Psychiatry opening details

A terrific new opportunity is available for a general Child Psychiatrist to join the staff of a brand new inpatient youth psychiatric unit in northern Maine. This is the ONLY facility offering services to children and adolescents north of Bangor, so you can expect to see and treat a wide range of cases.

The seven-bed unit, opened in 2001, is staffed by a team of 20 doctors, nurses and social workers in an area where services had been previously unavailable. Call will be shared at 1:3. The high level of response from families in the region has led to the decision to increase the physician staff.

The selected doctor will receive a very competitive compensation package with terrific benefits that include liberal vacation and CME time off, paid relocation, and possibly some medical education debt assistance. Graduating residents or currently practicing professionals are encouraged to apply.

Please Note: This community is a designated underserved area. Physicians who require visa sponsorship, or those with National Health Service Corps obligations, may by considered for this position.

The Northern Maine Medical Center serves over 15,000 residents in northern Maine. This is a modern, fully accredited, 49-bed acute care facility. NMMC offers complete Obstetric, Surgical, Psychiatric, Pediatric, and General medical services. The hospital is equipped with a 4-bed, state-of-the-art Special Care Unit for critically ill patients. NMMC also operates the only inpatient psychiatric unit for children and adolescents north of Bangor.

The Northern Maine Medical Center is located in Fort Kent, Maine on the northern most edge of Aroostook County. With a close proximity to New Brunswick and Quebec, Canada, you can also take advantage of the nearby offerings of another entire country! Northern Maine is a wonderful, friendly place to live and work, offering a peaceful lifestyle in safe, family-oriented villages, towns and small cities. There is something for everyone to enjoy, in every season!

Fort Kent exemplifies the simplicity of country life with beautiful scenery and stunning landscapes in every season. Local residents and visitors alike enjoy the numerous local waterways made up of hundreds of dazzling lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. The thick forests here are rife with wildlife, glorious wooded trails and camping spots. The region features an abundance of natural, cultural and recreational resources that also fuel a strong tourism industry.

Aroostook County is Maine's largest and northernmost county – and it’s the largest US county east of the Mississippi. In “The County,” you can bike along hundreds of miles of picturesque roads and trails.

The warm seasons attract many visitors to northern Maine for kayaking, canoeing and fishing, hiking and backpacking, white-water rafting, camping and hunting. In the wintertime, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling are both extremely popular! The Winter Sports Center, in neighboring Presque Isle, has become an international training ground for competitors in the Biathlon (cross country skiing and target shooting) – and the 2004 World Cup Biathlon was held in Fort Kent. The qualifying trials for the 2006 Olympic Biathlon team were held last week of December. Visitors to The County enjoy the many festivals and fairs, where residents celebrate their agrarian roots and the Acadian heritage that's still alive today. (Acadians are the original French settlers of the region comprising what is now the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island; many relocated to Louisiana, establishing that area’s Cajun culture.)

Be sure to keep your schedule open during the first week of March each year so you don't miss the annual Can-Am Crown Sled Dog Races, held right here in Fort Kent. Since the first running back in 1993, this race has grown to 30 dog sled teams competing in a 250-mile race that takes competitors across tough terrain, including forests, brooks, lakes, fields, and open, unpopulated stretches of landscape. With such a demanding trail, drivers must use their expertise to pace themselves and their team so they can successfully make it to the finish line!

Do you enjoy fishing? If so, you'll want to pack your tackle box and head into the St. John River Valley where you will find over 225 miles of prime habitat for Muskie and many other species of fish, providing an unlimited resource for sport-fishing.

Take an afternoon to visit the beautiful town of Edmunston, New Brunswick, just 30 minutes northeast of Fort Kent. There is a charming downtown area where you can enjoy shopping, or just sitting and relaxing in City Hall Square. Home to many fine hotels and restaurants, this town makes a perfect destination for a weekend getaway. If you’d like to travel farther, you can buy a ticket to fly out of the Edmunston Municipal Airport, offering services to private and commercial aircraft. If you can’t find the flight you need in Edmunston, the nearby city of Presque Isle, an hour southeast of Fort Kent, has a convenient commercial airport offering direct service to Boston and other locations daily. Although northern Maine is the corner of the country, you’ll still be connected to the rest of the world! Yes, you can get there from here!

Another fine place to visit in Canada is Quebec City, the capital of the province Quebec, located at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. Just two hours by car west of Fort Kent, this bustling city presents you with an excellent opportunity to enjoy a French-European vacation without having to board a plane! Quebec City’s metropolitan area population is 671,000, with 167,000 residents in the city itself. Numerous stores of all sorts can be found with products ranging from fashions and furs, and venues including antique shops and flea markets. If you want to enjoy a weekend escape, you’ll have no problem finding a place to stay at one of the many hotels this big city has to offer. Quebec City is the only fortified city in North America, and was the cradle of French civilization in North America. Explore history and culture, shopping and dining, all within an easy drive of Fort Kent, Maine! Remember, the exchange rate favors US dollars in Canada!

If you prefer to stay stateside, visit Bangor, the second largest city in Maine. Situated on the shore of the Penobscot River about four hours from Fort Kent, Bangor is only half an hour from the Atlantic coastline. At the Bangor Mall you can shop in an assortment of clothing, sports, and entertainment stores or grab a bite to eat in the food court. Or, venture around town to try sampling some of the more high-brow fare! Other items of interest in Bangor include: the annual National Folk (music) Festival; the Bangor Symphony, America’s oldest community orchestra; the Penobscot Theatre Company, producers of the popular Maine Shakespeare Festival; and the Maine Center for the Arts. You’ll enjoy taking your children to visit the Maine Discovery Museum downtown. It’s the largest museum of its kind north of Boston! Let’s not forget, Bangor is also home to famous writer Stephen King.

One of the most exciting things about moving to northern Maine is the abundance of real estate bargains that can be found! Large homes, and parcels of land with many acres, can be purchased for relatively little money here, simply because of the relatively small number of people competing for property. This could enable you to buy that old fashion farm you’ve always wanted, or allow you to purchase a tract of land on which you can construct that spacious, modern home you’ve been dreaming of! You might enjoy living in a historic 19th century home in town, or you could design something uniquely your own, or perhaps with a contemporary look? Land is readily available in most directions.

As you consider moving to Northern Maine, you will want to know that here, your children will receive the best education possible. The local school system works hard to make sure every child receives the education they need to be successful in their future. You’ll have the option of four elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school. There is even a college located right in town: The University of Maine at Fort Kent. Here, students can earn a degree in any of the following categories: Arts and Humanities, Education, Natural and Behavioral Science, or Nursing.

For the student that wants to leave home, but not the state, you’ll definitely want to inquire at the University of Maine in Orono (located about four hours south of Fort Kent). Join over 10,000 full time students in Baccalaureate and Graduate programs in all sorts of interesting fields. This campus is equipped with recreational facilities and cultural amenities you’d look for in any major university, and you’ll soon find yourself cheering for Black Bears hockey and football and baseball and soccer and…!

Peaceful, friendly and safe, with a true sense of "community," northern Maine is a terrific place to raise a family. You’ll find many fun-filled ways to spend your free time in this part of the state. A nature lover’s paradise, northern Maine offers enough recreational distractions to keep even the most avid nature lovers and active sportspeople happy! If you prefer something a bit more tame, try antiquing, or nature photography, golfing or bird watching or even fly tying. Here, you can truly find something to occupy everyone!

Contact: Cal Weaver, CPC

Email: cweaver@themha.org