UNE and Cheyney University sign agreement forging new pathways to medical education

The University of New England and Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the nation’s first historically Black university, have announced a collaboration aimed at fostering new pathways to medical education for qualified students.

The two universities have signed an articulation agreement to provide a pathway for qualified Cheyney undergraduates to pursue a medical education at UNE’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM).

The agreement reflects the values of both institutions, with Cheyney’s whole-person approach to student development mirroring the osteopathic principles embodied by UNE COM — of holistic, patient-centered care and promoting health rather than solely treating disease. More broadly, the agreement is a testament to UNE’s mission of improving the health of people, communities, and our shared planet.

Cheyney’s agreement with UNE is part of its ongoing efforts to meet the growing demand of bioscience and technology majors. With 24% of the student body enrolled within these majors, the University is increasing awareness of career options for these students through its partnerships with institutions and biotech companies and expanding opportunities with external like-minded partners, providing internships and careers.

UNE President James Herbert remarked that the partnership represents the University’s latest effort to expand pipelines to medical school while encouraging more students to pursue careers as physicians and meet both Maine and the nation’s health care workforce needs.

“As Maine’s only medical school, we feel a special responsibility to provide our aging state and region with a steady stream of primary care physicians as well as the full range of specialized doctors who can make equally important contributions to their fields and to the people who depend on them for care,” Herbert stated.

“Our partnership with the University of New England will provide another pathway for our students to enter medical careers,” said Cheyney President Aaron A. Walton. “We have taken an innovative approach to building health career awareness, and we want our students to have continued engagement in the field of medicine beyond degree completion.”

Cheyney is among the growing list of colleges and universities with which UNE COM has formed such agreements, including Tufts University and the University of Vermont.

“The idea for [this partnership] is rooted in Cheyney University’s intentional efforts to prepare its students for high-need, high-paying careers in our region,” Vanessa Atkins, executive director of Strategic Partnerships and Career Pathways at Cheyney, said in a ceremony held on Tuesday, July 18, on UNE’s Portland Campus. “The exposure Cheyney University students are gaining through this programming is essential to the development of their identity as health care professionals, and we are excited to celebrate that they have this partnership as a starting point.”

Jane Carreiro, D.O., vice president for Health Affairs and dean of UNE’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, said in her remarks that the articulation agreement with Cheyney fulfills UNE COM’s commitment to increasing the pipeline of future physicians.

“Cheyney students will be uniquely suited for a medical education here at UNE,” she said to a room of UNE and Cheyney students and administrators.

Carreiro also said the agreement addresses critical shortages in both the health care workforce and in the number of medical students, noting that 15% of medical schools across the United States had yet to fill their entering classes as of July 1.

“We know that here in Maine and around the country, our health care workforce is aging, and we will soon face a major shortage of physicians,” Carreiro said to a room of UNE and Cheyney officials and students. “So, the simple fact is – we need to encourage more students to pursue medical school, and this agreement does just that.”