Maine Medical Center & Tufts University School of Medicine address key issues
Maine Medical Center (MMC) and Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) have partnered to provide medical education in order to address the physician shortage in Maine, to provide medical education to Maine students at a reasonable cost, and to develop a unique and innovative curriculum that prepares students for future practice in Maine.
Drs. Nancy and Burton Knapp, providers working at Madison Area Health Center and Rangeley Family Medicine, respectively, and Dr. Amy Madden from Belgrade Regional Health Center, have been accepted as preceptors in this program. Preceptors are required to practice in a rural setting, be eligible for faculty appointment to Tufts University School of Medicine, and commit to hosting a student in an out-patient office three days in early August of 2009.
The program will be comprised of 36 students, with 20 slots reserved for legal residents of Maine, students attending Maine colleges or students from adjacent New England states or other locales deemed similar to Maine to encourage participants to establish medical practice in Maine. Half scholarships of $25,000 will be provided annually to each student filling one of the 20 slots.
The program’s unique curriculum, or the “Maine track,” will emphasize rural and small town practice, and break new ground in its approach to teaching safety, quality, and team – based care, according to the Tufts University School of Medicine website.
The “Maine Track” Program begins with a two week summer orientation in Maine. In March of the first year, students will be in Maine every other week for two days. These two days will include a day with a community preceptor and a day focused on small group learning and clinical skills. At the end of the first year, a month long course on social and Behavioral Medicine will be conducted entirely in Maine. There is an optional summer course between the first and second year. Throughout the second year, students will again be in Maine two days every other week. The third and fourth years will be completed in Maine.
It is the program sponsors’ hope that students will begin to develop an understanding of:
- The geographic, demographic, cultural and political characteristics that are pertinent to care of patients in the rural healthcare setting
- The unique challenges and obstacles to delivering healthcare and living in a rural setting, and
- The scope of practice of the rural physician and the unique benefits of providing primary care in the rural setting.
If you’re interested to learn more about the Orientation Preceptorship please contact Robert Trowbridge, MD at trowbr@mmc.org or at the Office of Medical Education, Maine Medical Center, 22 Bramhall Street, Portland ME 04102.
MMC – TUSM Medical School Mission Statement
Maine Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine jointly commit to developing and implementing a unique medical school program, featuring an innovative curriculum that will offer both tertiary-care and rural-based educational experiences in Maine, train exceptional physicians, and encourage graduates to pursue career opportunities in Maine.
Rangeley Family Medicine, Madison Area Health Center, and Belgrade Regional Health Center are three of the medical practices of HealthReach Community Health Centers (HRCHC), a system of eleven federally qualified health centers and two dental centers in central and western Maine. To ensure access for everyone, HRCHC accepts Medicare, MaineCare and major insurances. In addition, an Affordable Care Program is available to uninsured and underinsured residents. The company’s Navigator program is also available to assist patients in filling out and submitting applications for other programs that may help with the cost of health care and medications.
HRCHC is a private, non-profit organization with a 30-year history, and is funded by patient fees, grants and individual donations.
