New Jersey Medical School

New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) is the oldest school of medicine in the U.S. state of New Jersey, predating its broader parent institution the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) by 16 years. The school of medicine was founded in 1954 as the Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry, established under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. On August 6, 1954, the College was incorporated as a legal entity separate from Seton Hall University, but with an interlocking Board of Trustees. The first class of 80 students was admitted to the four-year MD program in September 1956, becoming only the sixth medical school in the New York City metropolitan area.

In 1965, the institution was acquired by the State of New Jersey and renamed the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry (NJCMD). The following year, the Rutgers Medical School opened as a two-year basic science institution offering the master of medical science (M.M.S.) degree. With the passing of the Medical and Dental Education Act of 1970, signed into law by Governor Cahill on June 16, the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (CMDNJ) was created, merging NJCMD with the medical school of Rutgers University under a single board of trustees. This allowed the Rutgers Medical School to confer their first doctor of medicine degrees in June 1974. Prior to this union, students of the Rutgers Medical School transferred to other four-year institutions to complete their medical education.

With the creation of the CMDNJ, the medical school adopted its title the New Jersey Medical School. In 1981, legislation signed on December 10 by Governor Byrne established CMDNJ as the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). NJMS serves as the primary hub for one of five regional campuses that constitute the UMDNJ health science institution. With a cohesive student body, each class consisting of 170 students, NJMS is experiencing impressive growth on a number of fronts.

Research
In 2004, the school received $104 million in extramural grants supporting basic, clinical and translational research. New Jersey Medical School is also home to the Global Tuberculosis Institute, The Institute for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, and the Center for Emerging and Reemerging Pathogens. New Jersey Medical School is a charter member of the New Jersey Stem Cell Research and Education Foundation. The Summer Student Research Program provides students with stipends to conduct research in the laboratories of NJMS faculty. Each year, more than 100 first- and second-year students, as well as prospective students considering medical school, participate in the program, which has a strong emphasis on cancer research and heart, lung and blood research. NJMS faculty have contributed significantly to medical science breakthroughs including the development of the world-wide standard in knee replacement, the New Jersey Knee; a patented method for the early detection of Lyme disease; the identification of pediatric AIDS and the development of drug-therapy to reduce the likelihood of pre-natal transmission; and proof of the connection between smoking and cancer resulting in the warning message printed on cigarette packages.

Teaching Hospitals
New Jersey Medical School’s core teaching hospital, The University Hospital, is located on campus. The is home to a Level I Trauma Center, the busiest in the state, and one of the nation’s most active liver transplant programs. The 504-bed facility is also highly regarded for its Comprehensive Stroke Center, the New Jersey Cardiovascular Institute (NJCI), the cochlear Implant Program, a neurosurgical intensive care unit and a special Brain Tumor Program, the Neurological Institute of New Jersey, a federally designated spinal cord injury program and The University Center for Bloodless Surgery and Medicine. University Hospital is also the state’s single largest provider of charity care. Approximately 500 residents are pursuing advanced clinical training at University Hospital in 18 accredited programs.

Other major affiliated teaching sites include Hackensack University Medical Center, Morristown Memorial Hospital, and the East Orange Veterans Affairs Hospital.

History

 * August 6, 1954 - Incorporation papers to establish the Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (SHCMD) are filed
 * September 1955 - Construction of teaching and clinical facilities at Jersey City Medical Center begins; a 15-story outpatient building is converted into laboratories and classrooms
 * September 1956 - The school admits its first class of 72 students
 * December 22, 1964 - Governor Richard Hughes signs the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry Act of 1964; SHCMD is purchased by the state for $4 million
 * May 3, 1965 - Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry is renamed the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry (NJCMD)
 * July 1, 1968 - New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry assumes operation of Newark City Hospital from the city and renames the complex the Harrison S. Martland Medical Unit of NJCMD. It becomes the school's principal teaching facility
 * September 1969 - New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry moves to Newark
 * June 16, 1970 - Medicine and Dentistry Education Act establishes the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - combining Rutgers Medical School and the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry under one Board of Trustees. The medical school is officially named New Jersey Medical School
 * April 1, 1971 - The Housing Authority of Newark conveys 45.7 acres of Newark 's Central Ward to construct a permanent campus
 * September 1977 - NJMS moves into the new Medical Sciences Building which features 606000 sqft of classrooms, research laboratories and faculty space
 * January 1979 - College Hospital opens replacing Martland Hospital
 * 1982- College Hospital becomes University Hospital