"l really see myself Forensic pathologist Michael Stier, MD'94, seeks to dispel a stereotype

as a primary care
4,M. Van Etck are accidents, especially car for example , from the fiont
physician for people
arccidents, and what he calls versus from behind.
who have sustained (naturals"- deaths
due to Stier engagcs deeply, in
the ultimate A euick search on thc
H' natural caLlses, such as
1 I Internet reveals that his r,vork, ctrlling the cadavers
complication of Llnanticipated heart attacks or his "patients," sometir-nes
Michael A. Stier, MD'94,
overlooked illnesses. even b,v name. "This is
their illness." University of Wisconsin
Medical School assistanr
"TV doesn't shorv tne s'hat Althur is telling me,"
naturals," he savs. "Bnt I he r-night sa1', refbrring to
profbssor of pirthologt' rrnd
tell vou, it r-ne:rns tr lot to something discovered in
laboratorv medicine, has
tl-re firn.rilies to find out n'hat the autopsy. Likely, it is
helped to solle i1 nllntber of
happened rrnd help them this fertile imaginatior.r :rnd
Wisconsir-r's recent n-[rrder
find closnre." penchant for storyrelling that
mt'steries. Fror-n Iron Cor.rntv
Looking fbr closure in the l-relps him piece together the
dorvn through all ofsouthern
autoPs)/ suite, fbr exantple, often disparate aspects of
Wisconsin, Stier's nar-ne
Stier can detect the lethal an individual's last rniuutes,
appears in local newspapers
illness that was assumed to be creating a narrative fbr the
vvith the final rvord on shaken
nothing but the flu. He can courts-and fln-rilies.
babv svndrome, brutal
verifi'ir driver's claim trbout Stier's upbringing
bludgeonings, shorgur-r
the anslc rrnd speed of impacr helped him prepare fbr his
n'ounds-allost irnv firtirl
of a tlitirl clrr crash. Lr thc ctrse lif'e's rvork. Having grown
crir-r.re ir.nirginirble.
of a suspicious sr.ricide , he can up rvielding rifles, skinnirrg
But u1-rile Stier's u'ork irs ir
verih'thirt the l'ounds n'ere rabbits and plucking pheasant
fbrensic pathologist n1r1\' seen.)
indeed self:inflicted. fbrrthcrs ou a fhrm in Clinrou,
u'orthy of a prinre time crirne
Finding that closure Wisconsin, Stier say,s hs
show, he insists that it lacks
requires a spectrum ofskills, developed a healthy respecr
"the Hollywood factor,"
not all ofthem conventional. fbr the lifeq,cle early on. This
which exaggerates the grue-
Beyond a comprehensive visceral education nor,v allor,vs
some and the glamorous for
medical expertise, Stier relies hin-r to endure some of the
ratings.
on his working knowledge of rnore unpleasant aspects of his
"I want to dispel the
stereotype that fbrer-rsic
everytl-ring from physics to work-not the least of rvhich
fire pattems to psychology to is decomposition, which
pathologists onlv deal in
help him solve his cases. he calls "a criminal's best
violent crimer" he sa1,g. "l
He can easily distinguish friend."
really see myself as a primarl,
scissor rvounds from thc Other circunstances sccnr
care physisixn for people u,ho
pLlnctLrres of, sa1', a fire poker. to have had an equally strong
have sustained the ultimate
And he is fluent in fireanns. influence. Raised by Germtrn
complication of their illness."
What's more, his analy5is ef ir-nmigrants who moved to
Despite the media
human conflict and physical Wisconsin afier World War II,
coverage he gets, Stier esti-
struggle help him to corrjure Stier re rnernbcrs theil' srorics
mates that only about 30
up scenarios that rnight as one stern warning. "I had
percent ofhis cases are "super
cause son-leone to strike
crazy things." Thc majoriq'

20 QUARTERLY
 ,f l- r

-J€-

--ri

*-r
I.1r/.1 '
)/t
"l love my job because an idea of what people do to
each other at an early age,"
everyday I see how
he says.
fragile and transient But while he unflinchingly
life is. And that's why confronts the macabre in
his work, Stier, by his own
I love teaching-
adrnission, can be overlv
because I can share
sensitive to hunran suffbring
that with people." and loss. ln thct, it rvas his
fear of having to work with
the emotional aspects of
illness that turned hirn away
fiom clinical practice.
"ln nredical school, I
rvould get too caught Lrp irr
each patient's sitnation," Stier
recalls. "If I h;rc1 to do tl-rat
nos., I s'ould be grieving all
the time."
Instead, Stier, who
serves as a consultant to
local coroners in about 25
courlties around Wisconsin,
uses his knol.ledge to s.ork
n'ith evervone fi'om r.nedical
exirminers to detectives to
grier.ing firmilies l-roping to
move on and heirl.
Having con-rpleted
a bachelor's degree ir-r
bacteriologv fi'om IJW-
Madison in 1988, Stier
briefly conducted research
at Upjohn Pharmaceuticals
before returning to Madison
in 1989 for medical school.
While engrossed in his
education, he also soon lbund
that the presslrre ofschool
made him doubt his decision.
"By the second year," he says,
r rLarrJr' rrdLLu rLr
A post-sophomore year
fellowship in pathologl,
granted him a year off
from medical school
and introduced him to
UW pathologist Robert
Huntington, MD, who
22
worked in forensics at
the William S. Middleton
Memorial Veterans Hospital
in Madison, where Stier now
spends rnost of his time. Michoel Stier groduoted from
UW Medicol School in 1994.
There, he found his calling.
"That's where I saw
to the popularity of dramatic
my very first autopsy," he
says. "And Dr. Huntington
crime shows.
Mole than a taste for
showed me that it's oka1, 16
drama, of course, a pathol-
have a good sense ofhumor
ogist needs exceptional
and be positive about this
scientific and analytical skills.
line of work. That helped
rne, because I reallr'liked
"Most physicians who go into
pathology are very cerebral,"
arutopsr'-but evervone
Stier says. "Pathologists are
tl-rought I s'as craz\'."
realll, *1s 'doctor's doctor.'
Follol'ing medical school,
We have to lanow a plethora
Stier completed tn o fbllorv-
of diseases and functions."
ships: one in neuropathology
at the Universiry of Virginia
"I was always that wayr"
he continues. "Growing
arrd the second in tbrensic
up on the farm, I was
pathology at the Milwaukee
surrounded by critters and
County Medical Examiner's
was always inquisitive ."
Office. In 2001, he accepted
Happily for Stier. he is
ir position on the UW
close enough to Clinton to
trledicirl School frrculn'.
spend u'eekends back at the
"I love r.r'rv job," he sirvs
rr-ith a smile-especi..rllv
flmiiv fhrm. "I feel closest to
God irr rrature," he says, but
the teaching, u'hich allon's
him to share his diagnostic
ther-r reconsiders. "And also
sometimes in the autopsy
skills with medical students,
suite."
graduate students, residents
Paradoxically, while
and even visiting physicians.
forensics requires that he
For the Medical School,
encounter "the darkest
Stier lectr.rres on everythiug
and most violent side of
from chemical and physical
humanity," he says that it also
pathology to neurotrauma
helps him maintain a light
and pediatric neuropathology.
perspective on life.
He described his work tcr
"When I open a bodl, bag,
students last spring in a lunch
part of me knows that that
session of the Student-Alumni
is going to be me someday,"
Partnership Program hosted
he continues. "I love my
by the Wisconsin Medical
job because everyday I see
Alumni Association.
how fragile and transient
When he can, Stier also
life is. And that's why I love
presents talks in Wisconsin
teaching-because I can share
schools where, he says, young
that with people."
people have a huge interest
in forensics, thanks in part
QUARIERLY