A message from our program Director Dr. Casey MacVane
Thank you for your interest in Maine Medical Center’s (MMC) Emergency Medicine Residency Program! Our program has many distinct attributes that make it an excellent place to train for the practice of emergency medicine. We have a long tradition of graduating superb clinicians who are prepared to take care of any patient presenting with any complaint. We are able to produce such strong graduates in just three years because of our unique clinical environment, committed faculty and a culture of strong academic support. We are also fortunate that all this happens in the amazing location of Portland, Maine with a dynamic group of people.
MMC is a unique learning environment in that it is the only Level 1 trauma center and major tertiary care center in the state of Maine, yet it is also a community hospital for the largest city in Maine. We see a large volume of varied patients and there is little competition with other learners. Specifically, we do not have residents or fellows in Orthopedics, Ophthalmology or Otolaryngology so these procedures belong to the ED! Our residents like to say that they are “doers and not callers” because they so rarely have to call consultants to take care of interesting patients.
Our residents also care for a very diverse group of patients since Portland is a major immigrant resettlement city. The demographics of Portland are very different from the rest of Maine, with students at Portland High School speaking more than 60 different languages. This makes living and working in Portland an enriching experience for our faculty and residents!
The clinical experience is also enhanced by 5 months dedicated to critical care time, in addition to the large volume of critically ill and injured patients in our ED. Outside of our ED, our residents are also exposed to a less-resourced community hospital 20 miles outside Portland and our own free standing ED. The total volume from all of these sites is 140,00 patients per year to learn from.
I truly believe that the faculty at MMC are unparalleled. All EM subspecialties are represented with a strong presence in Pediatric EM, Wilderness Medicine/EMS, Ultrasound and Toxicology. Every one of our faculty members are dedicated teachers who take a strong interest in our residents both as learners and individuals.
Our residents are actively involved in numerous research studies, writing and speaking opportunities. As a measure of this academic interest and productivity, in the past 3 years, we have had 34% of our residents go onto fellowships. This includes both the MMC Ultrasound fellowship and others across the US. Those who don’t chose fellowships take advantage of our extensive alumni network to find diverse practice opportunities across the country.
One of the defining characteristics in our program is the strong sense of family within the residency. Our residents come from medical schools all across the US and arrive in Maine looking to build community. Together our residents enjoy many activities afforded to them just outside Portland from surfing, skiing, biking, climbing and the amazing food scene.
While I am confident the MMC EM training program is an incredible place to learn and grow into a stellar EM physician, it is important for applicants to choose a program that fits with their personal attributes and future goals. Please explore our website to determine if MMC is right for you. Feel free to reach out to me Casey.MacVane@mainehealth.org or our Program Coordinator Jana Ricker Janalicia.Ricker@mainehealth.org.