Medical Education

The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine recognizes Geriatrics as one of its top three programs (including Primary Care and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine). As a UNE COM student, you are prepared through integrated geriatrics and gerontology curricular content and competencies in classroom lectures and robust experiential/practical learning.

The Division of Geriatrics adheres to the American Geriatrics Society’s (AGS) updated version of the AGS Minimum Geriatrics Competencies for Graduating Medical Students, which were created to ensure that medical school graduates across the U.S. are prepared to provide high-quality care for all as we age.

Regardless of the field of medicine you aspire to, having the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to make working with older adults safe, effective, and respectful is essential as every practicing physician will encounter older people. For example, approximately 5 in 10 grandparents are the primary care providers for their grandchildren, so pediatricians need skills in working with older adults in order to help maintain the family support for the child. Older adults are more active than ever and want to maintain their level of activity, making visits to sports medicine professionals and/or orthopedics necessary.  

Pre-Clerkship Education

Years one and two of medical school are also referred to as the undergraduate (or pre-doctoral) pre-clerkship education years, graduate medical education occurs during residency, and fellowship training after graduation. 

Geriatric curriculum highlights during your first year of medical school include:

• A 90-minute “On Doctoring” lecture to lay the foundation for person-centered care for older adults
• A 4-hour practice learning program, referred to as Life History Review, with an older adult resident at an assisted living environment
• Work with a Geriatrics Education Mentor (GEM), an older adult community member who you conduct two assignments with in their home 
  • Assignment 1: Life Review of the GEM and medical students
  • Assignment 2: Geriatrics Assessments for home safety, driving, physical activity, quality of life, etc.

During the second year of medical school, you:

• Attend various lectures (9 hours)
• Take a Geriatrics Practicum during the fall semester (4 hours) to conduct a history and physical (H&P) on an older adult living independently or with minor assistance 
• Take a Geriatrics Practicum in the spring semester (4 hours) to conduct an H&P on an older adult nursing home resident 
• Have an Osteopathic Structural Exam and Manipulative Medicine lab training session with GEM volunteers 
• Continue work with your GEM to conduct three additional home visits to complete assignments
  • Assignment 3: Social, family, medical, and surgical history information documentation, medication review and identification of Drug/Drug Interactions and Potentially Inappropriate Medications, with additional geriatrics assessments
  • Assignment 4: Osteopathic structural exam
  • Assignment 5. End of Life/Five Wishes Document dialogue and completion 
  • The GEM program ends with a GEM wrap where the GEMs and medical students come together for a gathering

Additional educational components are integrated into Case Based Learning (Small Group) and the second year curriculum in systems-based approaches in Neurology, Psychiatry, Hematology/ Oncology, Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Dermatology. 

Clinical Education

Years three and four (referred to as the undergraduate or pre-doctoral clinical years) are dedicated to clerkships (information provided in the UNE COM Student Handbook). It is important to note that 55% of the patient population at clerkships at ambulatory care sites in rural Maine is aged 65 or older. Maine is the oldest and most rural state, and Maine hospitals and emergency rooms have, on average, 40% of older adult patients, although some Maine hospitals note that 70% of their patients are older. However, there is no required geriatrics clerkship during years 3 and 4 due to the shortage of geriatricians.  There are opportunities for elective clinical rotations in geriatrics and palliative medicine.

The COM Division of Geriatrics established and published the first geriatrics curriculum standards for osteopathic medical schools. These are endorsed by the American Association for Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), the National Area Health Education Center Organization (NAO), and the Academy for Gerontology/Geriatrics in Higher Education (AGHE) — the education unit of The Gerontological Society of America.

The geriatrics curriculum guidelines make it possible for all osteopathic medical schools to review and enhance their medical school curriculum to attain collaboratively agreed upon geriatrics curriculum standards and apply for Program of Merit Status from the AGHE, an international recognition similar to accreditation. The article outlining this project was featured as the lead article in the September 2009 Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (JAOA).

The citation for the updated (2021) pre-doctoral curricular standards in geriatrics/gerontology for osteopathic medical schools is: Gugliucci, M, Giovanis, A & Bates, B. (2021) Geriatrics Curricula for Undergraduate Medical Education in Osteopathic Medicine. Chapter 10 in the 7th Edition, Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education, Gerontological Society of America, Washington, DC.

The Maine Geriatrics Conference is a University of New England and its College of Osteopathic Medicine-sponsored event that features expert and internationally known keynote speakers as well as speakers from Maine who provide evidenced-based/best practices in older adult and family caregiver (care partners) health and health policy. The 2-day conference addresses geriatrics and gerontology education in the areas of health care, health policy, and healthcare practice across the continuum of care settings for older adults. Topics pertaining to adult children, care partners, and direct care workers are also discussed.

Attendees — including health practitioners and providers, social service providers, Maine state employees, students, older adults, and anyone interested in the field of aging — share ideas, ask questions, and support and develop care strategies affecting older adults in all care settings.

The conference planning committee ensures that all conference sessions enlighten, inspire, and honor the abilities of our conference attendees and prepare them to advance ideas and systems that address older adult health disparities and optimize aging. 

Conference Objectives

• To effectively apply knowledge gained during the conference to actual situations regarding the care of older adults and the support of their informal caregivers
• To evaluate older adult health care needs and implement potential mechanisms and modalities to address them
• To develop ideas for working with older adults and propose alternative care solutions for improved health and well-being as expressed by the older adult