When James Soderberg, MD’75, retired in March 2017 after serving for 38 years as a pediatrician in San Jose, CA with Kaiser Permanente, well-wishers remembered how he often served multiple generations of the same family.
“You have taken excellent care of two generations of our family and have also given our children and grandchildren such a good start in life with your wonderful positive support, encouragement, and wisdom throughout the years,” wrote one of his former patients.
“I think everybody who knew him would agree that he had the perfect personality for a pediatrician,” said Dr. Soderberg’s brother Tom. “He was the peacemaker; he was the calming influence. When he told our mother that he was going to be a pediatrician, she said she was not surprised at all.”
“When I was born, he was nine years old. Our mother remembered how he loved having a baby in the house, and how he was incredibly helpful.”
Dr. Soderberg served the community of San Jose, working his entire career out of the same office.
“He was invited to birthday parties, high school graduations, college graduations, and weddings,” said Tom Soderberg. “He was one of the senior pediatricians at his office. When his fellow pediatricians started their families, they asked him to be the pediatrician for their kids.”
Dr. Soderberg felt that the education he received at the University of Chicago would have been out of reach, except for the financial aid he received. “He told me, ‘I was so lucky to be able to go to the University of Chicago. I think it would be great if I could help people who need financial aid to go there,’” said Tom Soderberg.
Dr. Soderberg’s estate gift endowing the James A. Soderberg Scholarship Fund created one of the largest funds providing financial aid for Pritzker School of Medicine students.
Photo: James Soderberg, MD’75 on his graduation day, June 13, 1975.
Donors have helped Pritzker students reduce their medical debt by 12 percent in the last five years.
“I was inspired to learn of Dr. Soderberg’s legacy in his community as a pediatrician and I am so grateful for his generous decision to give to Pritzker. Our goal is to ensure every student who has the talent and desire to attend Pritzker will be able to do so—regardless of financial circumstances. This also enables students to pursue their passions without the added financial stress of debt,” said Vineet Arora, MD, MAPP, Dean for Medical Education, Pritzker School of Medicine.
For Tom Soderberg, the scholarships will be a chance to see his brother’s legacy in the world. “At some point, I hope to come to Chicago and meet a recipient of the scholarship, to find out about them and talk with them about my brother—his life, his wonderful practice, and how much his families loved him,” he said.
