Location: Cold Lake, AB
Dr (Capt) Joelle Thorgrimson is an Indigenous military flight surgeon posted to Cold Lake, AB but originally from Kenora, ON. After completing a bachelor’s degree in astrophysics at Queen’s University, a master’s degree in quantum computing at McGill University and her private pilot licence, she attended medical school and completed a family medicine residency at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) in Thunder Bay, ON. She is presently an Associate Professor at NOSM, who continues to enjoy doing rural fly-in First Nation community locums and research into health disparities for rural and Indigenous Northwestern Ontario residents. Being an advocate for women in aviation, STEM and the military, Dr Thorgrimson is involved in a variety of organizations from the Defence Women’s Advisory Organization to the 99s International Organization of Women Pilots. A few of her favourite things are flying adventures, volleyball, being outdoors on the land and fishing on the Lake of the Woods.