STARKS -- A local mother of two who dropped out of high school at age 15 has been awarded a $25,000 Doctors for Maine's Future scholarship for the study of medicine.

Tobin Carson, 32, of Starks, is one of four people in Maine who qualified for the grant as a first-year medical student at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine.

She will be eligible for the money each year for the next four years, said Kathleen Taggersell, director of marketing and communications at UNE.

"It is a renewable, annual scholarship," Taggersell said Friday. "That means she will have it for four years -- I'm assuming there is some sort of academic requirement, but beyond that, it's not just a one-time $25,000; it's a four-year scholarship of $25,000 a year. It's a big deal."

Annual costs for the medical school program at UNE are about $43,750, according to the college's Web site.

Carson was unavailable for comment on the scholarship Friday, writing in an e-mail reply that she was busy preparing for next week's "block exams."

Patricia Kelley, associate dean of students in the office of recruitment, student and alumni services at the college, said Carson proved herself to be a high- quality candidate for the scholarships and for the medical profession.

"Tobin Carson is a very articulate, well-spoken woman who is going to represent her patients as a very strong advocate and represent her profession as a physician and as an osteopathic physician in an exemplary manner," Kelley said. "I personally have observed how she conducted herself in a number of meetings with senior-level administration -- she did a marvelous job.

"She is going to be a marvelous advocate for her patients and certainly a marvelous representation of the osteopathic profession and the community of physicians as a whole."

Carson graduated with a bachelor of arts in biology from University of Maine at Farmington in 2007.

The Finance Authority of Maine, along with the Maine Legislature, established the Doctors for Maine's Future Scholarship Program in July of this year to provide a tuition subsidy for eligible students who enter qualifying Maine-based medical school programs.

The scholarships aim to address Maine's acute shortage of primary care physicians and the high cost of medical education.

In announcing the scholarship this summer, Gov. John Baldacci said the state is in dire need of local students who want to become local doctors.

"We have a need for more primary care physicians and those who serve in rural areas of the state," the governor said. "Research shows that doctors tend to settle near the hospitals where they complete their training. I know that given the chance, young doctors will stay in Maine."

In an address in May on national grants for biomedical research, the governor mentioned Tobin Carson by name.

"At age 15, she announced her dream of going to medical school," Baldacci said. "Unfortunately, she was discouraged from pursuing that dream, being told, 'People like you don't go to places like that.' Not long after that, Tobin quit high school, feeling that it wasn't doing her any good. But she never stopped learning and her desire to go to medical school never faded. After her children were born, she got her GED certificate and enrolled in the University of Maine at Farmington full time as a biology major.

"Tobin graduated at the age of 28 and has been working as a research technician at Lohmann Animal Health in Winslow."

UNE's College of Osteopathic Medicine is the only Maine-based medical school and the only osteopathic medical school in New England. Located on UNE's oceanfront Biddeford campus, the college emphasizes the education of patient-centered primary care physicians. Since its founding in 1978, the college has graduated more than 2,300 osteopathic physicians, many of whom practice in rural areas.

More than 70 percent of graduates practice in primary care disciplines.

The Doctors for Maine's Future Scholarship requires clinical experience and training in rural health care and primary care, according to Taggersell.

It also stipulates that the medical schools raise matching funds through philanthropic and private medical education to increase the number of scholarships available to eligible students.

Individuals interested in supporting this scholarship should contact Harley Knowles, UNE Vice President for Institutional Advancement, at (207) 221-4378. For more information, visit www.une.edu.

Doug Harlow -- 474-9534 ext. 342

dharlow@centralmaine.com