Dr. Arunachalam Rathnaswami as a post graduate teacher, training the super speciality students in General Surgery and Surgical Gastro enterology for the past 30 years believes in teaching the basics of clinical surgery, and that teaching provides a lifetime opportunity to learn. He as head of the Department of Surgical Gastro enterology at MMC, Chennai and presently the HOD, Dept of SGE at SRMMCH&RC at Tamilnadu, India always encourages residents to learn the nuances of surgery by concentration and hard work and helps them to manage complications with courage and perseverance. He was part of the team headed by Prof. N. Rangabashyam that started the university ratified super specialty training in Surgical Gastro enterology, for the first time in India, as early as 1985. He was examiner in this field in TN Dr.MGR Medical University, University of Kerala, Sri Ramachandra University, AIIMS - New Delhi and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. He has special interest in upper GI and Colorectal Surgery in addition to Hepato Biliary and pancreatic diseases. He evinced keen interest in managing patients with Corrosive injury of the upper GIT, and their rehabilitation with neo oesophagus reconstruction. He also has special interest in managing patients with complicated Koch's abdomen, Entero Cutaneous fistula and in re-operative abdominal surgery. Adult onset Malrotation of the gut is another field that interests him. He has served in the Editorial boards of Indian Journal of Gastro enterology and Indian Journal of Surgery. He was the past president of The Indian Association of Surgical Gastro enterology and TN Chapter of Indian Society of Gastro enterology. As the National Secretary and Treasurer of the Association of Surgeons of India, he helped the surgical residents through out the country. He has organised several National conferences including the Annual Conference of the Association of Surgeons of India.