Donors help future doctor strengthen health care in rural Alberta
Sandra Coley - 18 November 2025
Access to health care for all Albertans is top of mind for fourth-year medical student Jessica Bennett as she prepares to complete her medical degree next year. With a regional practice in general surgery at the top of her list, she is focused on making an impact on the lives of patients in rural communities.
Support from donors is helping Bennett — and students like her — turn those goals into reality. Shape the Future is a fundraising campaign dedicated to student success by enhancing financial support for access and affordability, student experiences and spaces. By supporting the campaign, donors can help open doors for students to become leaders — like Bennett, who is preparing to bring her skills and passion to underserved populations in Alberta, while inspiring the next generation of medical students.
Bennett, who grew up in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, came to the University of Alberta as an undergrad, following in the footsteps of her parents. Her interest in medicine was sparked early on and, despite offers from other institutions, she chose the U of A’s Faculty of Medicine (ranked in the Top 5 in Canada) for its broad hands-on learning opportunities and self-directed study.
“I wanted a career where I could directly interact with people, using my interest in science, and be able to see my impact in real time in a tangible way,” says Bennett. “I feel like medicine is one of the best careers to do that.”
Her elective course at the U of A’s new Northern Alberta Medical Program (NAMP) in Grande Prairie confirmed her desire to practise in a regional setting. In her fourth year, she selected electives in surgery and rural practice, solidifying her passion for serving patients outside of urban centres.
“There is just such an increase in the depth and breadth of practice that you're able to assume as a general practitioner,” says Bennett. “I’ve seen first-hand that as a rural family doctor, you have a lot of options that you don't really get by working in an urban setting. I want to set myself up in a community similar to Grande Prairie so that I can serve a lot of people from rural backgrounds.”
You gave shape to the future.
Together, we raised $147M to support U of A students through the Shape the Future campaign. Because of you, students are already benefiting from scholarships, experiences and spaces that are shaping their futures.
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Her journey to a career in medicine has been fueled by scholarships and awards made possible by donors, leading to professional development opportunities and visiting electives.
“Thank you for entrusting me to be the recipient of donor financial support,” says Bennett. “I promise to make this support go far, not just for myself, but to use it in ways that make a global difference in the community.”
Bennett is already paying that generosity forward. She is the founder of Asclepius GP, a rural version of the week-long summer camp hosted in Edmonton that brings high school students together to learn from U of A medical students about careers in medicine. After volunteering for the Edmonton camp, she was inspired to bring the program to rural students, with Grande Prairie’s NAMP serving as the ideal location.
The camp — named after the Greek God of medicine, with “GP” standing for both Grande Prairie and general practitioners — offers high school students discovery learning and medical procedure simulations. The free program, now in its second year, welcomed 50 students from the region and even drew interest from neighbouring communities in Northern B.C.
“The camp looks at the challenges rural populations face and the way rural medicine differs from urban practice,” says Bennett. “Growing up in a smaller community, I'm unfortunately all too familiar with those challenges. And so I am passionate about wanting my practice to involve rural populations and also outreach to students who live in those communities.”
Bennett is also dedicated to sharing information about medical school with fellow and potential students. She uses her platform as a host and co-creator of YEGMD Pod to help others get the inside track on the U of A’s medical program. Covering a wide range of topics, YEGMD Pod is created by students for students. Bennett recently shared her experiences about practicing medicine in a smaller city and NAMP with listeners.
“Because I was able to go to Grande Prairie, I now have all of this insider information about its campus,” says Bennett. “And I've been working with the admissions team there to develop promotional content so that future students can make an informed decision over where they choose to learn.”
For Bennett, the impact of donor generosity extends far beyond her own medical training. It is just what the doctor ordered to help her inspire future physicians, strengthen rural health care, and build healthier communities across Alberta.