³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ College of Osteopathic Medicine Dirigo Scholar Track

Stay in Maine to Complete Your Clinical Education

As a Dirigo Scholar at the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ College of Osteopathic Medicine, you’ll have the opportunity to train as a physician while serving the communities you know and love. This track is tailored for you — Maine students with deep roots in the state and a passion for rural medicine.

You’ll receive the prestigious Doctors for Maine’s Future Scholarship, funded by the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME), supporting your journey to become a rural health care leader.

In your third year, you’ll gain hands-on experience serving Maine’s underserved and rural communities at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center (NLEMMC) in Bangor, Maine. At NLEMMC, the second largest hospital in the state, you’ll provide care to communities in central, eastern, and northern Maine — more than 40% of the state population. You’ll receive invaluable training and insights into the specific health care needs of rural Maine communities. 

As a part of the Dirigo Scholar Track you will:

  • Receive Doctors for Maine’s Future Scholarship
  • Have early assurance of assignment at the Bangor clinical site in your first year to assist with planning and relocation
  • Be assigned a clinical mentor from NLEMMC
  • Receive up to four sponsored trips to visit NLEMMC for shadowing and mentorship
  • Have priority access to the Care for the Underserved Pathways (CUP) program including the Honors Distinction upon graduation

Eligibility for the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ COM Dirigo Scholar Track

  • Candidates must meet the eligibility criteria as 
  • Candidates must be admitted to the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ COM and be invited to complete a ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ COM Dirigo Scholar Track application
  • Candidates must have issued both their first and second deposit 
  • Candidates must complete a ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ COM Dirigo Scholar Track application form within the timeline dictated by ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ COM

Application Process

Applications will be mailed to eligible candidates. All applications must be submitted by January 29.

A selection committee of representatives from NLEMMC, ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ COM, and the local community will review and rank blinded applications. Recipients of the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ COM Dirigo Scholar Track designation will be informed on or before March 15.