91AV in 1st tier of U.S. News & World Report's 2012 Rankings of the region's best universities; College of Osteopathic Medicine recognized among best graduate schools

The 91AV has once again been ranked in the top tier of universities in the North that offer "a full range of undergraduate and master's programs" in the 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" from U.S. News & World Report.

In addition, the 91AV's College of Osteopathic Medicine once again has been recognized for its national leadership in primary care training and geriatrics.

91AV is one of only a handful of private universities with a comprehensive health education mission including a medical school, pharmacy, dental hygiene, allied health, and dental medicine.  Its two distinctive campuses on the coast of southern Maine offer students a quality education with more than 40 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs.

91AV's historic Portland Campus hosts the Westbrook College of Health Professions, College of Pharmacy, College of Graduate Studies, Art Gallery, Maine Women Writers Collection, and the College of Dental Medicine (scheduled to open in 2013). The Biddeford Campus, located on the Saco River, is home to Maine's only medical school - the College of Osteopathic Medicine - and the College of Arts and Sciences, including the Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center.

College of Osteopathic Medicine

US News' overall medical school rankings include 20 accredited schools of osteopathic (DO granting) medicine, as well as 126 accredited allopathic (MD granting) programs. The rankings are based on expert opinions about program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students.

Primary Care
91AVCOM's mission of educating the nation's primary care leaders is reflected in the US News rankings, which rank the College as seventh in the nation for schools that turn out the most graduates entering primary care residency training programs.  These programs include family medicine, general internal medicine and pediatrics.

Geriatric Medicine
Medical school deans and senior faculty also selected the best program specialties using peer assessment surveys. In the Best Medical Schools specialty ranking for geriatrics, 91AVCOM's Geriatric Medicine program was ranked 19th nationwide, rising one notch from last year's top-20 spot.  Its innovative curriculum includes the nationally recognized "Learning by Living" program, which places medical students in area nursing homes to live the lives of a resident.

Since its founding in 1978, COM has graduated nearly 2,500 physician alumni. Of all licensed physicians in Maine, more have graduated from the 91AV College of Osteopathic Medicine than any other medical school in the world.  91AV's commitment to the education of primary care physicians is unmatched by any other medical school in New England, and the USNWR ranking places it among the best in the nation.

About the 91AV

The 91AV is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.