Friday July 11th, 2025, in Kennedy Park, Lewiston Maine. More details for the 2025 event to come!

Photos from 2024’s Clinic in the Community

Ruby Singh, MD

• Hometown: Marlboro, New Jersey
• Medical School: Aureus University School of Medicine
• Undergraduate: Rutgers University, New Jersey
• Tell us about yourself:
  Forged in the dynamic healthcare landscape of the New York City metro area, my interest in medicine has always been closely tied to advocating for marginalized communities and advancing global health. The opportunities I’ve had in medical missions abroad have crystallized my commitment to closing healthcare gaps, especially in areas plagued by limited resources and health literacy. Further enhancing this journey were my summers in India, where I collaborated with my physician uncle to integrate Ayurvedic principles and lifestyle medicine into community healthcare models.
  
  My medical school path was a series of carefully chosen missions focused on women’s health and maternal care in resource-strapped settings. It was here that my fervor for reproductive health took root, particularly against the backdrop of glaring healthcare inequalities. My dedication extends to nuanced areas such as 4th trimester care and addresses the complexities faced by minority populations, including immigrants and refugees.
  
  Family medicine serves as the ideal platform for my multifaceted interests, allowing me to foster strong, patient-centric relationships while specializing in women’s health, reproductive rights, lifestyle medicine, and Ayurvedic practices. My commitment doesn’t stop here; I’m invested in global medicine initiatives and a staunch advocate for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
  
  Joining CMMC was akin to finding a professional home that aligns seamlessly with my values and goals. The hospital’s broad spectrum of specialties, framed within the warmth of a community setting, drew me in. The unique 2×2 clinic schedule and individualized education plans not only allow for comprehensive training but also offer the latitude to delve deep into my areas of interest during my residency.
  
  I’m also keenly interested in medical writing and literature, and the presence of a faculty director actively involved in medical publishing was a major draw for me. I intend to collaborate with her closely with the goal of contributing to notable publications such as the Family Medicine Physician Journal.
  
  As I transition from the vibrant streets of New York to the close-knit community of Lewiston, Maine, I’m energized to bring my enthusiasm to the table. My mission is unequivocal: to enhance healthcare access and outcomes, with an emphasis on those in marginalized and underserved communities. I regard this as critical to disease prevention and reducing morbidity rates.
• What are your professional interests?
  The Psychosocial Determinants of Health, Systemic Biases in Healthcare, Global and Reproductive Health, Women’s Health & Ayurvedic Medicine, Minority, Refugee, and Immigrant Healthcare Advocacy, Medical Literature and Resident Advocacy
• What are your personal interests?
  Nutrition and Culinary Arts, Yoga and Mindfulness, Global Travel and Cultural Exploration

Travis Frazier, MD

• Hometown: Blanding, Utah
• Medical School: University of New Mexico School of Medicine
• Undergraduate: Brigham Young University
• Major: French
• Tell us about yourself: I am of the Navajo tribe, hailing from the Utah/New Mexico area. Beginning at a young age, my parents stressed the importance of education and giving back to your community. I have been blessed with the opportunity to further my education and be put in a position to serve others. I come from a small town in rural Utah and have always loved the tight-knit community setting. Throughout my lifetime there, I admired the local physicians, whose skills and availability extends beyond regular business hours. I hope to provide similar care and integrate myself into a community on a deeper level.
• Interests: Hiking, rock climbing, sports (mostly football), working out, and spending time with my wife and our dog Coco

Mankaran Gill, MD

• Hometown: Brampton, Ontario, Canada
• Medical School: Medical University of The Americas (MUA)
• Undergraduate: University of Toronto
• Major: University of Toronto
• Tell us about yourself: I decided to choose the path of medicine after I attended a volunteer medical trip to Costa Rica through the completion of my undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto. During the trip, we provided care to patients in underserved communities that did not have access to healthcare. This experience was life changing and made me realize the importance of doctors inspiring me to pursue a career in medicine. Shortly thereafter, I applied and was accepted for medical school at MUA and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made thus far. Although my experience there was challenging, it was also rewarding, as I had to transition living in the Caribbean and then moving to different states in America during my clinical rotations. Despite some hardships, I persevered, learned a lot, and realized my own potential during the process. Now I am excited to build on that foundation through the training I will receive at CMMC in my journey to become a more well-rounded physician! Through the residency interview process, CMMC stood out to me as the strongest choice. The interview process was seamless and the discussions I had with the faculty and residents demonstrated their efforts in creating a comfortable and amazing learning environment. Additionally, with it being close to home and not far from family I have in Montreal, Quebec it made for a perfect fit. With my main goal of becoming a primary care provider, I am confident CMMC will provide me with the tools and training to do so. Overall, I am excited to make the move to Maine and see what the state has to offer!
• Interests: Watching and playing sports, mainly basketball and soccer. Playing video games, watching movies, going for long car drives as well as site seeing or just hanging out with friends and family while trying new vegetarian foods!

Kelsey Hickey, DOCO

• Hometown: Norridgewock, ME
• Medical School: University of New England
• Undergraduate: University of Maine, Orono
• Major: Psychology
• Tell us about yourself: Growing up in small town Maine was my favorite part of childhood – being able to roam through the woods and explore was one of my favorite pastimes. My love for Maine never diminished as I grew up and experienced more of the world; I love to travel but will always consider Maine home. After undergraduate I worked in Boston for a while in research and loved being in the city, but eventually I knew I would be coming home to study medicine at UNE. This experience also taught me that large universities and hospitals weren’t for me; I’m much happier in smaller communities focused on holistic and patient-centered medicine. I’m so grateful for my osteopathic education, and to be able to continue my medical education in Lewiston.
• Why did you choose CMMC FMR? The people! Doing residency interviews over ZOOM was tough this season, but when I interviewed with Lewiston it felt more like a conversation with friends. I knew this would be a welcoming place to learn and grow as a physician. Lewiston is a strong program and importantly a beacon of holistic and welcoming healthcare in the surrounding community. I love the diversity of staff and patients in this area, and I am so excited to be part of this wonderful team and legacy going forward.
• Interests: Anything outdoors in Maine! My favorites are hiking the Bigelows, kayaking along the Kennebec River, and running through the innumerable trails. I love exploring new places and especially new foods.

Celeste Hutton, MD

• Hometown: Lindsay, Ontario, Canada
• Medical School: National University of Ireland – Galway
• Undergraduate: McGill University
• Major: Psychology
• Tell us about yourself: Ever since I was young, I wanted to be a doctor. I was always captivated by medicine. I can remember begging my mother to take me to the hospital where she worked as a nurse so I could watch different procedures they were performing, even as a child. I originally grew up in a small town a couple of hours north of Toronto, Canada but my journey to become a doctor has given me the opportunity to experience places including Montreal, Canada and Galway, Ireland. Research at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto really fueled my passion for mental health, which reinforced my desire to pursue medicine and to be able to provide patient-centered, holistic care to patients. Attending medical school across the Atlantic Ocean has deepened my understanding of the different healthcare needs and has given me exposure to many different cultures that have shaped and will continue to shape me into the physician that I will become. I am excited to explore what Maine has to offer and start this journey at CMMC! From the moment I interviewed at CMMC, I knew it was the perfect fit for me. Everyone was so friendly and it truly felt like a family. They offer endless support and I knew that this would make my residency experience very positive. I was attracted to the many unique learning opportunities that CMMC has to offer and that they tailor your learning toward your own career goals which will allow me to become a full spectrum family physician. Coming from a small town myself and hoping to work in underserviced regions, I knew that I wanted a program that could make me the best possible physician for that environment and CMMC was that program!
• My professional interests include: mental health, women’s health and preventive medicine. I also have many interests outside of medicine. As a Canadian, it’s no surprise that I enjoy playing hockey. I also enjoy hiking, running and spending time with my dog, Milo!

Jaclyn Israel, DO

• Hometown: Huntington Woods, MI
• Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Undergraduate: University of Michigan
• Major: Biomolecular Science B.S. & Musicology B.A.
• Tell us about yourself: Two mantras have heavily influenced my life and its trajectory.
• “Before life gets in the way, start living.” When I have the time, you will find me with a plane ticket in hand, jet-setting off to fully explore and immerse myself in the world. More realistically, you can find me hiking/climbing up a mountain, skiing down it, or kayaking the lake at the bottom, so I’m excited to see what Maine has to explore! A more low-key day is often filled with taking care of my giant plant family and garden, capturing my surroundings with my camera, or exploring life in other ways – like eating/cooking different foods, appreciating art, or listening to new music. “H.A.P.” or “Have A Purpose.” Healthcare presented itself to me as a field of interest in high school, but my passion for medicine did not manifest until much later. I entertained the possibility of almost every other scientific career, hoping that something less daunting than medicine would pique my interest. Alas, my potential career took control of the decision-making process as I signed up for four more years of school and a residency. Now, here I am and I could not be happier with the choices I’ve made. Medicine has filled my life with so much meaning, has allowed me to meet wonderful people from all walks of life, and has helped me grow so much as an individual. My interests and passions in healthcare include integrative medicine, global health, OMM, street medicine/outreach, medical education, full-spectrum primary care, addiction medicine, chronic disease management, and above all, building a positive healing relationship with my patients.
• Which brings me to “Why CMMC?” This program provides me with the opportunity to further explore every interest I have, and will probably introduce me to many more that I didn’t even know I needed in my life. Our interview season was a bit unconventional, but even through Zoom this community of people made me feel at home. A challenging yet positive learning environment and a strong sense of familial bonds within the program are exactly what I was looking for, and I truly believe I found it at CMMC. I chose to pursue the Rural Training Track in Rumford because I wanted to get the most out of a full-spectrum primary care training program. My clerkship/clinical years of medical school were based at a rural community hospital in northern Michigan, and it opened my eyes up to the expansive possibilities of rural medicine, which I am eager to continue pursuing as a part of this program.

Luke Ollila, DO

• Hometown: Concord, New Hampshire
• Medical School: University of New England
• Undergraduate: Boston College
• Major: Biology
• Tell us about yourself: Growing up in New Hampshire, I’ve always been in love with the beautiful New England landscape and community. While in high school, I played all kinds of sports including football, baseball, basketball, and alpine ski racing. Eventually, I found my way to Boston College where I studied on a premedical track to achieve my degree in Biology, helping to research HIV/AIDS along the way. After graduating in 2014, I decided to work in another field which required me to move to the Chicago area. While working in this capacity, I always felt called back to medicine, and I eventually found my way back home with the support of my family and friends. In 2017, I came to Maine for medical school, and my fiancé and I quick realized we loved the area and wanted to make it our permanent home! Luckily, we got our wish and we’re excited for everything that the future holds! When I had the privilege to complete many of my clinical rotations during my final year of medical school at CMMC, I realized how much I enjoyed the program due to the amazing people who work here. Every individual was so incredibly welcoming and ready to help in any way they could. Combined with the fact that I’ve always wanted to practice medicine close to home, the Lewiston program proved a perfect match! I could not have been more excited to be welcomed into the program and I am so thrilled to be able to give back to the community and make long-lasting relationships with my patients! In my free time, I love spending time with my family, friends, and animals. I’m always up for new adventures or activities, including traveling to new places. I’m a sports fanatic and love to play any and all games, though football and baseball are my favorites. When I’m watching, I’m a diehard Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins fan! I also love to cook or barbecue although I’m a lousy baker. Additionally, my fiancé and I keep a vegetable garden together (some years are more successful than others). Finally, I enjoy reading when I have time and harbor a lifelong ambition to read all of the works of my favorite author, John Steinbeck.

Shariam Casiano Vega, MD

• Hometown: San Germán, Puerto Rico
• Medical School: University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St. Kitts
• Undergraduate: Universidad de Puerto Rico en Mayagüez 
• Major: Microbiology
• Tell us about yourself:
  I lived in Puerto Rico until I left to start med school and got to live and experience Maine during my school’s clinical semester in Portland, ME. I enjoyed my time there and experienced my first snowfall and now I’m into snowboarding and winter hikes.
• Why did You Choose CMMC FMR
  The resident’s culture and seeing opportunities to learn skills from the different specialty clinics, integrative medicine, WIMP, ORT, and others that I could use in my future practice.
• What are your interests?
  Get together with friends, boardgame nights, videogames, snowboarding, arts/crafting, Formula 1, cooking with my husband. In medicine: preventative health, outpatient procedures, integrative medicine.

Emily Hill, DO

• Hometown: Hermon, ME but coming from Brooklyn, NY
• Medical School: University of New England COM
• Undergraduate: Clark University, Worcester, MA
• Major: Economics, Politcal Science
• Tell us about yourself:
  I live with my husband and two young kids in Portland, ME. Growing up in Maine I always knew I wanted to return, but needed to learn more about the world first. I lived in Germany for a year abroad in HS, and then moved to NYC after college. I initially intended to go to law school and work in global public health and policy, however I realized I wanted to spend more time with people rather than paper. I completed a post-bacc at Hunter College – CUNY, but wanted to come back to Maine to complete medical school while raising my kids. I feel incredibly privileged to be a physician — I take it very seriously the power we have to make change both personally in peoples’ lives but also on a greater system level. I feel lucky to be able to tangibly help people every single day.
• Why did you choose CMMC FMR?
  I chose CMMC because of the amazing 2×2 week block schedule, which allows me to enjoy my life at home, as well as the kind and passionate faculty, attendings, and residents. The patient population is incredibly varied, intensely sick and also forces us to grapple with both rural and urban health disparities on both macro and micro levels. It’s been an incredibly supportive, interesting place to complete my training. I intend to pursue a palliative care fellowship and work in in-patient palliative care.
• What are your interests?
  I enjoy having a very good work-life balance, biking around Portland, swimming in lakes and the ocean any chance I get, cooking at home, and traveling both up the coast of Maine and abroad with my family.

Saraja Pandit, MD

• Hometown: Bharatpur, Nepal; moving from Boston
• Medical School: Medical University of the Americas
• Undergraduate: University of Iowa
• Major: Human Physiology
• Tell us about yourself:
  Growing up in Nepal, I have always loved being in nature. When I moved to Boston a year ago, I fell in love with the rich nature that New England had to offer. It didn’t take too long for me and my husband to desire to make New England our home. We both love being outdoors including hiking, trekking, and biking. When I first interviewed with CMMC, I remember feeling seen, respected and heard. The active effort to maintain and cultivate a positive environment was evident on my interview day. This residency is training me to be able to see from different perspectives in life as our patients come in from different walks of life. I feel very privileged and honored to be a physician providing care for our vulnerable and complex patients.
• What are your interests?
  Spending time with family, and exploring different landscapes (hiking, biking, kayaking). Road trips. Watching international tv shows to learn new languages and tv cultures.