Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
NORWAY — Three students from Tufts University School of Medicine have arrived to complete a nine-month rural medicine clerkship at Stephens Memorial Hospital, Timothy A. Churchill, president and CEO of Western Maine Health announced.
Adriana Eurich, Scott Merrill and Deidre Michaud, all Maine natives, are the seventh group of participants in what was the first rural medicine teaching site selected for the Maine Medical Center Tufts University School of Medicine clerkship program, the news relesase from Western Maine Health said. Through the partnership, students have experienced first-hand what it is like to live and practice medicine in a rural community.
Eurich was born in Waterville and raised in Millinocket. She graduated from the University of New England in Biddeford, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in medical biology with a minor in mathematics. While at UNE, she spent two years as a neuroimmunology research assistant, studying the mechanisms that underlie chronic pain. “What draws me most to the Maine Track is its exposure to rural medicine and emphasis on small-town practice,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine a more perfect fit to help me reach my ultimate goal–becoming a primary care physician in Maine.”
Merrill was raised in Scarborough and graduated from the University of Maine with a bachelor of science degree in biology with a minor in chemistry. In his time at the University of Maine, he served in a number of teaching positions that allowed him to aid fellow students in their own endeavors. Those experiences helped to shape his career goals by exposing him to the challenges and satisfactions of working with others for their own improvement.
“The state of Maine is in a unique position with respect to the status of medical care and medical education,” he said. “Completing the Maine Track program will provide me the opportunity to address both of these areas in a state that I have called home my entire life. Working to rectify the largely rural health care system in my home state is something that I hope to be able to do as soon as possible.”
Michaud grew up in Madawaska and graduated cum laude from Bowdoin College with a bachelor of arts degree in neuroscience. While at Bowdoin, she worked with the Bowdoin Science Experience program, providing mentorship for students who are traditionally underrepresented in the sciences to help ensure their success. After graduating, Deidre spent time as a clinical research coordinator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, conducting clinical trials and palliative care studies in the intensive care unit.
“I hope that someday everybody has access to quality preventive health care, and I want to commit my life to ensuring that small Maine communities are not left out of this picture,” she said. “Maine has raised me into the person I am today. I am curious, hardworking, and compassionate, all because of my Maine communities. I am thankful for all that they have provided for me, and I am excited to have the opportunity to give back to them as a physician.”
Stephens Memorial Hospital is a member of the MaineHealth family. For more information visit www.wmhcc.org or on Facebook at Facebook.com/StephensMemorialME.
