When Fred Paustian, M.D., retired at the end of June, it capped a brilliant teaching and medical career.
“Fred Paustian is one of the giants on the UNMC faculty,” said Harold M. Maurer, M.D., dean of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Medicine. “He committed his whole career to UNMC and helped make it the nationally and internationally recognized center of excellence that it is today.”
Dr. Paustian’s career began when he received his medical degree from UNMC in 1953.
He performed an internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate Hospital. Dr. Paustian then completed two fellowships — the first in gastroenterology at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate Hospital and the second in tropical medicine and parasitology in Central America, Panama and Mexico through the Louisiana State University Medical School.
He returned to Nebraska in 1958 and began a professional career that has included the instruction of more than 3,000 medical, nursing and graduate students.
Dr. Paustian joined the UNMC faculty as an instructor in the department of internal medicine and initiated and developed the section of gastroenterology. He achieved the rank of professor in 1967. He also served as program director for alternative delivery systems, associate dean for graduate medical education and associate dean for continuing medical education.
In these roles, Dr. Paustian had the opportunity to develop programs in all aspects of post-graduate medical training for physicians, and has developed outstanding training and continuing education programs for family practitioners, internists and emergency room physicians.
“He has held almost every post on campus,” Dr. Maurer said. “His wise counsel has been sought by many over the years, including me. His many extraordinary skills and effective interpersonal style will be sorely missed.”
Despite retiring, Dr. Paustian will still be on campus, including three half-day gastroenterology clinics and some teaching.
In addition to his duties at UNMC, Dr. Paustian has exhibited a lifelong commitment to organized medicine in Nebraska. He has served as president of the Metropolitan Omaha Medical Society and the Nebraska Medical Association. His national responsibilities have included prominent positions as Governor of Nebraska for the American College of Physicians, chairman of the Residency Review Committee Chairmen for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and chairman of the National Residency Review Committee for Internal Medicine for the United States.
Dr. Paustian’s lifelong contribution to the education of health professionals and the health of Nebraskans was recognized earlier this year when he was awarded with UNMC’s Jack G. Elliott Award.