The AOF is honored to name Janae Rasmussen, OMS IV, as the 2021 Karen J. Nichols, DO, LEAD Scholar. This award recognizes an osteopathic medical student whose Leadership, Excellence, Advocacy, and Dedication stand out among their peers.

Currently a fourth-year student at the A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA), Student Doctor Rasmussen is already an experienced advocate and leader. She has participated in many advocacy events at the state and national levels. Her undergraduate degree included a minor in politics with an emphasis on health care policy.

She leads many campus activities centered on diversity, inclusion, and mental health for her fellow medical students, including as Director of Communications for ATSU-SOMA’s Medical Student Pride Alliance and with ATSU-SOMA's Strategic and Intentional Mentorship Program. Her classmates elected her vice president for the Class of 2022, and she is president of the Association of Women Surgeons Chapter. She received the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents’ TOUCH Award for community health in 2019 and 2020 and is a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society.

“As a policy advocate, I am excited by the prospect of improving health care literacy and developing better standards for preventative care,” she says. “This begins with inclusivity and cultural sensitivity... As a future osteopathic physician, I will advocate for the right of all patients to receive quality care despite the many social determinants of health barriers.”

The American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) Karen J. Nichols, DO, LEAD Scholar recognizes an osteopathic medical student whose Leadership, Excellence, Advocacy, and Dedication stand out among their peers.