LEWISTON – Central Maine Medical Center’s Family Practice Residency Program recognized five third-year family practice residents at its recent graduation program. Honored at the commencement exercises were family physicians Timothy Burdick, MD, Cortney Linville, DO, James Martinez, MD, Margarita Shugol, DO, and Stacey Walden, DO.

“The Ideal Practice” was the title of the address delivered by Dr. David Smith, who recently retired from the CMMC residency faculty. Smith was invited by the graduating class to present the commencement address.

Shannon Banks, vice president for medical affairs at CMMC, commended the graduates on their contributions to CMMC’s quality of patient care and wished them well on their career paths.

Dr. Edmund Claxton, the residency program’s director, presented the graduates their diplomas.

The ceremony was attended by the CMMC Family Practice Residency faculty and residents, as well as staff members from the residency and the CMMC Family Practice Center. Members of the medical staff and the graduating residents’ families and special invited guests also attended.

Several awards were made, including the Dr. Bruce Johnson Residency Teacher of the Year Award, which was presented to Dr. Marc Perlman, a CMMC neonatologist and pediatrician. The award honors the physician who is voted by the graduating senior residents as making the most outstanding contribution to their family practice residency education.

Other individuals honored by the graduating class included Dr. Amy Kustra, Preceptor of the Year, Dr. Sandra Harris, Consultant of the Year, and Dr. David Smith, Faculty of the Year.

Burdick will join the Montpelier Health Center in Montpelier, Vt. Linville will practice at Midcoast Medicine in Rockport. Martinez will join Great Works Family Practice in South Berwick. Shugol will pursue a family medicine position in Massachusetts, and Walden will join Blue Hill Family Medicine in Blue Hill.

CMMC created the Family Practice Residency Program in 1978 to support the training of family physicians who might pursue careers in the greater Lewiston-Auburn area and in other areas of Maine.