Rachel Kuandal, Maryland, was appointed Director of the Liver Transplant Fellowship, just two years after joining the UNMC Anesthesiology faculty. Allyson Hascall, MD, Division Chief of Multiscialty Anesthesiology, said she uniquely positions her passion for education, clinical excellence and complex patient care to lead the program.
Dr. Quandahl joined the faculty in 2023 after completing his residency and liver transplant fellowship at UNMC.
“Participants who have undergone liver transplants are some of the most sick and most complicated patients to care for,” Dr. Kuandar said. “What excites me most about this role is shaping a programme that prepares peers to not only meet and thrive in that challenge.”
The program accepts one peer per year, allowing for intensive mentorship and tailored learning.
Dr. Quandahl describes the ideal liver transplant fellow as someone with deep clinical knowledge, advanced technical skills, and the ability to make quick and confident decisions at high moments. But beyond procedural mastery, she said she hopes the fellow graduates from something even more permanent.
“My goal is that anyone who trains in our program is very confident in the future work they pursue,” she said.
Looking ahead, Dr. Quandahl is already exploring opportunities to expand and innovate the program. With growing interest among dual-training track residents, such as combining transplant anesthesia with heart or ICU training, she envisions more integrated options for fellows whose interests are across disciplines. “We see this curiosity from trainees who want to be familiar with multiple high spirits and want to evolve our program to support that,” she said.
Dr. Quandahl said the unique strength of the program is the powerful pediatric training provided in addition to adult liver transplant cases, including liver transplants, small intestinal transplants, multi-purpose transplants and intestinal rehabilitation surgery.
“We are one of the few centres in the country that perform multi-purpose transplants on a daily basis,” said Dr. Quandahl. “These are extremely complex cases and provide an unparalleled training experience.”
Dr. Kuandar's dedication to medicine is consistent with her love for her family and outdoors. She and her husband live in the area with two young children, where they enjoy spending time together outside.
If she hadn't taken the medicine, Dr. Kuandar said she could have become a home building or design. “We've just finished building a home that we designed from scratch,” she said. “I'm really good at touching. I'm a full bathroom, the kitchen, the floor, you've given it a name.”
Dr. Haskol congratulated Dr. Kuandar on his new role, saying, “We welcome Dr. Kuandar into this appropriate role and look forward to her direction. She has been active on the education side of the department since she began as co-director of the rotation of anesthesiology students.”
