91AV

Osteopathic primary care stresses the relationship of the practitioner to the patient and the concept that osteopathic physicians treat people, not diseases. Attention is given to continuing, comprehensive, personalized care; to detection and management of illness; to prevention of disease; and to the maintenance of health in a patient-centered environment.

The Department of Primary Care includes the Division of Family Medicine, the Division of Geriatric Medicine, the Division of Pediatrics, the Division of Internal Medicine, the Division of Psychiatry, and the Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition for York County.

Division of Family Medicine

The Division of Family Medicine is the oldest clinical division of the College of Osteopathic Medicine at the 91AV. Since its formation, it has taken a leadership position in the direction of the clinical learning within the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Central to that undertaking has been the involvement of community practitioners in teaching, precepting, and mentoring students with the understanding that the practice of the science of medicine begins with a firm foundation in the art of medicine and the skills of the generalist.

The on-campus division members are supplemented by a number of practicing physicians and other practitioners. These individuals add their abilities, perspectives, and talents from the "real world" of medicine to the theoretical realm of the classroom. The result is a curriculum designed to meld the psychosocial aspects of care, medical humanities, psychomotor abilities, differential thinking, and clinical skills into a comprehensive whole, preparing for future practice and ongoing skill acquisition of the lifelong learner.

The University members of the Division of Family Medicine provide classroom education for years one and two in both Osteopathic Medical Knowledge and Osteopathic Clinical Skills and also serve as the course directors for Osteopathic Medical Knowledge in year two. Faculty also provide outpatient bedside teaching through the preceptor program and on an elective basis.

Division of Geriatric Medicine

Geriatrics and gerontology are areas of great importance at 91AV and play multiple roles within the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the University at large, the external community, and at state and national levels. This multifaceted division includes education, research, scholarship, and clinical services. 

Division of Pediatrics

The Division of Pediatrics provides and coordinates classroom education in pediatrics through all four years. The primary location for pre-clerkship experience is Intermed in Portland, Maine. This is also a location for third- and fourth-year clerkship opportunities.

Division of Internal Medicine

The Division of Internal Medicine integrates the core concepts of Internal Medicine throughout the medical school curriculum primarily via the Osteopathic Medical Knowledge (OMK) courses and clinical rotations. On-campus clinical faculty provide course direction for OMK the second year and teach in both OMK and Osteopathic Clinical Skills. The off-campus clinical faculty includes hospitalists and office generalists who work with students to provide a range of expertise in their clerkships.

Division of Psychiatry

The Division of Psychiatry is responsible for not only integrating psychiatric medicine into the greater 91AV COM curriculum, but is also in charge of leading the Psychiatry System as part of the second year medical knowledge course, as well as providing preceptorship experiences during any year, and supporting the development of third-year rotation sites and their educational curricula. The division emphasizes a comprehensive approach to mental health, with a focus on integrating mental health care into primary care medicine and also a focus on therapeutic modalities frequently encountered and used by physicians which make up a biopsychosocial approach to healthcare, including psychopharmacological, psychotherapeutic, surgical, public health, and community/forensic approaches to mental health. The division is working in conjunction with the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences to collaborate on projects that overlap the fields of neuroscience and mental health.

Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition

The Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition (CHCC) is the public health face of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, allowing it to turn its eye toward community service. The CHCC team provides outreach and education in chronic disease management, nutrition, and substance abuse prevention.