BANGOR — Testing bacteria samples, listening to lectures on relativity, dressing in scrubs — this wasn’t your typical lazy week of summer for 20 Maine teens. These teens applied and were accepted to Medstart, a program affiliated with Husson College designed to expose students in rural areas to the possibility of a future career as a physician.

The inaugural program was created by Dr. Paul LaMarsh, director of clinical research at Husson College, who received a two-year grant to encourage interest in medicine among teens in rural areas. LaMarsh, formerly the vice president of medical affairs at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, had a vision to generate and cultivate doctors for rural Maine. Now, with the assistance of Jon Connoly, the coordinator and administrator of Medstart, his vision has come to fruition.

The high school juniors hailed from as far south as Biddeford and as far north as Caribou, and lived for one week in June on the Husson campus. With the guidance of Michael Schaab, chairman of the science department at John Bapst Memorial High School, they studied anatomy, bacteriology, biochemistry, and other topics discussed in medical school.

“Medstart is designed to give teens a glimpse into the life of a medical student,” said Schaab. Students were given a tour of the Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft, where community relations manager Tom Lizotte discussed the logistics of financing a costly medical education.

At EMMC, Dr. William Sullivan, vice president of medical affairs, introduced the Medstart participants to the Family Practice Center and outpatient surgery department of the hospital, where they were encouraged to ask questions of present residents and interns.

“Medstart shows motivated kids that a career in medicine is feasible financially,” Sullivan said. Later, students donned physician scrubs and observed surgical operations in progress.

Medstart wasn’t all intensive work, however. The teens were treated to miniature golf excursions, movies and cookouts.

Students were enthusiastic and many expressed interest in pursuing a career in medicine. Bracken Babula, a junior at Mt. Blue High School in Farmington, said, “He [one of the doctors] told us how you could actually be a doctor even if you weren’t at the top of your class, so it showed you that it was still possible.”

The planning for next year’s Medstart camp is still in the early stages, but, judging by the popularity of this year’s session, organizers believe it should not be difficult to find motivated participants.