LEWISTON – Central Maine Medical Center’s Family Medicine Residency Program recognized six third-year family practice residents at their recent graduation program.

Dr. Edmund Claxton, the residency program’s director, and Dr. Thomas Byrne, the CMMC Family Practice Center medical director, presented diplomas to family physicians Balint Budai, Magili Chapman, Michael Kaylor, Nary Padala, Nathan Raby and Geniene Wilson.

Dr. David Smith, a former residency faculty member who was asked by the graduating class to present the commencement address, discussed “Axis to Atlantis,” delivering a message that encouraged the graduates not to lose sight of what is important to them in life and in their practice of medicine.

Laird Covey, chief operating officer at CMMC, representing the hospital administration, commended the graduates on their contributions to CMMC’s quality of patient care and wished them well on their career paths.

Several awards were made during the ceremony. The Dr. Bruce Johnson Residency Teacher of the Year Award was presented to Dr. Michael Sterling, director of critical care at CMMC. The award honors the physician who, as voted by the graduating senior residents, made the most outstanding contribution to their family practice residency education.

Claxton was honored with a special award the graduates titled “Most Inspirational Teacher and Best Role Model.” Other people honored by the graduating class included Dr. Nancy Egan as Preceptor of the Year, and residency scheduler Sue Roux for all of the help she provided to the graduating residents.

All the graduating residents have definite plans to begin practicing medicine. Budai will return to Canada to practice at Clinique Millenia in Montreal. Chapman will fulfill a National Health Service Corps obligation.

Kaylor will join St. Luke’s Family Health in Boise, Idaho. Padala will practice at the Eastern Connecticut Health Network in Manchester, Conn. Raby will join Dr. Dana Little at the Poland Community Health Center in Poland Spring. Wilson will practice at Winthrop Family Health in Winthrop and will remain involved in teaching at the CMMC Family Medicine Residency Program.

CMMC created the Family Medicine Residency Program in 1978 to support the training of family physicians in order to provide family doctors to the Lewiston-Auburn area as well as to other areas of Maine.

Graduates of the program practicing locally include the following physicians: Peter Beckel, Paul Benson, Tom Bosma, Charles Burns, Denise Cogle, Paul Davis, Shannon Deschenes, Steve Fairchild, Shannon Kenney, Beth Lake, Deb Learson, Margaret Matthews, James Ostrander, Steven Molnar-Gabor, Kurt Oswald, Sarah Skelton, Ray Tardif and Fred Van Mourik.