Educating Tomorrow’s Caregivers
Leading-edge patient care starts with an exceptionally trained and stable workforce. Maine Medical Center is dedicated to overcoming workforce shortages by training the next generation of physicians, nurses and health care professionals. We also empower our caregivers at all stages of their careers to continue their education and elevate their practice. Supporting educational initiatives at Maine Medical Center is a vital way you can help the next generations of Mainers gain access to the most advanced healthcare education.
Contact John Curran john.m.curran@mainehealth.org to learn more about supporting educational opportunities at Maine Medical Center.
Maine Track Scholarships
The Maine Track is a unique and visionary way to cultivate a new generation of physicians for Maine. Partnering with Tufts University School of Medicine, we set out to create a program that would ease the financial burden of medical school for Mainers and develop a community-based curriculum that emphasizes primary care and rural practice. We are committed to providing generous scholarships for Maine-based students, which helps bring the cost of their education in line with “in-state” tuition at a public medical school—giving them the financial flexibility to pursue primary care specialties in rural communities.
Graduate Medical Education
After medical school, physicians complete their training in residency and fellowship programs. Maine Medical Center is proud to be Northern New England’s premier teaching hospital, with over 275 residents and fellows in over 23 programs, all approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. MMC is nationally recognized for excellence and innovation in graduate medical education, which has catalyzed the development of a new model of education and patient care that focuses on interprofessional communication and teamwork. Extending our educational reach to support and sustain a robust rural physician workforce, MMC has developed rural residency training tracks for some of Maine’s most needed specialty areas, such as internal medicine.
Nursing Scholarships
Maine is facing a major challenge: as our current workforce reaches retirement age, we are projected to be short 3,200 nurses by 2025. Maine Medical Center is actively engaged in tackling the state’s nursing shortage. Our multi-pronged strategy includes facilitating increased nursing school enrollment, recruiting new nurses, and retaining and advancing our current caregivers. Nursing scholarships, completely supported by philanthropic donations, empower our nurses at all stages of their careers to elevate their practice and the level of care they provide for our patients.
Faculty Development
Great caregivers and teachers are lifelong learners, and Maine Medical Center is committed to providing continuing education and professional development opportunities for our faculty throughout their careers. The MMC Institute for Teaching Excellence offers a wealth of internal opportunities to learn, promote and recognize teaching excellence in the continuum of medical education. Philanthropic donations enable nursing and medical education faculty to attend conferences and continuing education to deepen their knowledge and hone their skills.
Simulation Center
Maine Medical Center’s education programs are strongly enhanced by clinical simulation programs. The Hannaford Center for Safety, Innovation and Simulation is a state-of-the-art training center that offers high-tech and realistic simulation, allowing students and practicing caregivers to learn new techniques and enhance their skills. Simulated experiences include a dedicated skills lab for general and surgical skills, high-fidelity inpatient simulators for team training, and standardized patient settings. The work and learning that takes place here has a direct impact on improving the quality of care and patient safety.