Kinder Care

Pediatrician Dr. Aaron Waggie ’00 is all about helping kids thrive

In high school, Dr. Waggie watched his mother suffer from, and ultimately succumb to, breast cancer. That painful experience dramatically changed his life, including the trajectory of his career aspirations.

“My mom was my inspiration,” said Waggie. “When you have someone who is sick like that, you see the good and bad sides of medicine. I wanted to be one of those better doctors who really cared for people and looked at patients as whole persons.”

Leveraging Opportunities

Waggie’s pursuit of a career in medicine began at Simpson, where he excelled in his science studies. He says the chance to study abroad in Zimbabwe and Eastern Europe, and to engage in numerous volunteer opportunities at Simpson instilled him with a strong sense of community and purpose.

“Those experiences built a foundation of caring for others. They showed me that even though we are all different, we need to take care of everyone.”

After graduating from Simpson, Waggie earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Kansas City University Medical School. He then moved on to his residency at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, where it didn’t take long for him to find his specialty calling.

“Once I did my first rotation at Children’s Mercy, I just knew pediatrics was for me. Kids get better — they’re fun — they’re interesting to talk to. We have the chance to help kids be healthy throughout their whole lives.”

Pediatrics with Purpose

Today, Waggie is a pediatric physician at the University of Missouri’s University Hospital in Columbia, Mo., and he also practices pediatrics at an urgent care clinic in Kansas City. Additionally, he serves as assistant professor of Pediatrics at the University of Missouri while working with med students as assistant clerkship director for Child Health. Waggie says his work is about so much more than treating a patient’s physical wounds.

“As I tell my students a lot, as a pediatrician, you become a really important person in these kids and their family’s lives. Being able to help them through rough times just gives you the reward of knowing you made a situation better for them.”

Investing in Tomorrow’s Doctors

Pursuing ways to help inspire and educate the next generation of doctors is of paramount importance to Waggie, who comes from a long line of educators in his family — including his parents and a twin sister who teaches in Indianola.

That’s why Waggie and his husband, who is also a pediatrician, are making a life-shaping investment in Simpson students through an endowed scholarship fund. The scholarship will provide financial assistance to an upper-class student majoring in biology or biochemistry as part of pre-medicine studies.

“Education is very, very important to us,” said Waggie. “So, anything we can do to help encourage people to have that opportunity is exciting and rewarding. Simpson gave me so much that it feels good to be able to help other students have the great experience I had, too.”