WILMINGTON — Dr. Brian Santin of Ohio Vein and Vascular, based in Wilmington, was recognized by the American College of Surgeons as the Nizar N. Oweida Scholarship recipient for 2017.

This is a prestigious honor bestowed upon an individual surgeon who has chosen to practice surgery in a rural setting in the United States. It is intended to further educational and professional experiences for the selected surgeon at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress held each fall.

“I am incredibly humbled by this phenomenal honor. While I have been offered surgical positions in major metropolitan cities, I have never felt it would be as rewarding an experience as working in rural America ~ where vascular surgeons are so crucially needed now more than ever,” said Dr. Santin.

Currently there are approximately 2,400 board certified Vascular Surgeons in the United States and the vast majority are located in large cities. Unfortunately, there are over 12 million Americans with vascular disease. Therefore, the need for vascular surgeons in rural areas of the U.S. has never been greater.

Dr. Santin founded Ohio Vein and Vascular in the fall of 2013 to help address the rural shortage of vascular surgeons. Since opening his practice, Dr Santin has treated more than 3,000 patients in and around rural communities of Southwest Ohio. The most common conditions he treats patients for include leg swelling, varicose veins, carotid artery disease, and aneurysms.

The American College of Surgeons Nizar N. Oweida Scholarship is endowed by the late Dr. Oweida’s family. Dr Oweida began a general surgery practice in 1958 in rural Pennsylvania. Prior to starting his rural surgery practice, he was a captain in the Air Force and flight surgeon at Wright-Patterson Air Force base in Dayton.