Three University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM) students are addressing health care challenges in underserved communities around Maine thanks to a research internship with the Maine Rural Graduate Medical Education, or MERGE, Collaborative.

Class of 2026 student doctors Ryan Hibbs, Tyler Nussinow, and Robert Krulee received the inaugural internship through the MERGE Collaborative to complete individual needs-based research in underserved portions of the state.

As part of this statewide initiative to grow the medical workforce in rural Maine, the MERGE Collaborative increases access to high-quality rural graduate medical education training to drive improvements in health care outcomes for rural communities in Maine, according to its website.

“I am excited that UNE COM students are among the first participants in this research internship program,” said Kathryn Norgang, UNE clinical educator for Interprofessional Practice and University representative with the collaborative. The MERGE summer internship provides medical students with research opportunities to address critical issues in underserved communities across the state.

“Our UNE COM students are paving the way for evidence-based solutions that can uplift the health and wellbeing of rural Mainers — really, they are shaping a brighter future for health care in the state,” she said.

During the internship, the students were embedded in a community for four weeks for data collection and analysis. Each student was paired with a mentor, will present at the fall MERGE Collaborative conference in Orono, and develop a policy brief to better support communities, said David McLellan from MaineHealth and program manager of MERGE Collaborative.

“We are not only trying to empower the state’s future physicians to learn how community health care systems function but have a hand in transforming rural health care access and delivery,” McLellan said, noting that the program is made possible by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. “They’ve chosen projects that resonate deeply with their interests, delving into core health care issues and systemic disparities, addressing not only immediate needs but also the underlying challenges within the health care system.”

From Maine’s rural villages to small coastal hideaway towns, the three UNE medical students, along with a Tufts Maine-track counterpart, embarked on journeys to complete research that addresses pressing health care challenges.

Hibbs, from Millinocket, returned to his hometown to research adolescent mental health and access to care. By conducting data analysis, including insights from the Maine Integrated Youth Survey, and meeting with health care providers, Hibbs will identify localized organizations and resources to enhance mental health support for adolescence in rural areas.

Hailing from Winthrop, Nussinow addressed Maine’s higher-than-average skin cancer rate in his hometown. He investigated ways to improve access to dermatological technologies, such as dermatoscopes, for primary care physicians in rural communities. The research aims to enable early detection and intervention for skin care and reducing the burden of skin cancer in the region.

Krulee, originally from West Hartford, Connecticut, traveled to Waldoboro to research existing behavioral health resources and identify crucial gaps in care in an underserved town within a larger county. Addressing the lack of inpatient psychiatric beds and crisis shelters, Krulee’s research will create a more comprehensive and supportive behavioral health care system for the community.

“MERGE is streamlining resources across the state to make the largest impact on our Maine communities,” said Norgang. “And UNE students are going to be a part of shaping the impact the collaborative makes.”