Med student from Gwynne, AB was inspired by her family's rural family physician to enter medicine
Channel: RhPAP
Date: 2022-05-26

Congratulations to Jaslyn Rasmuson of Gwynne! 

Currently in her second year of medicine at the University of Alberta, Rasmuson is the recipient of a $5,000 RhPAP Rural Medical Student Award.

Rasmuson grew up in Gwynne, which has a population of 88. Gwynne is located near Wetaskiwin, about an hour’s drive southeast of Edmonton.

“I grew up on a farm, and I really loved the experience," said Rasmuson. "Growing up around nature, around animals, and the community itself was really supportive.”

Jaslyn was inspired to enter medicine by Dr. Deborah Jeffrey, a family physician in Wetaskiwin.

“She has been my family’s doctor for my whole life," added Jeffrey. "So, I think it’s been really neat to see how she’s kind of like a part of our family and how she’s a part of our community. She’s really active in Wetaskiwin. Everyone knows her and everyone loves her. So, I think that I would love to be a doctor like her one day.”

In her future, she looks forward to the possibility of providing internal medicine specialties to rural Alberta.

“I’ve been shadowing an internist (Dr Anita Au) who is working in Wetaskiwin. And I think that that has been a really cool experience because it is a specialty but it is a rural specialty and a rural clinic that she is doing. And, I know the community is so grateful for her clinic because normally to access a specialty like that you would have to go all the way to Edmonton or you would have to go to a city. So, I think it's really cool to take those specialties and bring them to rural communities.”

Jaslyn has volunteered for many organizations, including the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre where she helped with recreation programs, feeding residents and palliative care. She currently is a mentor for a program that encourages rural high school students to consider a career in medicine.

Jaslyn is grateful to be a recipient of the $5,000 RhPAP Rural Medical Student Award.

“I think it’s so great that there are organizations like this that are supporting rural medical students, so I’m very grateful for this support.”