Michael C. Dalsing, M.D.

E. Dale Habegger, M.D.

E. Dale Habegger grew up in the picturesque Swiss community of Berne, Indiana, just south of Fort Wayne.  Influenced by the small-town work ethic and inspired by his older brother's pursuit of a career in medicine, Dr. Habegger earned his undergraduate degree in pre-med at Goshen College and obtained his M.D. from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1949.  He completed his internship training in New Orleans, fondly recalling his salary of $10 per month.  Between his internship training and residency, Dr. Habegger served as a U.S. Army physician in Panama during the Korean War.  In 1956, he completed his residency in surgery at Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis and also served the IU School of Medicine as an assistant professor.  For the next four decades, Dr. Habegger practiced general and chest surgery at St. Vincent, St. Francis, Community, and Methodist Hospitals.  He became highly respected as one of the city's finest surgeons while also mentoring hundreds of surgical residents during his 38-year career.  In 1995, Dr. Habegger retired from medicine at the age of 69.  Throughout the years, he has generously offered philanthropic support to the Indiana University School of Medicine and its Department of Surgery.  Now Dr. Habegger and his wife, Susan, have taken the bold step of creating The E. Dale and Susan E. Habegger Chair in Surgery.  "I love Indiana University," says Dr. Habegger.  "The IU Department of Surgery is one of  the best in the nation.  I have the utmost respect for Dr. Harris Shumacker and Dr. Jay Grosfeld, both of whom, as former chairmen, led the department toward excellence.  Susan and I are pleased to offer the IU Department of Surgery, Dr. Keith Lillemoe, and Dr. Michael Dalsing our support in their expanding research, educational, and clinical missions."

Michael C. Dalsing, M.D.
E. Dale and Susan E. Habegger Professor of Surgery

 

     Michael C. Dalsing was born in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1952.  Driven by a need to have a positive impact on people, he chose a career in medicine.  Dalsing received his undergraduate degree from Saint Mary's College and earned his M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1978.  Growing up in a farming community and working as a teen in the construction industry, it was the familiar hands-on element of surgery that appealed to Dr. Dalsing.  He completed his general surgery internshipd residency at the Indiana University School of Medicine.  After finishing a vascular surgery fellowship at Northwestern University, Dr. Dalsing returned to IU in 1984.  He took this opportunity to build upon IU's growing vascular surgery subspecialty.  For the last 20 years, he has served as a professor of surgery at the IU School of Medicine and has been on the surgical staff at Indiana University Hospital, Wishard Memorial Hospital, Roudebush Veterans Hospital, and Riley Hospital for Children.  Dr. Dalsing has been the School of Medicine's director and chief of vascular surgery since 1987.  "Philanthropy is critical to our continued success," says Dr. Dalsing.  "The E. Dale and Susan E. Habegger Chair in Surgery will have a lasting benefit and will support our surgical research goals for years to come."