Medical Degrees & Schools in New Jersey (NJ)

Medical schools are designed to prepare students for careers as medical doctors, which involves earning an undergraduate degree that meets pre-medical requirements followed by 4 years of medical school, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Aspiring doctors then need to complete internship and residency programs, which range from 3 to 8 years. Medical programs are typically found on the campuses of 4-year universities. In order to be eligible for licensure, aspiring medical professionals must attend a medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. There are four accredited medical colleges in New Jersey. Read on to learn more about the best medical schools in NJ.

Rowan University

The Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden is committed to providing students with a seamless medical education for the duration of the M.D. program. That includes incorporating scientific concepts, patient care and clinical experience into all parts of the 4-year program. First-year students complete courses in DNA recombination and cell division, cell structure, medical practice foundations, cell cycle, DNA analytical techniques and chromosome structure. Through the first 2 years of the program, students gain a scientific background and acquire skills that are reinforced through clinical rotations. In the third and fourth years of the program, students complete clinical practice experiences. Students can also join complementary organizations, such as the Student National Medical Association, Complementary and Alternative Medicine or National Hispanic Medical Association.

New Jersey Medical School (Rutgers University)

The New Jersey Medical School is part of Rutgers University, the largest public university in the state. It is located on the Rutgers campus in Newark. The MD curriculum at this school consists of three phases. In the first phase, which lasts for the first year, students take core biomedical courses, which cover molecular and cellular biology, immunology and organ systems with a focus on patient care. In the second phase, they choose electives and clinical clerkships in particular areas of interest; options include family medicine, pediatrics, surgery, OB/Gyn, neurology and psychiatry. In the third phase, students complete acting-internships that facilitate further career exploration so that they can decide whether they would prefer to pursue acute care or quality of life care in the future.

The school also offers four additional joint degree programs. In the MD/MBA program, students take advanced business courses in addition to standard MD training. Similarly, the MD/MPH program combines medical coursework with studies in public health, such as epidemiology and health education. Both the MD/PhD and MD with Thesis programs provide medical students the opportunity to conduct basic or translational science research in addition to getting practical physician training. An alternative option for aspiring physicians who want to broaden their education without earning a separate degree is to pursue a distinction in service, global health, urban health or entrepreneurship and innovation in medicine. These concentrations generally require students to attend on-campus activities and meetings, take didactic courses in the distinction area and complete a final capstone project.

Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

In addition to the Rutgers University New Jersey Medical School, another of the med schools in NJ is the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. This campus is located in New Brunswick. Their curriculum focuses on four key components: medical science education, research, patient care and community and global health. Their curriculum begins with two preclinical years devoted to studying the body's normal physiology and mechanisms behind diseases and treatments. Students then complete clerkships during their third year and can take elective courses during both their third and fourth years. Some clerkships that students complete during their third year include family medicine, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry and surgery.

Seton Hall Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine

The Seton Hall Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine is located in the town of Nutley, New Jersey. Their curriculum is divided into three phases, each of which accomplishes a different goal in a student's medical training. The first phase is called fundamentals, during which students take courses in science and reasoning. These include Immunity, Infection, & Cancer, The Developing Human, and Nutrition, Metabolism, & Digestion, among others. This phase lasts for sixteen months. Next, students move on to the immersion phase, where they learn practical skills needed to treat patients in a hospital. Finally, students finish with an individualization phase that allows students the opportunity to pursue clinical rotations in specialties that interest them. During this time, students develop an individualized learning plan to suit their individual needs.