Making New Connections:
Maine American Academy of
Pediatrics Comes to UNE
By: Jeffrey Stone, D.O., '88
On October 14, 2025 COM hosted a gathering with board members of the MAAP, Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and local pediatricians.
Also in attendance were many 1st and 2nd year COM students from the Pediatric Club. The students, with great pride, gave tours of their new educational facility in Portland. The pediatricians were able to see how well future physicians, including future pediatricians are being trained at COM.
I was fortunate, both as a D.O and as a member of the UNE COM Class of 1988 to attend the event as a board member of the Maine AAP. The AAP board does these mixers twice a year in different sites around Maine. I thought this would be a great way to mingle local Portland area Pediatricians with future pediatricians at COM's new facility. COM will be instrumental in beginning the training of future Pediatricians to replace those of us Maine Pediatricians who are at or close to retirement.
Brian Youth,MD, President of the MAAP had this to say "The new UNE medical school facility is state of the art. It was wonderful having the chance to interact with many of the first and second year medical students as well as have an informative tour of their learning spaces,labbs and work spaces.
Maine AAP was so thankful for the opportunity to meet with and engage medical students considering a career in pediatrics. Our rural state is in need of primary care providers that value the holostic care that is central to UNE's mission in training medical students."
Dr. Youth is the past director of.the Pediatric Residency program at Maine Medical Center in Portland.
Dee Kerry, Executive DIrector of the MAAP said "The Maine AAP was pleased to partner with the University of New England for a recent engagement event promoting careers in pediatrics.
The session drew and enthusiastic turnout and feedback for participating students was overwhelmingly positive. Faculty also noted how highly engaged the medical students were throughout the event. We look forward to continuing to support and inspire the next generation of pediatricians and hope to hold this event annually. "