After earning his B.A. from the University of Omaha, Dr. Harold Oberman was accepted at UNMC, graduating cum laude in 1956. He then entered the U.S. Army, completing his service as a captain at Walter Reed Hospital. He accepted a position in pathology at the University of Michigan, where he stayed for his entire academic and medical career. As a researcher and professor, Dr. Oberman focused on two major areas, breast cancer diagnosis and blood banking (transfusion innovations). He established the Breast Care Center, a clinic which allowed a woman to be seen at one location and in one visit by all the physicians responsible for her cancer treatment. His other major focus involved the design of significant blood transfusion innovations followed by other practitioners across the country. His work in both anatomic and clinical pathology was identified as the “gold standard” in academic pathology. In addition, he served as an editor and reviewer for several medical journals, as president of the Michigan Association of Blood Banks, as president of the Michigan Association of Pathologists, and as a member of several national advisory committees and professional societies. He published in excess of 100 journal articles, wrote numerous book chapters, and spoke at both national and international meetings. Over the course of his life, Dr. Oberman received many honors, including the prestigious UNMC Distinguished Alumni Award.
Harold passed away in 2004 at the age of 72.