Giving with Compassion: Carrie Peecher, DO, Gives So Other Westminster Students Become Physicians

Family physician Carrie Peecher, DO, ’00 ΔΔΔ, loves caring for veterans at the Camdenton VA Clinic in Osage Beach, MO, because she finds their stories and experiences inspiring.

“The sacrifices they made for our country are beyond what many of us can even imagine,” Peecher explains. “We are blessed to be Americans.”

She also finds inspiration in Westminster College, where she graduated with a degree in biology more than 20 years ago.

To Peecher, who grew up in the small towns of Unionville, MO, and Kirksville, MO, the College is more than a repository of warm memories or a place where she discovered her love of science. It is an experience that lasts a lifetime.

“I am not only part of the Westminster community but something bigger ― the Westminster experience ― and that experience is indescribable,” she emphasizes. “Those who have attended Westminster know … it is the feeling of being on campus, the intimacy of small classes, and the friendships formed along the way.”

Peecher credits Greek life with sharpening her social and leadership skills, while she attributes her career success to caring faculty members, including the late Dr. Warry Williams, who she describes as a “phenomenal professor and mentor.”

Williams inspired Peecher to teach high school biology following her graduation from Westminster in 2000. The 2002 birth of her daughter, Madeline, however, inspired her to take her biology degree in a different direction.

Peecher made the decision to attend medical school, graduating from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2009. Throughout the challenges of medical school, residency, and her currently daily life, Peecher credits Madeline for strongly influencing her perspective.

“Madeline continues to teach me to live in the moment and to be humble, kind, and grateful no matter what life brings our way,” she says.

For Carrie Peecher, DO, both Westminster College and her daughter, Madeline, were positive influences in her decision to attend medical school. After Madeline’s birth in 2002, Peecher enrolled in medical school and graduated from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2009.

That spirit of gratitude permeates Peecher’s decisions and leads to generosity toward others. Although free time is rare, Peecher is regularly involved in various philanthropic activities and believes in giving to others, including Westminster College.

“I give back to Westminster College because the faculty, staff, and alumni provided me with an education that became the foundation for the rest of my life,” Peecher reflects. “I want the upcoming generation of students to have the Westminster experience.”

Was your Westminster experience similar to Dr. Peecher’s? If so, please consider giving back to the College that first gave to you. To make a secure online donation, visit the Giving page of our website. Or simply contact J.R. Andrews in the Office of Institutional Advancement at [email protected].