Food as Medicine in Maine (FaMM): A University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine Initiative

Date Published March 15, 2026

Project Date December 2024 - July 2026

Northeast Nutrition, Obesity, Diabetes and Metabolism

Scalable Food as Medicine Certificate Program that engages students through experiential learning and community engagement

Stacey Peirce-Talsma

This initiative is supported through AACOM’s Food As Medicine Grant program to design a scalable Food as Medicine Certificate Program that engages students through experiential learning and community engagement.

The Food As Medicine Grant was offered to support member COMs in operationalizing those five guiding principles. Eligible applicants included pre-accredited or accredited COMs in the United States, and collaborations with community organizations, registered dietitians, chefs, and other healthcare professionals were encouraged. Developing COMs participating in AACOM’s consulting programs were also eligible. Award decisions were finalized in December 2024, and funds were issued directly to the COMs; awardees have until July 2026 to deploy grant funds. The grant opportunity emphasized innovative curriculum development, experiential learning formats, interprofessional collaboration, and clinical training components in nutritional counseling as mechanisms to equip future osteopathic physicians with practical knowledge and skills to use nutrition in preventing and managing chronic disease.

For preclinical education specifically, the grant supports efforts to embed Food As Medicine concepts early in students’ training so that foundational medical knowledge is informed by nutritional approaches to health and disease. Supported activities could include integrating nutrition content throughout basic science and clinical skills courses, developing case-based or problem-based learning modules that emphasize dietary interventions, and creating experiential learning opportunities such as culinary medicine workshops or community-engaged projects that connect students with patients and local food resources. Interprofessional collaboration is highlighted as a core element, encouraging COMs to partner with dietitians, chefs, community organizations, and other health professionals to deliver authentic, team-based learning experiences and to model coordinated care that includes nutrition counseling.

The grant framework also encourages COMs to build clinical training in nutritional counseling, preparing students to incorporate dietary assessment and counseling into patient encounters across specialties. By supporting curriculum development and hands-on learning, the initiative aims to foster physician competency in nutrition-related prevention and management strategies and to advance holistic, patient-centered care consistent with osteopathic principles.

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COM Affiliation

University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine

Funding Type

Foundation/Non-profit

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