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A Word From the Dean of Students

September  - The start of the traditional academic year

August is now turning into September. You’ve all had your first exam, you’re managing your daily routines, and in essence, you’ve got your grooves on.  Orientation - or the first day of second year - are but a fleeting memory.

Flash back!! Back to a moment of time so many light years ago. Do you remember your first day of kindergarten, or perhaps the first day of high school or college? Did you have butterflies in your stomach back then? Did you appreciate a friendly face that helped you get to class or find the cafeteria? Do you appreciate those things now? Well, read on.

September marks the start of the traditional academic year for most programs at the University of New England. Starting Sunday, September 2, new undergraduate students will be arriving on campus to begin moving into their residence hall rooms. They’ll mark the start of this new experience with a First Night Ceremony, to be held starting at 7:45 p.m. down at the kiosk.  Then, beginning Monday and continuing throughout the remainder of the week, there will be activities and events to acquaint the new students with the campus and ease their transition as they begin this exciting new journey towards adulthood.  Events will be held all over campus, including Alfond, so be prepared for the infusion of new faces all around you.

Take a moment to reach out to these new and returning students and let them know you, too, are welcoming them to the University of New England.  Offer a warm smile and a UNECOM Hello! Who knows, you might just meet your new or future motorcycle buddy, study partner, or even life partner. After all, it is September.

- Dean Kelley

Student Profile

“The Creature that Lifts the Bed”: Steven Fosmire, MSII

The nights were rarely silent, so Steven rarely slept. At the Maine Veterans’ Home in South Paris, darkness crept the hall with bells.

From other rooms leaked the too-loud laughter and blue conversation of television families; sterile companions who had never spent a moment in a nursing home and who would never come to visit. There were the regular soft knocks at the door, the cool swish of curtains drawn suddenly back, the gurgle and whinny of Steve’s Alzheimer’s roommate as nurses checked his midnight vitals. “Moron!” the man would yell, to no one in particular, “Moron!”

And every night there was the metallic grinding-creaking-crackling of the other man’s bed raised and lowered, the nurses concerned that if he fell, he wouldn’t fall far. To Steve, the sound seemed faintly feral. The creature that lifts the bed, he thought. It was a silly thought, a midnight thought, but in the unquiet darkness it somehow fit. And so did Steve.

Too Intriguing

The idea was too intriguing to overlook. “I met Dr. [Marilyn] Gugliucci at the faculty advisor dinner last fall during Orientation,” Steve recalls. “She talked about her geriatric research and how several students had lived for a couple of weeks in a nursing home. I thought, ‘Oooh, interesting,’ and filed it away.” The project, as near as he could tell, was a perfect fit.

A veteran himself, Steve was born in Utah but doesn’t remember the desert. His dad was Air Force, but Steve’s parents split when he was six weeks old and he didn’t meet his father until years later. Steve’s mom, overwhelmed but trying to cope, joined the Army and her parents offered to look after Steve for a little while, until she settled down. A little while turned into most of his life: “I definitely had a non-traditional upbringing,” Steve smiles, his voice tiny for such a bear of a man. “My grandparents raised me in Saratoga Springs, New York, and I consider that my home. My grandfather was a World War II, Korea, and Vietnam vet; he served in the Air Force for almost thirty years.”

Steve received his BS degree from Binghamton University before working at the Center for Functional Genomics as a research technician in charge of performing DNA sequencing and DNA synthesis. That egged him on to engage in pre-health studies, which then spurred him to pursue a Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Sage Graduate School in Troy, New York. To pay his way up the escalator of schools, Steve worked as an aircraft mechanic on LC-130s with the 109th Airlift Wing, Stratton Air National Guard Base, Scotia, New York, from February 1997 until September 2005.

“I have traveled from pole to pole on this wonderful planet with the 109th,” says Steve, “supporting the United States Antarctic Program’s research efforts via the National Science Foundation in Greenland and Antarctica.” He has stood at the actual geographic South Pole and visited CFS Alert in the Canadian Arctic, which is the northernmost permanently inhabited settlement. Currently, Steve is a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force Reserves’ Medical Corps, on a full, 4-year health professions scholarship at UNECOM.       

Final Billet

In front of the neatly kept Maine Veterans’ Home, flags sprout from the green island that lolls in the center of the entrance circle. American, of course, Maine State, and the melancholic POW/MIA flag that quietly demands its memories. On a brass plaque in the front lobby, a visitor reads, “Maine Veterans’ Home: A tribute to all veterans of this state. Dedicated by Gov. Angus King, Jr., Sept. 24, 1995.”

“When I checked in, we ran through a ton of paperwork with a social worker,” Steve says, “way more than you would think. It was daunting.” With the paperwork squared, Steve watched another worker catalogue his valuables – wedding ring, watch, movies, a laptop - the few personal things he decided he’d like to keep during two weeks as an embedded resident. The lobby had fake plants and lots of natural light. Bricks alternated with spic-and-span white walls.

After a nurse checked and documented his vitals, Steve was assigned a ward, a room, and a malady. The 90-bed Home is divided into three units: skilled nursing, residential living, and a dementia wing. “The residential side has more freedoms, even mountain bikes and scooters if the residents want to use them,” Steve explains. “I was assigned to the skilled care side, with lower functioning residents, including many in wheelchairs or with moderate Alzheimer’s. For many, it is their final billet, but they don’t act like they know they will die there.”

For a simulated condition, Steve “contracted” pneumonia, which meant that he was at risk for aspiration. All-pureed foods and thickened liquids made for a safe but exquisitely unappetizing dining experience. Steve’s first pureed meal was roast beef and mashed potatoes. He smiles weakly. “It looked like something my cat threw up,” he offers finally. “I folded the mashed potatoes into it, emptied four pepper packets, and choked it down. The thickened water was even worse. It was like drinking gelatin, but thicker – it doesn’t quench your thirst. Thickened coffee is sick! The apple-sauce was ok.”

After several days of aspiration precautions, Steve was given a clean bill of health and placed on an unrestricted diet. “Normal food was great!” he says, “It was dining-hall quality.”  A maroon board with gold letters offered each day’s menu: Monday’s breakfast was cereal, French toast, sausage, and a melon cup. Dinner at 5:30 was chicken stew, a cinnamon roll, and mandarin oranges. Or a roast beef sandwich. Steve chose chicken.

To Better Understand

Few medical students would jump at the chance to live in a nursing home. Steve is that rare student. “I did it for two reasons,” he says quickly, his answers well thought-through. “I wanted to re-connect with my grandparents, and I thought it would be good to get insight from a professional perspective about what life is like for an older person. At some point, I’d like to work with veterans. And as my grandparents age, it seems harder to relate to them; I wanted insight into how to relate to folks their age.” 

“You would think that relating to older people would be common-sense,” Steve continues, “You listen to them respectfully and really try to hear what they say, just as you would with anyone else. But for some reason, many physicians have a hard time with that.” Miscommunication plays a significant role; some senior citizens tend to speak more slowly, can be hard-of-hearing, and sometimes process instructions with difficulty.

Doctors, Steve thinks, may easily tend to infantilize older patients, talking at them, or down to them, without understanding that they are real people with mental acuity. “I didn’t experience any of that at the Maine Veterans’ Home,” he says, “Everyone was very respectful.” But the danger of misjudging another person, without having walked a mile in their slippers, is real. “I wish every physician could spend some time as a ‘resident’ in a nursing home,” Steve says, “It is very educational.”

“The Greatest Generation”

Indeed. The showers were supervised – no exceptions. Steve wasn’t sure who was more embarrassed; himself, or the cute, red-headed CNA just out of high school. “What are my choices?” he stammered, before learning that he could take a whirlpool shower which covered everything awkward.

Some of the nurses were young and pretty – they were tan and smiled a lot. The older nurses were strong and heavy-set, veterans of a thousand bedside and dining room skirmishes that left them with whimsical smiles and an efficient manner. They were all the same to Dan. A salty-mouthed, wheelchair-bound Air Force veteran, he offered unprintable comments with equal ardor to any nurse in the room. “He chose the strong but pretty ones to help him,” Steve laughs, “and most of them would dish it right back.” 

“Sparky,” a retired naval electrician, was matter-of-fact when he first met Steve. “He didn’t ask why I was there or why I was so young,” Steve says, “he just asked what branch I had been in. I said ‘Air Force,’ and he groaned and said, ‘Aww, you damn fly-boys are everywhere around here!’ It was pretty cool to hang out with “The Greatest Generation” as if I were one of them.”

The Perfect Melding

Steve pursued osteopathic medicine at the behest of Tanya Hanke, a friend from Saratoga Springs who gained entrance to UNECOM in the class of 2008. “She was the first person to introduce me to the field of osteopathic medicine,” Steve recalls. “I felt that osteopathy was the perfect melding of everything I enjoyed about Physical Therapy, personal training, and medicine. UNECOM provides a strong foundation in osteopathy and what it means to be an osteopathic physician. The facilities are top notch. Wi-fi is everywhere on campus. The learning environment is team-driven. Everyone here works together very well; we all help each other out in many ways in order to level the playing field. Plus, the ocean is a few stone-throws away from campus. UNECOM and the ocean, two brilliant reasons to move to Maine!”

His wife, Senta, is very supportive of Steve’s decision to pursue a career in medicine. She dropped him off at the Maine Veterans’ Home and came to visit like any other family member. Steve has appreciated her support, especially as he has jumped into leadership positions at the College. Those positions tend to chew up any time he has left after studies.

Steve has served as a Student Government representative and Parliamentarian, co-chaired the SGA legislative committee, organized UNECOM’s “Physicians’ Day at the Legislature” and “D.O. Day on the Hill” trips last spring, co-edited the Synapse yearbook, and served on the ethics and special events committees. He currently serves as SGA vice president, is co-president of the Wilderness Medicine Club and the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Club, volunteers at the Soup Kitchen, has been nominated to the Sigma Sigma Phi Honor Society, and works as a tour guide and student contact for prospective students to UNECOM. He also occasionally sleeps.

1970 and Winter

Steve had lunch in the dementia unit one day. “The lady sitting across from me thought that I was her son,” he says, “she was more willing to eat as the nurse fed her, because she wanted to impress her ‘son.’” One resident flung his tray and got milk on another resident’s head. “Some of the people in the dementia unit are not that old,” Steve says quietly, “they look normal. But to them, it may be 1970 and winter.”

The days could seem washed out. With little outside activity and nothing to be responsible for, there was rarely a sense of urgency. High points were predictable. “Residents look forward to family visits,” Steve says, “or outings into town. Family visits depended on the person – some families came once a week, some people came every day. One fellow always fell asleep at dinner or social events, but then his sister called and he was animated and alert. It’s like he came alive.” 

Other times were gray. “You kind of lose track of time,” Steve muses. “You live meal to meal or meal to activity. Evenings were tough. There weren’t many people around, since the older residents went to bed early. You lived in the present, day-to-day. People didn’t talk much about the past, and you didn’t think about the future. We talked about current events, or who had won bingo that day. Bingo is strangely cathartic.” Also a newcomer to cribbage, Steve suffered a string of humiliating losses, leaving him to shake his head and exclaim, “I’ve never seen so many cribbage boards – I lost every game but one!”

By 7pm his roommate was in bed and Steve walked the gleaming halls alone. A squat bookshelf in the social room hoarded several dozen titles. They ranged from War in the Pacific to James Herriot’s Dog Stories and Wuthering Heights. A partial row of encyclopedias struggled to stand at attention. The entertainment room had a large flat-screen TV, shelves of DVDs, a polished hardwood floor, pleasant secondary lighting, and reading tables with blue tablecloths, placemats, and vases with cut flowers.    

The History of Doughnuts

Some of the residents were good friends, taking every opportunity to spend time together and hang out. “It was almost like a dorm,” Steve chuckles, “where you would go to each other’s rooms to watch TV.” He played cards with several of the other vets, especially Roger St. Hilaire, a one-legged WWII veteran who was Steve’s best friend.

The two-dozen staff members did their best to keep things interesting. “We made doughnuts one day,” Steve says, “and they gave a history lesson about doughnut-making, and we shook sugar onto them. Every day after exercise, a staff member would read The Daily Chronicle, which was a blurb about current events. They also organized mini-bowling with bright plastic pins.” Steve had to bowl with his left hand and sit in a chair as a handicap.

“The staff was outstanding,” Steve says. “They were very friendly and professional. They knew everyone by name, and some had developed long-term friendships with a number of the residents.” He stops for a moment, brightens, and continues, “It’s amazing how much of an impact you can have on someone’s life just by being their friend. Learn how to respect someone by listening. Learn by doing it. I guarantee that if you do something like this, you will have more respect for your patients, your colleagues, and the nurses.”

Steve plans to go back to the Maine Veterans’ Home this fall, but this time he’ll be a visitor, not a resident. He’d like to go on Veterans’ Day and wear his uniform. He wants to see his friends, though there’s no guarantee they’ll all be around. And he has another motivation, too. Roger St. Hilaire, the WWII vet, was once a dance instructor. He promised that he would teach Steve and his wife to dance sometime.

Roger promised he would – if he can just find a prosthetic he can dance on.

- Steve Smith, RSAS

Steve Fosmire at the South Pole. Photo courtesy Steve Fosmire.

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News and Events

The color purple. Photo by Mitun Samanta, MSIII.

 

Boyd Buser, D.O., honored at Farewell Reception

Former UNECOM Dean (Interim) Boyd Buser, D.O., was honored at a farewell reception on August 29.  Held in the open space of the third floor lobby of the Alfond Building, the reception was packed with administrators, faculty, staff, students, and the many friends and colleagues Dr. Buser has won in his years of service at UNECOM. Comments were offered by UNE President Danielle Ripich, COM Interim Dean Jackie Cawley, D.O., Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs Ken Johnson, D.O., MPH director Becky Whittemore, Maine Osteopathic Association director Jack Ginty, and former UNE President Sandra Featherman.

Dr. Buser was recently named Interim Dean at the Pikeville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pikeville, Kentucky, where he will take over the position recently left open by the untimely passing of Dr. John Strosnider, President of the American Osteopathic Association.

Dr. Buser has served UNECOM in a number of capacities, including as a faculty member and chair of the OMM Department, Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs, and as Interim Dean of the College. Last year, he was re-elected to the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Board of Trustees and was named first vice president during the board's annual business meeting in Chicago.

Dr. Buser is a Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. As past-president to the New England Academy of Osteopathy; the American Academy of Osteopathy; the Maine Osteopathic Association (MOA); and former chair of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, Dr. Buser maintains a leadership role within the osteopathic medical profession.

A member of the AOA's Board since 2004, Dr. Buser serves the AOA in a number of other capacities, including chair of the Bureau of Emerging States' Concerns and member of the Bureau of Osteopathic Clinical Education and Research.

After earning his osteopathic medical degree from the Des Moines (Iowa) University, College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1981, he went on to complete an osteopathic internship at the former Cranston (R.I.) General Hospital. He is board certified in family practice as well as osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Since earning his D.O. degree, Dr. Buser has received many awards for outstanding achievements within the osteopathic medical community.  The MOA presented him with the Distinguished Service Award in 1996 and the Roswell Bates Award in 1994. Also in 1994, the AOA along with the American Osteopathic Foundation named him Educator of the Year.

He will be sorely missed and fondly remembered by many at UNECOM, and the College wishes him the best of success in his new leadership role at Pikeville. Bon voyage, Dr. Buser!

Ken Johnson, D.O., Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs, (left) presents Dr. Buser with a photo of nearby Goose Rocks Beach. Photo by Steve Smith, RSAS

 

 

112th Annual AOA Convention and Scientific Seminar

Registration is open for the AOA's 112th Annual Convention and Scientific Seminar, held September 30-October 4 in San
Diego. As always, student registration is free.  Students are encouraged to register before their arrival.   

To register, click on the following link:
https://www.do-online.org/index.cfm?PageID=aoa_profmain&au=D&SubPageID=conv_main

Kristine Burdick
Director, Division of Student, Intern, Resident & Member Affairs
American Osteopathic Association
Phone 312-202-8147
800-621-1773 x8147
Fax 312-202-8447
http://www.osteopathic.org/
http://www.do-online.org/

 

 

A Profile of the Class of 2011
By James Gaffney, Coordinator of Recruitment and Alumni Services

Orientation began Monday, August 6, for the 124 members of the UNECOM class of 2011, and now they are up to their necks in Gross Anatomy: head and neck, that is.  

This class was selected from an applicant pool that eventually grew to include 3256 AACOMAS applications, an 11.5% increase in primary applications from the previous year, and nearly a doubling of applications in a four-year period. From mid-October through late April we interviewed 358 candidates.
 
Sixty-nine percent of the class is from the six New England states. While UNECOM is an independent private institution, it is the only medical school in the state, and so it is not surprising that almost 20 percent of the class (23 students) are from the state of Maine. Massachusetts is the state most represented with 36 students; New York is third with 17 and New Hampshire fourth with 14 students. The rest of New England and the northeast states are always represented, but students also hail from Maryland and Virginia; the Midwest states of Indiana, Illinois, Kansas and Missouri; and some from as far away as Washington, Colorado and Texas.
 
The class is 58% female (72 students) and 42% male (52 students). (The current second-year class is the only one of the four that has more men than women.) They range in age from 21 to 51 years old. The class average GPA is 3.43 overall and 3.34 in the sciences, and the average MCAT is just above 25.
 
Members of this class did their undergraduate work across the academic spectrum from American University to Worcester Polytechnic Institute, from Carnegie Mellon University and Case Western Reserve University to the universities of Delaware, Denver, Massachusetts, Maine, Wisconsin and Vermont. Ten students earned their undergraduate degree from UNE’s College of Arts and Sciences.

As expected, many have degrees in biology, medical biology, chemistry and biochemistry, but there are also students with degrees in biomedical engineering, communications, German literature, international business, mathematics, nursing, plant science, psychology and theater.

 

 

Donors’ Memorial Service, 9/15/07

Each year, the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine Anatomy department hosts a Body Donors’ Memorial Service to recognize the invaluable contribution of men and women who have donated their bodies to science.

This year, the Memorial Service will take place on Saturday, September 15th at 7:00 p.m., at the University of New England campus cemetery near the Health Center. Parking for the service adjoins this location.

In case of inclement weather, the Service will be held on the same date and time in the Alfond Center for Health Sciences. Please contact Hank Wheat, Diener, at hwheat@une.edu for more info.

 

 

A UNECOM Tradition: The Eleventh Annual White Coat Ceremony

UNECOM’s eleventh annual White Coat Ceremony will be held at 7pm on Thursday, October 4, at the Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland. A reception will follow in the Casco Bay Exhibition Hall.

Event highlights will include presentation of the white coats by members of the second-year class; remarks by John Peterson, D.O., UNECOM '82; brief remarks by second-year medical student Mike Dominello, president of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA); and a reading of the Osteopathic Oath by Charlotte Paolini, D.O. (UNECOM ‘89), president of the UNECOM Alumni Board.

The White Coat Ceremony was an idea conceived by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation to create a psychological contract for professionalism and empathy in medicine. The first White Coat Ceremony took place in 1993 at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Since then, more than 100 other medical schools in the U.S. and abroad have initiated a similar ceremony.

Directions To Holiday Inn By The Bay
From I-95, take Exit 6a to I-295. Take I-295 to Exit 7, (Franklin Street). Stay on Franklin Street for five (5) lights. Take a right onto Middle Street, travel approximately 1 mile (Middle Street turns into Spring Street.) Holiday Inn is on the left.

Parking – More specific information about parking will be provided closer to the date.

Click here to access the White Coat website, which will be updated over the next few weeks. Also, the RSAS office will send out pairing information in September so that students can select marching partners. Look for an announcement on myUNE as well.

-Steve Smith, RSAS

 

 

Joel A. Kase, D.O. named Director of Graduate Medical Education

I am pleased to announce that Joel A. Kase, D.O. has agreed to serve as Director of Graduate Medical Education at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine. He will continue a clinical practice at Community Clinical Services, an affiliate of St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine. His practice encompasses the entire spectrum of inpatient and outpatient family medicine, including obstetrics and osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Dr. Kase is a graduate of the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, New York. He completed his post-graduate training at Somerset Medical Center in Somerville, New Jersey and a fellowship in Obstetrics and Faculty Development from University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Dr. Kase, most recently, has earned his Master of Public Health degree in June 2007 from Harvard School of Public Health.

Dr. Kase serves as a clinical instructor for the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is active in and holds various positions with osteopathic organizations, including President-Elect of the Maine Osteopathic Association, the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, and the American Academy of Osteopathy.

His responsibilities will include oversight of the UNECOM graduate medical education programs and recruiting interns, residents, and trainers for these programs.

We are fortunate to have Dr. Joel Kase join UNECOM in this capacity.

- Kenneth H. Johnson, D.O., FAAO, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs

 

 

Maine Medical Center Research Institute Open House

COM students, faculty, and staff are invited to the Maine Medical Center Open House on Friday, September 7, 2007, from 1-6pm. The Center is located at 81 Research Drive, Scarborough, Maine.

Come tour the facilities, meet the scientists, and learn about their research and education programs. Check out their website for updated schedule information and for directions: www.mmcri.org

Please RSVP to Debbie Smith at smithd8@mmc.org or call 207-885-8130.

 

 

Excused Absence Policy

Anticipated Absence:
--Submit an e-mail to COMSA@une.edu that includes the date of your proposed absence, the reason for it, and the class to be missed.  Turn this in NO LATER than three business days prior to the proposed absence.

--You will be informed, via your campus e-mail, whether or not your absence will be excused. If excused, the appropriate offices will be notified.

--If missing an exam is involved, you must include a request to make up the exam. The make-up exam must be taken within three days of the originally scheduled exam OR immediately upon returning to classes. YOU are responsible for contacting faculty to arrange the make-up. Approval for time of the make-up exam will be made by the faculty involved.

Unanticipated Absence:
--Call or e-mail the Recruitment, Student and Alumni Services Office the day of your absence and let them know you will be absent, plus inform them of the circumstances. This way, they can pass along the information to the appropriate instructor(s). If no one is available, leave a message on voice mail. The office number is 207-602-2329.

--If you are unable to communicate with us, please have a classmate or family member contact our office to let us know you will be out.

--Follow up by submitting an e-mail to COMSA@une.edu stating the date of your absence and the reason for it.  This must be turned in NO LATER than one business day following your return to classes. If the absence was due to illness, you must also turn in a written statement from the attending physician verifying that you were too ill to be in class.

--You will be informed via your campus e-mail if you have been excused.

--If missing an exam is involved, include a request to take a make-up. As above, it is your responsibility to contact faculty to arrange the make-up exam.

- RSAS Office

 

 

Free ShuttleBus: Nor’easter Express

The Nor’easter Express will begin operation on Tuesday, September 4th, and will operate 7 days a week during the academic year. The current schedule is:

Monday thru Friday:
Morning Commute: 7:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
Afternoon Commute: 4:05 p.m. to 6:20 p.m.
Thursday & Friday: 4:05 p.m. to 10:50 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: 9:50 a.m. to 11:15 p.m.

Parking & bus stops will be located on Washington Street in Biddeford and the Amtrak Station in Saco. The UNE bus stop will be at the Campus Center.

A guaranteed ride home or to your car will be provided by the “MaineGO Program” for emergencies that arise during the workday. A limited number of complimentary day parking passes will be issued by Security for times when bus riders must bring a car to campus. 

Just show a valid UNE ID and ride the Nor’easter Express and other ShuttleBus routes for FREE!

Convenient free transfers are available to other Shuttle routes that include Southern Maine Medical Center, the Shops at Biddeford Crossing, Old Orchard Beach, the Maine Mall and Portland. Reminder: Students and Faculty may ride the Portland Metro Bus for free using their UNE Ids.

The ShuttleBus operates on bio-diesel and buses have bicycle racks. Save money on gas and parking passes, save green house gas emissions and the environment, and enjoy a relaxing ride to work reading or socializing with other members of the UNE community! 

For more Shuttlebus information visit http://www.shuttlebus-zoom.com/. For more MaineGo information, visit
http://www.gomaine.org/emergency

 

 

Student Accounts and Financial Aid Move to Petts Health Center Building

The Student Accounts Office and the Financial Aid Office, both on the UC Campus, have moved to the bottom floor of the Petts Health Center. They will be sharing space with the Physical Therapy Clinic, and look forward to the opportunity to better serve the University’s students. Contact information will be the same.

 

 

A Method to the Madness – The RSAS Division of Labor 
[Editor’s Note: This article has been updated from last year, for the benefit of the Class of 2011.]
 
“What do those people do, anyway?” a student might ask as they enter the bustling subterranean world of the RSAS Office.

“I always see those nice people rushing around from one side of the hall to the other,” the student continues, “and I don’t really know to whom I should ask my question. Oh well, there’s Tracie, and she’s got candy – I’ll go ask her!” And in a rush of hyperglycemia, the candy default strikes again.

Could this student be you? Are you confused by the bewildering array of responsibilities and titles borne by the cheerful folk from down-under? Do you sometimes lunge for the nearest warm body when you have a question to ask?

If you have three or more of the following symptoms, please read on to receive professional help:

- You pronounce “RSAS” as “R-sas.”
- You believe that Dean Kelley herself must see the entire trajectory of your illness (if you know what I mean) to receive an excused absence.
- You assume your best puppy face in hopes of using the RSAS fax to send your family genealogy to Uncle Cedric in Transylvania. Your 600-page family genealogy.
- You are unaware that the RSAS Office works with COM alumni, as well as prospective students.
- You incorrectly believe that the RSAS Office is part of the Department of Homeland Security.
- You send proof-of-enrollment requests to anyone but Tracie.
- Your “Just five minutes!” talk with Dean Kelley lasts for several hours.
- Your diet consists of 50% or more of supplements from Tracie’s candy bin.
- You mistake James for the Registrar.
- You are concerned that Steve has been “exiled” to “the dark side.”
- You still don’t know which days Joan works.
- You still don’t know who Joan is.

If these painfully common mistakes apply to you, don’t worry – we still don’t know which days Joan works, either! Just kidding, Joan. Moving right along…

So who are we and what do we do? More of that to follow, but by way of introduction the RSAS stands for “Recruitment, Student, and Alumni Services,” which is a jaw-breaking way to say that we are a cradle-to-grave resource for prospective students, applicants, current students, and COM alumni. It is a truly unique office whose scope is practically unheard-of, which is why we’re writing this column to help students better understand and employ our resources.

With that in mind, here is the division of labor for the RSAS staff:

1.) Dean Kelley – She’s the Dean of Students for UNECOM. That means that she has more meetings to attend than the UN Secretary General. She also has a million people trying to talk to her about all kinds of different things at different levels all the time, and she oversees all of the work, programming, writing, and planning that the rest of the staff does.
 
She handles Leave of Absence and Extended Curriculum Plan questions, student discipline matters, student crises, student concerns, long-term planning, policies and procedures, handbook and catalogue writing, Orientation, the White Coat Ceremony, Graduation, budget matters, institutional reports, student SGA/C&Os, and all the day-to-day nitty-grittiness that an office with wide-ranging responsibilities accrues.

Plus, she manages to attend nearly every student function imaginable.

If you need to speak to Dean Kelley, please ask Tracie to set up an appointment to talk with her. Dean Kelley is your best advocate here at UNECOM, and she can sort out all types of personal and academic tangles for you.

Dean Kelley has been here from before the first class graduated in 1982, which means that she knows just about everybody. She can recall when Drs. Carreiro, Goldbas, Okun-Langlais, Shannon, Johnson, Schwalenberg, Paolini, Cawley, Ashkenasy, Pelletier, Griffin, Thieme, and so many others were in your shoes as students. She remembers everyone.

A couple of quick caveats: Please don’t send excused absence requests to Dean Kelley directly (send ‘em to comsa@une.edu), and don’t expect to pop into the office without an appointment in hopes of “catching” her. If it’s an emergency, Tracie is good at figuring that out (“Is it an emergency?” she’ll ask, and you’ll say “Yes” or “No”. Pretty straightforward, really.) Also, if you send Dean Kelley an email that needs to be answered quickly, send it to PKelley@une.edu, and send a copy to the comsa@une.edu address, too. Dean Kelley gets about 200 emails a day. Really.

2.) James Gaffney – James is the Coordinator of Recruitment and Alumni Services. He tag teams with Lisa Lane for admissions while working both ends of the RSAS spectrum (and both ends of the candle, too.) His responsibilities include being the primary email and phone contact for prospectives and applicants, conducting interviews, overseeing student tour guides and student interviewers, hosting campus visits, coordinating National Youth Leadership Forum events, presenting at graduate fairs, and developing recruiting strategies.

He may answer the same questions a dozen times a day from prospectives and applicants, but like a good stage actor he tries to make it seem like he is saying it or typing it for the first time, trying to give each person the individual attention they deserve. What questions does he answer? You know them all – they’re the same questions you asked!

On the alumni side, James works with alumni relations, the alumni board, Reunion activities, conference receptions, and alumni questions or concerns. He also writes the new applicant and alumni e-newsletters, works with pre-med advisors, and… well, you get the idea. James also has a wealth of knowledge about the local area, the institution, and plenty of other things. Just ask.

3.) Steve Smith – Steve is the Coordinator of Medical Student Services. He works with clubs and organizations, student government, student programming, the COMmunicator newsletter, the Educational Enhancement Fund, Co-curricular transcripts, the RSAS website, Orientation, the White Coat Ceremony, the Post Gross Toast, sundry 5k runs, and general grease-monkey sorts of things. He also administrates the various myUNE COM club pages.

4.) Tracie Purcell – The patient office administrative secretary and chief medical student feeder, Tracie handles a heavy volume of ad hoc student counseling, email, phone calls, reports, OsteoAdmit, Banner data entry, Orientation mailings, scheduling appointments for Dean Kelley, transfer student contact, and candy-dish mechanics, among any number of other things.

She’s front-line in the trenches, but that doesn’t mean that every single thing goes through her first (see other people’s lists.)

5.) Joan Goulet – Joan packs as much as she can into 3+ days of work, Tuesday-Thursday. She works primarily with the alumni, sends out mailings, orders supplies, manages the C&O budgets, runs special reports, controls the office master budget, helps manage the Educational Enhancement Fund, loves to fill out the AACOM report, tracks down missing alumni, makes travel arrangements, plans for White Coat and Graduation, and keeps everyone else young with a quick tongue and quicker laugh.

Joan has worked with Dean Kelley since she became dean. Joan is nearing retirement (sometime in October), and will be difficult to replace. She is extremely knowledgeable and very helpful, able to answer most of Steve’s questions, at any rate.

6.) Sue Nadeau – Sue is the most recent addition to the RSAS staff. Sue schedules appointments with Dean Kelley, works with club and organization budgets, the RSAS budget, mailings, phone calls, excused absences, triages the comsa@une.edu email address, writes letters, greets people, and generally provides a good amount of glue to help keep things stuck together in the office. Joan is currently rolling over a number of her responsibilities to Sue, which is just swell. Plus, Sue has an interesting sense of humor. She’s from Madawaska, Maine, so she knows everybody in the northern part of this great state.

So there you have it. If you are unclear who to ask for your particular concern, email the comsa@une.edu address for further clarification, or feel free to ask us when you see us. Thanks. Back to rushing around…

-Steve Smith and James Gaffney, RSAS

 

 

Wood Island Light – Maine’s Coast Illuminated

Nearing its bicentennial, Wood Island Light is the closest and most emblematic representation of Maine in the Biddeford-Saco area. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson in 1808, the lighthouse has experienced several resurrections over the last two hundred years. Today, it remains a functional beacon for mariners, and is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Friends of Wood Island Light, a non-profit society dedicated to its preservation and beautification. According to the FOWIL website:

“Wood Island is a 35-acre uninhabited island sitting at the mouth of the Saco River just off the coast of Biddeford, Maine. The island hosts a wide variety of birds and is the nesting site for hundreds of seagulls, common eiders and other birds. It is an important stop on the Eastern Seaboard migratory Flyway. The Audubon Society manages almost 30 acres as a bird sanctuary.

The lighthouse, standing on the eastern seaward point of the island, is a picturesque structure consisting of a two-story keeper’s house connected to the 42-foot stone tower by an enclosed passageway. A stone oil house is situated nearby. A boathouse, sheltered from the open ocean, sits at the opposite end of the island and is connected to the lighthouse by a raised wooden walkway approximately a half-mile away. The island is a step back in time to the era when ship navigation depended on its light and the task of operating and maintaining the light was performed by a succession of keepers and their families. Today, occasional visitors go to the island in kayaks and small boats to picnic on the lighthouse grounds. The lighthouse is closed to the public, but the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse began to give tours to small groups in the summer of 2004 making it possible for visitors to see the interior and to learn about the lifestyle of the keepers and their lifesaving heroics. These tours will continue in the summer of 2007.”

Recently, Dan Sheps, MSII, and Steve Smith, RSAS, visited the island during a FOWIL tour. Thanks to the graciousness of Sean Murphy - a Massachusetts State Trooper and vice chair of the FOWIL committee - Dan and Steve were left behind to wander the island, snap photos, watch a deer swim the harbor channel, and observe orange lightning to the west. Dan also volunteered to help a crew of folks paint the keeper's house. For slideshows from their visits, check out the Photo Albums section below.

Visit the FOWIL website at http://www.woodislandlighthouse.org/ for an interesting view of the local landmark.

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Photo Albums

Wood Island Light. Photo by Steve Smith, RSAS

View photo albums by clicking on the links below. [Editor's Note: Also, check out photo albums for Colloquium and various spring events that were uploaded to the August COMmunicator after it was published. Click here, then scroll down to Photo Albums near the bottom of the page. Technology - we're getting there!]

Wood Island Lighthouse - Dan Sheps, MSII

Wood Island - Steve Smith, RSAS

Orientation Rafting Trip and Welcome BBQ

(More Orientation pics in next edition!)

And in an incredible piece of photojournalism, Patrick Hohl and several other second-year students were able to catch UNECOM students defying the laws of gravity as they flew, walked on water, and danced across the Saco River, all in celebration of the successful completion of their first Neuroanatomy exam. See pictures below:

   
Ready to leap: Rob Stevens, MSII.

Classmates watch in wonder as Jim Hedde, MSII, soars above them.

Patrick Hohl, MSII, appears to skamper across the Saco River. An excellent example of surface tension.

Lauren Fleischer, MSII, practices her figure-skating routine on the surprisingly resilient surface of the Saco River. She performed several pirouettes and triple axles before the camerman was able to snap this quick picture.

It happened so quickly, the UNECOM student photographer was only able to catch a fleeting glimpse of this strange creature. "He seemed to be filled with a loud and inarticulate joy," one witness marveled, "It was a beautiful sight." Boatloads of anthropologists have staked out the secluded spot on the Saco River in hopes of capturing a specimen. UNECOM students suggest that they may have to wait until after the second Neuroanatomy exam to again spot this rarest of creatures: the Medical Discipulus Laetabilis.   

For page two of The COMmunicator, click here, or click on the link below to return to Table of Contents.

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Copyright © UNECOM Office of Recruitment Student and Alumni Services. All rights reserved.

11 Hills Beach Road, Biddeford, ME 04005.  (207) 602-2329
Please send comments, suggestions, submissions, or warm chocolate chip cookies to Steve Smith at ssmith12@une.edu