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Our goal is to increase Maine's retention of
graduate physicians to as high as 75 percent.
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Physician Shortage
During the past three years, Maine hospitals and physician practices have reported at least 200 vacancies at any one time. Additionally, most counties are recognized as federally-designated shortage areas, having more than 3,500 people per doctor. The national shortage is expected to worsen because enrollment for first year medical students, adjusted for population, has dropped steadily since 1980. This negative effect will be further impacted by the many doctors slated to retire at a time when the demand for services is increasing as baby boomers age.
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The new MMC.TUSM degree program is designed to encourage medical practice in Maine. Twenty of the 36 undergraduate medical slots per year will be reserved for legal residents of Maine. An invitation may also be extended to 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. |  |
 | It has long been demonstrated that medical students tend to set up practice where they complete their residency. In fact, 30-40 percent of Maine Medical Center’s residents remain in Maine when they graduate. With a strong undergraduate medical school program focused on the needs of Maine, we believe we can increase that retention rate to as high as 75 percent. |
Respected teaching and research facilities attract new physician leaders. Recruitment and retention are greatly improved when an institution offers a challenging professional environment. We are proud of our Research Institute and Graduate Medical Education program, two top-notch hospital services that draw the best clinicians and scientists to Maine. The addition of an undergraduate medical school program will further strengthen our ability to attract and retain top caliber students, residents and physicians.
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