UNE COM American Geriatrics Society and Gerontological Society of America Student Chapter
Membership
Membership is open to COM MS I, II, III, and IV.
The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) offers free student membership with access to online journals for student members and officers
The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) offers free memberships to the president and vice president (included in the chapter fee paid by UNE COM) and a $99 yearly membership fee for others not in those roles. The student member group of GSA is referred to as the Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization (ESPO).
Professional memberships are important to include on your Curriculum Vitae.
Mentors
Mission
The UNE COM AGS/GSA student chapter promotes education and engagement in geriatrics and palliative care to develop professional and personal expertise for students and faculty in providing health care for and working with older adults and their families.
Objectives
- Support the missions of the AGS and the GSA, including a commitment to reframing aging and reducing ageism.
- Increase the awareness of older adult health through the application of the Age Friendly Health System model (4 Ms – matters most, medications, mentation, and mobilization) including mindfulness regarding cultural sensitivity, lifestyle, economics, and educational diversity and supporting the heterogeneity/individuality of older people as they age and during dying and death.
- Advance knowledge, skills, and attitudes associated with cutting-edge treatment of chronic and acute diseases, palliative care, and end of life care; keeping in mind the use of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM), Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), and other modalities that aid in improving quality of life.
- Provide opportunities to learn about and conduct translational research on aging, including providing support to apply for age-related research scholarships.
- Develop and promote educational activities in geriatrics/gerontology, palliative and end of life care within COM and the community at large.
- Develop, implement, and maintain various community connections with older adults and UNE students.
- Partner with other GSA student chapters nationally and internationally to create programming and opportunities to advance our mission.
Elected Student Leadership Positions
Student elections for the AGS/GSA student chapter usually take place in January of each year. At this point, second year students mentor the first-year students who have been elected in. Term of office for each leadership position is one year, from the time of the election in January to January of the next year. Some years the elections are held in December, with the newly elected officers starting in early January.
Elected positions include:
- President
- Vice President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Community relations coordinator
- GEM community helpers co-directors
AGS/GSA Student Chapter Opportunities
The following is a general list of the opportunities for the UNE COM AGS/GSA student chapter officers and members.
- Participate in the UNE COM Osteoblast event held in the spring. You speak to incoming students about the variety of activities UNE COM AGS/GSA student chapter members participate in and also include other activities to engage Osteoblast attendees.
- Design and implement a “Buddy Program” with older adults in the surrounding communities. You are matched with older adult companions who either live in the community, in assisted living, or in a nursing home. Visits are arranged between you and your buddy.
- Design and implement the GEM Community Helpers Program in which two medical students each year are voted in as co-directors for the program and manage requests from the GEMs to assist with jobs in the house or yard, computer help, or other tasks that take no more than an hour to complete.
- Volunteer at various older adult living environments to make dinner, dance, have game or movie nights, and engage in activities of interest for both the older residents and student chapter members.
- Make and deliver holiday stockings and Valentine’s Day gifts for nursing home residents.
- Plan a Sock Hop and/or a Murder Mystery Dinner each year and invite students, faculty, staff, and GEMs.
- Partner with other UNE COM clubs and organizations to provide educational programming or community service.