History of the Chair:

Georgine Steude, M.D.
Chairperson from 1989 to 1990

Biographical Sketch:

When she was 13-years-old, Dr. Georgine Steude saw the film "The Lou Gehrig Story," and she asked so many questions of her father that he told her she should become a doctor. She had been thinking about nursing as a career, but her father told her she would be a terrible nurse.

"If it doesn't work out," he told her, "you'll find out."

She listened to his advice and retired on September 1, 1997, after a successful career that led her to being an assistant professor and interim chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, as well as many other distinguished titles. Dr. Steude graduated from Northwestern University Medical School in 1957. Her husband-to-be, William Steude, graduated from Northwestern's law school at the same time and they married that same weekend. She planned on a career in pediatrics but hadn't applied through the match for an internship because her new husband hadn't settled yet on a graduate school in public administration. When the U-M became their destination, pediatrics was filled but positions were open in the Anesthesiology Department. She accepted a rotating internship knowing nothing about anesthesia, nor had she visited the campus. Her first rotation was in anesthesiology; Dr. Sweet was chairman and she liked her new specialty. After the internship, she accepted the two-year anesthesiology residency and her husband also accepted a position at the U-M. In 1960 she was hired as an instructor.

In 1963 she and her husband adopted the first of their three children, and as an adoption requirement she resigned from her position. Three months later she went into private practice at Saline Community Hospital, working with Marianne Whowell; they both worked part time. In 1968, malpractice insurance costs became more than her income and Dr. Steude returned to the U-M Anesthesiology Department. She worked five mornings a week, leaving by 2:30 to pick up her three children from school and to be a mother.

Working part time had the advantage of covering at the Main Hospital, the VA and in obstetrics and pediatrics. She learned about gynecological and obstetrical anesthesia and became interested in OB anesthesia while supervising at the Women's Hospital (which none of her peers wanted to do). When C. S. Mott Children's Hospital opened more department faculty were needed to work there. After spending a month in anesthesia with Dr. Shirley Austin at Detroit Children's Hospital, Dr. Steude became part of the Mott anesthesia faculty.

"The challenge is to see what the department needs, assess your needs, and offer to cover their needs in a way that also covers your needs," she said. There were fewer women pursuing medical professions when she began in the field, but the number gradually increased. She never felt discriminated against in any way at the U-M, in salary or opportunity, to the credit of the department chairs.

In 1972 Dr. Steude became an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, and in 1979 she started working full-time. In the late 1970s, through the efforts of Chair Dr. Peter Cohen, she obtained tenure. She remained on the academic track throughout her career, although the clinical track would have been more appropriate. Clinical track positions were very limited during the 1980s, and other anesthesia faculty needed to switch to the clinical track to maintain their appointments at the University.

While acting as Chief of Obstetrical Anesthesiology, she was appointed to assistant professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1981. She served as interim section chief in pediatric anesthesiology from 1985-86, and section chief from 1987-89. After U-M Anesthesiology Chair Dr. Finch retired in November of 1988, she was appointed interim chair until Dr. Kevin Tremper was appointed in January of 1991. She then took a six month sabbatical leave of absence to specialize in pain medicine, and after her return became director of the Acute Pain Service, where she remained until her retirement on September 1, 1997.

Dr. Steude has served on many professional committees of the Michigan Society of Anesthesiologists. She was president-elect from 1988 to 1990, and president in 1990 until 1992. She is a member of many other societies. Her teaching activities paralleled all of the clinical functions.

Dr. Steude recalls that a full-time instructor in Anesthesiology was paid $11,000 a year in 1961 and there were only about 7,000 members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (there are 34,000 today). The department was much smaller, with six residents and six faculty. Dr. and Mrs. Robert B. Sweet held the graduation dinners in their home and could fit everyone in one room. She has an old OR schedule that fits on one sheet. She has had a fantastic experience during a wonderful time to practice anesthesiology.

She has learned that communication is the key to a successful anesthesiology practice at the U-M. This is her strongest word of advice not only for the Anesthesia Department but for all professional staff. Everyone is skilled and knows what they are doing of course, but communication between the surgeon, anesthesia, and operating room makes a critical difference in having things work out well. She looks back on her years as chief of pediatric anesthesia and much of what she did was communication, to insure that things went smoothly.

Dr. Steude and her husband sold their old farm home and moved from Ann Arbor Township in 1996. They live in a condominium in Travis Pointe, on the grounds of a golf course in Lodi Township, which is south of Ann Arbor. They have started to golf, and she works out at the country club gym. They like to travel but their base will always be here as their children and five grandchildren (all boys) live in the area. Dr. Steude hopes to extend her work as a volunteer and co-medical director at the Individualized Hospice in Ann Arbor. She is interested in Palliative medicine, a new evolving medical specialty. Although officially retired on September 1, she will continue to round on the adult acute pain service four days each month, indefinitely. Her husband, who is the general counsel of the Michigan Municipal League, retires in December. They both plan to continue working 20 percent time and to travel more. They have trips planned to the southwest, to Hawaii and to cruise the Panama Canal. She was honored to receive Emeritus Status by the Regents of the University of Michigan at their September 1997 meeting.

Dept. of Anesthesiology, Univ. of Michigan Medical School

Copyright © 2007, Regents of the University of Michigan