Cary Medical Center and Pines Health Services Welcome Two Tufts Maine Track LIC Students
CARIBOU, ME – July 9, 2026 – Cary Medical Center and Pines Health Services are pleased to welcome Miriam Mindel and Julia Milks, medical students from the Tufts University School of Medicine’s Maine Track Program, as they begin their nine-month Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships (LIC) with the Cary and Pines healthcare teams.
Offered in partnership with Maine Medical Center in Portland, the Tufts Maine Track Program provides a unique and innovative curriculum that emphasizes clinical training in rural and community-based settings throughout Maine. The program is designed to expose students to the challenges and rewards of rural medicine while providing valuable experience caring for patients in both community and hospital settings.
Miriam Mindel, a member of the Maine Track Class of 2028, was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Plymouth, Massachusetts. She earned both her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Virginia before remaining in Charlottesville to work as a clinical research coordinator at the UVA Cancer Center. Her experiences conducting research in pediatric primary care and later working with oncology patients strengthened her passion for clinical research and inspired her goal of becoming a physician-investigator. A former transfer student, Miriam is also passionate about mentoring others and spent several years serving as a pre-health peer advisor at the University of Virginia Career Center.
“Patients from rural areas are found across every healthcare setting and often face unique barriers to accessing care,” said Mindel. “Providers have an opportunity to work alongside patients to develop strategies that overcome those barriers before health concerns become emergencies. That commitment to primary and preventive care is exactly the kind of physician I hope to become, and I know the Maine Track will provide the skills and experiences to help me achieve that goal.”
Julia Milks, also a member of the Maine Track Class of 2028, was born at Maine Medical Center and raised in Auburn, Maine. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Biotechnology with a minor in Global Public Health from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Throughout college, she worked in several emergency departments across Maine, where she developed a passion for rural healthcare and a desire to return to her home state to practice medicine. Since graduating, Julia has worked as a clinical research coordinator in endocrinology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital while also earning her Wilderness EMT certification. Her interest in global rural health has been further shaped through medically focused experiences in India, Ecuador, and Morocco.
“After seeing firsthand the healthcare challenges facing rural Maine, I am excited by the opportunities the Tufts-Maine Medical Center Track offers,” said Milks. “I’m eager to begin working in rural communities early in my training while building relationships with healthcare professionals who may one day become my colleagues. This program also gives me the chance to give back to the people and communities that have shaped who I am.”
Dr. Caleb Swanberg, Program Director for the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship at Cary Medical Center and Pines Health Services, welcomed the students to the program.
“We are thrilled to welcome Miriam and Julia to our team. Their clerkship will provide meaningful, hands-on experiences across a wide range of specialties while allowing them to build lasting relationships with patients, providers, and the community. We look forward to supporting their growth as future physicians and hope their time in Aroostook County inspires them to pursue careers serving rural communities.”