This marks the 13th year of the Maine Track partnership between Maine Medical Center and Tufts Medical School
PORTLAND, Maine 鈥� Maine Medical Center (MMC) held a virtual celebration on Saturday, May 1, to recognize the ninth cohort of Maine Track program students who will graduate from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston later this month. After completing the program that includes classroom instruction in Boston with community-based practice in Maine, this year鈥檚 class of 36 will begin residencies this summer, 13 of them at MMC.
Nirav D. Shah, MD, Director of Maine鈥檚 Center for Disease Control and Prevention, delivered the keynote address during the ceremony, which was broadcast on YouTube to allow for social distancing and prevent families from having to travel during the pandemic.
鈥淚 was honored to address the Maine Track program graduates,鈥� said Dr. Shah. 鈥淭hey have overcome significant challenges to complete the program during a pandemic, and I was pleased to address them as they prepare to move on to the next phase in their commitment to caring for others.鈥�
The Maine Track program is a partnership between MMC and Tufts formed 13 years ago to help address the shortage of doctors in Maine, provide financial assistance to aspiring medical students from Maine and develop an innovative curriculum focused on community-based education. MMC鈥檚 annual Maine Track celebration marks the local recognition of the medical school students, who also will take part in a virtual graduation ceremony with Tufts on May 23.
鈥淓ducation is a key component to AOA体育平台鈥檚 tri-part mission of caring for our community, educating tomorrow鈥檚 caregivers and researching new ways to improve care,鈥� said Doug Sawyer, MD, MMC鈥檚 Chief Academic Officer. 鈥淲e look forward to seeing many of these students continue learning and practicing medicine through their residencies here at Maine Medical Center.鈥�
When this year鈥檚 cohort graduates from Tufts, 316 physicians will have graduated from the Maine Track program since it began. As of December 2020, 40 Maine Track graduates 鈥� the equivalent of one entire class 鈥� are now practicing medicine in Maine. In addition, more of this year鈥檚 Tufts graduates will begin residencies at MMC than at any other hospital, with 13 students from this year鈥檚 Maine Track class and four others from the Boston-based program joining MMC.
鈥淢y classmates and I love the humans in the Maine Track,鈥� said Asha Mohamud, a candidate for M.D. and the class speaker for the class of 2021. 鈥淭he environment is incredibly supportive, with exceptional clinical and pre-clinical teaching from both Tufts and MMC. We also live in a state filled with natural beauty, endless adventures, top-notch food and culture.鈥�
You can view a recording of .
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About Maine Medical Center
Maine Medical Center (MMC), recognized as a Best Regional Hospital by U.S. News and World Report for 2018-2019, is a complete health care resource for the people of Greater Portland and the entire state, as well as northern New England. Incorporated in 1868, MMC is the state鈥檚 largest medical center, licensed for 637 beds and employing nearly 8,700 people. MMC's unique role as both a community hospital and a referral center requires an unparalleled depth and breadth of services, including an active educational program and a world-class biomedical research center. As a nonprofit institution, Maine Medical Center provides nearly 23 percent of all the charity care delivered in Maine. MMC is part of the AOA体育平台 system, a growing family of health care services in northern New England. For more information, visit www.mmc.org.