LEWISTON — Central Maine Medical Center’s Family Medicine Residency Program recognized seven third-year family medicine residents at a recent graduation program. Honored at the commencement exercises were family physicians Stephen Adams, M.D., Jennifer Dressel, M.D., Neelima Ganta, M.D., Michael Gravatt, M.D., Bina Maharjan, M.D., Laurel Schwingel, D.O. and Terry Ann Scriven, M.D.

Several awards were made during the ceremony, including the Dr. Bruce Johnson Residency Teacher of the Year Award, which was presented to CMMC Family Medicine Residency faculty member Bethany Picker, M.D..

The award honors the physician voted by the graduating senior residents as making the most outstanding contribution to their family medicine residency education. Other awards made during the ceremony were: Preceptor of the Year, presented to Trisha Gushue, D.O.; Special Recognition Teaching Award to Andrew Thornton, M.D.; and Nurse of the Year, presented to Ashley Breton.

Stephen Adams has joined Surface Creek Family Practice in Delta, Colo. Jennifer Dressel is working with Lunenburg Family Practice in Lunenburg, Mass. Neelima Ganta is practicing near Austin, Texas. Michael Gravatt is practicing in eastern Washington state. Bina Maharjan has joined the medical staff at Good Samaritan Hospital in Watertown, N.Y. Laurel Schwingel is serving a one-year osteopathic manipulation medicine fellowship at the University of New England College of Medicine in Biddeford. Terry Ann Scriven is practicing in Portland.

John Hatzenbuehler, M.D., was chosen by the graduating class to present the commencement address, which he entitled “Life Without A Preceptor.”

Donald Woolever, M.D., residency program director, and the family medicine residency faculty presented the graduates their diplomas. CMMC Medical Staff President David Lauver, M.D., commended the graduates on their contributions to the quality of patient care at CMMC and wished them well on their career paths.

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

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