The Scope E-Newsletter January 2011 UTGSM Remembers Dr. George F. Schuchmann

George F. Schuchmann, MD, passed away on December 16, 2010. A "Celebration of Life" was held in Wood Auditorium on January 26, 2010, to honor the devoted physician, faculty member, and administrator.

Dr. Schuchmann served the UTGSM and the UT Medical Center community for more than 23 years as a cardiothoracic surgeon and most recently as Medical Director of the Heart Lung Vascular Institute. His leadership and dedication inspired the establishment of the Schuchmann Heart Lung Vascular Gift Fund to support the furtherance of excellence in patient care, education and research.

Dr. Schuchmann's medical career began after graduating Cum Laude from Creighton University in 1963. He joined the U.S. Army that same year and was assigned to Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington to begin his internship. In 1964, he served as Brigade Surgeon to the 3rd Armor Division in Friedberg, Germany. He returned to Tacoma in 1966 to complete his internship in General Surgery, followed by two more years of residency in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Schuchmann held several positions with the U.S. Army including: Commander, 11th Evacuation Hospital, Pusan, Korea; Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas;and Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Uniformed Services of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1983 with the rank of Colonel Medical Corps.

His civilian medical career began in Knoxville in 1983 when he opened a private practice at UT Medical Center. He served as Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Clinical Professor of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, beginning in 1985. One of the many highlights of his career at UTMC includes the first heart transplant surgery performed in East Tennessee in 1986. He was named Medical Director/Advisor to the Heart Lung Vascular Institute at UTMC after his retirement from private practice in 1998.

Dr. Schuchmann gave this advice for everyone to live by in the article "Rumination & Recollections of an Old Surgeon" from 2006 edition of the Frontiers Magazine: "My advice: Walk, go fishing, get some fresh air, plant a garden, and eat those vegetables. See your physician for 'oil changes and 30,000-mile checkups.' Take charge of your opportunity to live a long and healthy life."

Thank you, Dr. Schuchmann, for your advice. Your larger-than-life presence, sense of humor and caring ways will be missed by all in the Graduate School of Medicine and the UT Medical Center.

Dr. Schuchmann is survived by his wife, Martha, and six children.