Jasleen Hansra
Jasleen graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 2022 with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. During pharmacy school, she had the chance to do rotations in many different settings, splitting her time between retail/community and hospital practice. These experiences took her across the province — from La Ronge, Swift Current, Moose Jaw, to Regina. In her third year, Jasleen even moved to Churchill, Manitoba, during the COVID-19 lockdown, an experience that showed her how important it is to be adaptable in healthcare and how accessible and essential the pharmacist’s role is in supporting patients and communities.
After graduation, Jasleen worked on a relief pharmacy team, covering shifts in different community pharmacies during her first year of practice. This gave her a solid foundation in patient care and taught her how to adjust quickly to new environments and patient needs.
Jasleen wanted to be in a more clinical setting and part of an interdisciplinary team, so she pursued hospital pharmacy through a residency program and completed her ACPR (Accredited Canadian Pharmacy Residency) with Northern Health. The ACPR is a nationally recognized one-year program that prepares pharmacists for advanced clinical practice by immersing them in patient care, research, and teamwork with other healthcare professionals. During her residency, Jasleen rotated through several areas, including primary care, internal medicine, outpatient HIV, emergency medicine, and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). Alongside these rotations, she also completed a research project and poster presentation, which strengthened her skills in evidence-based practice and sharing knowledge with others. Jasleen completed her residency in June 2024, an experience that grew her confidence and reinforced her passion for team-based care.
After residency, Jasleen moved to Vancouver Island to join a primary care position focused on chronic disease management. She is now part of the Community Health Services interdisciplinary COPD/asthma team, working closely with her colleagues and patients to optimize medication management and improve their quality of life.
Looking back, Jasleen sees her career path as a series of steps that built on each other. For students exploring their own futures, she encourages curiosity, resilience, and openness to new opportunities — because every experience adds to the skills and perspectives that shape your journey.