 2016-2018
• Residency in general Surgery, UNMC, 2021
• Fellowship in colon and rectal surgery, Mayo Clinic, 2022

Professional societies and memberships:

• American College of Surgeons
• American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons
• Society for Asian Academic Surgeons 
• American Medical Association 

Three things people may not know about me:

• I love to ski and visit Colorado each year with friends and family.
• If I were not in health care, I would most likely be a pilot.
• My best workout music is Bollywood music.

Clinic: Lauritzen Outpatient Center, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center