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Biddeford, Maine

Eight medical students awarded prestigious national substance use disorder fellowship

A medical student and PA student listen to the heartbeat of a high-fidelity patient simulation mannequin
The Hazelton Betty Ford Summer Institute for Medical Students provides students specialized training in treating patients with addiction and related conditions.

Eight medical students in the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM) have been selected for the highly competitive Hazelden Betty Ford Summer Institute for Medical Students (SIMS) fellowship program. 

Students selected from a nationwide application pool include Class of ’27 students Alison Guzzetti, Sanjay Pai, and Luu Pham and Class of ’28 students Amber Uptergrove, Andrea Meza, Arielle Sedman, Samantha Ansart, and Zheng (Jason) Zhou. Each student will attend an immersive substance use disorder (SUD) training program in Palm Springs, California, this summer. 

The SIMS program equips future physicians with the skills to prevent, identify, and comprehensively treat addiction. Fellows attend lectures, interactive seminars, and clinical experiences focused on developing expertise in SUD screening, intervention, treatment, and recovery.  

This is the second year that UNE’s medical school, Maine’s premier educator of physicians and primary care providers, was selected as a flagship medical school for students to participate in the Betty Ford SIMS application process.   

“We are incredibly proud to have been selected as a flagship medical school once again,” said Marilyn R. Gugliucci, M.A., Ph.D., professor and director of Geriatrics Education and Research at UNE COM. “This group of osteopathic medical students are quite deserving for this immersive and valuable educational opportunity.” 

According to the 2022 Maine Community Health Needs Assessment — the most recent report available — substance and alcohol use was identified as a top priority among all counties across the state. The report stated that, in 2020, the rate of overdose deaths in Maine per 100,000 residents was 37.3 when compared to the national rate of 21.5. The lack of preventative services, including trained professionals, were a factor.  

“This fellowship has the potential for long-term impact for each student as they continue their training to become physicians,” Gugliucci said. “Our students’ commitment to this important area of medicine will undoubtedly make a positive impact on countless lives.” 

Media Contact

Alan Bennett
Office of Communications
abennett11@une.edu

About the University of New England

The University of New England 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 flexible, accredited online degrees. 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.