Growing up in the small farming town of Turner, Maine, sisters Abby Varney-Lewis and Hannah Albert were shaped by family, community and close-knit relationships. Their world changed when their brother was diagnosed with leukemia at age 3.
Hospitals soon became a familiar part of their lives, giving the sisters early exposure to the medical world. Watching doctors and nurses track vitals, administer medicine and comfort patients gave the sisters early insight into patient care — experiences that sparked their own paths toward careers in medicine.
“I learned how to flush a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line at the age of 8,” Albert said.
Their brother survived his battle with leukemia and later became a biomedical engineer. The sisters share their brother’s interest, and decided to study biomedical engineering at the University of Maine.
“It feels like I went into medicine because I’m interested in helping other families have that happy outcome,” Varney-Lewis said.
For Albert, UMaine became a place to explore research and technical problem-solving, ultimately leading her to complete a master’s degree during the COVID-19 pandemic. She credits that experience with shaping her analytical approach to medicine.
“I was really shy in high school and I was not sure I could spend my days talking to people. So I decided biomedical engineering would be that space where I could still be in the medical industry without feeling overwhelmed,” Albert said. “I thought biomedical engineering would be the perfect middle ground.”
Varney-Lewis followed Albert to UMaine, trusting her sister’s judgment and path. Engineering challenged her academically, but also taught her how to work under pressure and collaborate in teams, skills she later carried into emergency medicine.
“I’m spoiled in the sense that I am younger and Hannah did it first,” Varney-Lewis said. “She told me I should do it, and I figured if she liked it, I was sure I’d like it too.”
After UMaine, their careers diverged. Albert transitioned from research into family medicine. She now works as a resident physician at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, balancing hospital and clinic care. Varney-Lewis pursued patient care, earning her emergency medical technician license and working in the emergency department at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston before entering medical school at Tufts University.
“Hannah did the research and the academics, and that wasn’t necessarily my thing,” Varney-Lewis said. “I really like being with people and interacting with people. Engineering was so important for me because it’s a team-based sport, and especially for the emergency room, you work in a huge team.”
Though they’ve pursued their careers in places hours away from home, the sisters’ roots continue to shape how they work and care for others.
In Bangor, Albert says she often builds trust with patients through shared experiences of growing up in a small town. Surrounded by family farms, Albert and Varney-Lewis spent much of their childhood outside in Turner, learning how to rely on each other and solve problems without many outside resources.
“All of my patients can relate to something that I enjoy doing,” Albert said. “We can talk about hunting or fishing or hiking, and all of a sudden we have a connection. That connection is super valuable.”
The sisters remain deeply bonded. Varney-Lewis has long looked up to Albert, while Albert has felt a responsibility to lead by example, especially as they followed similar academic paths.
“She’s my mini-me, my copycat, the built-in best friend,” Albert said. “I just want the absolute best for her.”
Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer
Contact: Taylor Ward, taylor.ward@maine.edu
