The four criteria are:
- Commitment to treating patients with compassion and respect
- Advocate for highest standards of patient care
- Effectiveness as a professional role model
- Civic responsibility
Among his many roles in the Dept. of Surgery, Dr. Farrell serves as Chief of GI Surgery's Minimally Invasive Surgery service, Director of the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, Director of the Advanced GI Surgery Fellowship program, Surgery Clerkship Director, and Chair of the department's Education Committee.
He is recognized by peers as an excellent clinician and patient advocate, a proficient teacher, and a recognized clinical researcher. Through his humble attitude, calm demeanor, intellectual curiousity about what matters to each individual partient outside of just their illness; solid core values, and personal qualities as a kind human being, his patients enounter more than a good surgeon. They find a respectful and respected friend to share values with, to trust, to learn from, to listen, and to attend to various avenues of need related to non-surgical as well as surgical matters.