Edited from a New England Council report

“The University of Maine System has announced it will work with a national consultant to examine the viability of launching the state’s first public medical school in response to a critical shortage of physicians in rural Maine.

“This concept has gained support from several associations, and UMS received state funding last year to undertake the study. The study comes as Maine’s only medical school—the University of New England’s College of Osteopathic Medicine—prepares to relocate from Biddeford to a newly expanded campus in Portland.

“‘The University of New England is always eager to partner with our colleagues at the University of Maine System and is proud of the mutually beneficial partnerships we have established with the system,’ said James Herbert, UNE’s president.’’

Read more in Mainebiz.