Research/Scholarship

Nursing Home Immersion

The Learning by Living© Nursing Home Immersion Research project was designed and implemented in 2005 by Marilyn R. Gugliucci, M.A., Ph.D., director of Geriatrics Education and Research within the Medical School’s Division of Geriatrics. For 15 years, medical students were “admitted” into nursing homes to live the life of an older nursing home resident for approximately two weeks — 24/7 — complete with a medical diagnosis and standard procedures of care. This project utilized a qualitative ethnographic/autobiographic research design, whereby a culture is observed from the researcher (medical student) living within the environment (nursing home) focused on the student’s experiences. The research question for each student was: “What is it like for me to the live the life as an older nursing home resident?” This program appears to be the first of its kind in any medical training program and has been featured in the New York Times, AOL Health, The Boston Globe, Sirius World Wide Radio, CBS Evening News, and other major media. Due to the risks of COVID infection, the Nursing Home Immersion project is on hold.

The UNE COM Learning by Living 48 Hour Hospice Home Immersion Project (PDF) (referred to as the Hospice Home Immersion Project) was piloted in December 2014. It was designed and implemented as an experiential medical education research and learning model by Marilyn R. Gugliucci, M.A, Ph.D. The research design is based on qualitative ethnographic/autobiographic methods. The research question each student needs to address is: “What is it like for me to live in an acute care (ICU) 18-bed hospice home and what will I take from this immersion into my future career as a physician?”

Medical students are immersed in the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, in Scarborough, Maine, for 48 hours and work with an interprofessional staff. The students are active participants in patient care, family support, and post-mortem care during the immersion. This program is also known to be the only one of its kind in the U.S. and globally.

UNE COM’s Division of Geriatrics accepts applications each academic year for the Chase Rand Geriatrics Immersion Scholarship. The scholarship is made possible by a generous gift from Judith and Chase Rand, D.O., who are committed to inspiring medical students to enter geriatrics medicine. Rand was instrumental in the creation of MatureCare, the geriatrics practice group operated by UNE COM that provides curriculum development and training as well as care. Recipients of the award are known as Rand Scholars. Applications are announced through the UNE COM RSAS Office and medical students in their first year through fourth year are eligible to apply. If selected, fellowship funding is applied directly to the student tuition.

The Division of Geriatrics continues to boast high numbers of students awarded research/scholarship fellowships for the Betty Ford Summer Institute for Medical Students, IRETA Substance Abuse Fellowship, RREMS Rehabilitative Medicine Fellowship, the Foundation for Anesthesiology Education and Research Fellowships, the Nth Dimension Orthopaedics Student Research Fellowship for Women and Minority Students, the UNE COM Morgane Student Research Fellowship, the Carmen Pettapiece Fellowship, and others. There are many medical student opportunities added each year in all fields of medicine. 

All students who are awarded fellowships present at national and local meetings to enhance professional development and complement their CVs. Work on case studies and publications is also supported through the Division of Geriatrics.