Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why a new Medical School?

There is a shortage of M.D. graduates, and we need to solve this problem before it becomes a health care crisis. New Jersey ranks 33rd of all states in graduating M.D.s. New Jersey also has a higher-than-average number of active physicians nearing retirement. Further, New Jersey has become highly dependent on international medical graduates to fill positions.

There is a physician shortage on a national basis as well. The Association of American Medical Colleges has recommended a 30% increase in medical school slots.

At a time when there is a call for increased medical school graduates, it is logical that the most effective and cost-efficient way to ramp up is for highly successful 2-year clinical campuses, such as the one in Camden, to evolve into new 4-year schools.

Why Rowan and Cooper?

This will give Southern New Jersey its own allopathic medical school, which will serve as an engine to stimulate both academic and economic growth in the region. National benchmarks indicate a three dollar multiplier effect for every one dollar invested in a medical school.

In recent years in Camden, the “Eds and Meds” institutions have been able to leverage the state’s investment in a very successful fashion.

The marriage of these two dynamic, lean and geographically proximate institutions will foster creativity and allow efficient decision making.

Rowan’s graduate programs will dovetail well with a medical school curriculum.

The resulting strong academic medical center can better compete with Philadelphia academic medical institutions, thereby keeping health care dollars in New Jersey. Right now, there is a $2 billion annual out-migration of health care spending and related economic activity across the river to Pennsylvania.

A new regionally-based medical school should appeal to the South Jersey philanthropic community, boosting fundraising for the new school.

The new medical school envisions producing physicians who are equipped to help solve our country’s health care delivery problems, and who have a sense of social responsibility.

Why will this Medical School be successful?

Rowan is an excellent University with a great vision for the future.

The Cooper faculty is experienced and ready. Cooper has served as a clinical campus for the UMDNJ/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School for the past thirty years. Cooper’s physician faculty is highly experienced in training medical students.

The physical plant is strong. With the opening of its state-of-the-art eleven floor Pavilion, Cooper’s physical plant has been fully modernized to accommodate the clinical training needs of a four year allopathic Medical School.
Outside experts recommend this endeavor. Two sets of outside experts have concluded that the evolution of the Camden Campus to a four year medical school is feasible and the campus is well prepared to achieve that goal. appropriate to proceed with these plans. The outside consultants, hired by UMDNJ, concluded that “the Cooper Health System appears remarkably well prepared to achieve that goal”.

Proximity is a plus. Cooper and Rowan are bound together by their locations in southern New Jersey and their desire to serve the needs of the community and participate in its economic development. Their proximity will also facilitate faculty and student interaction and the sharing of laboratories, and other facilities. Rowan has already made clear its commitment to expansion in Camden, through its recent purchase of a building to expand undergraduate programs here.

Rowan brings strong academic assets. Rowan has the capacity to assist the new medical school in the development of needed academic infrastructure, such as the library system, information systems, and more. Both Cooper and Rowan are interested in creativity and innovation and will complement each other well.

How can the Cooper Medical School at Rowan University be created?

The primary vehicle is the Executive Reorganization Act N.J.S.A. 52: 14c-1 et seq. Pursuant to that act, the Governor may transfer “the whole or part of an agency, or the whole or part of the functions thereof, to the jurisdiction of another agency.”

Why not UMDNJ?

This was a decision by the Governor to move a four-year school forward immediately. UMDNJ is not in a financial position to finance the necessary new building at this time.

Where will the money come from to run the new Medical School?

Existing levels of funding to the Camden Campus plus tuition from the new students and reasonable assumptions with respect to research grants and private donations are sufficient to run the new Medical School.

How will a new medical school building be achieved?

Site acquisition, at the southwest corner of Broadway and Benson Streets, in Camden, is nearing completion and has already been paid for. A 160,000 square foot education and research building has been preliminarily designed. Nine million dollars towards construction of the new building has been appropriated through the Camden Recovery Act of 2002.

Rowan has excellent credit and bonding capacity. Based on its excellent financial rating and reputation in the investment community, Rowan is able to self-finance the new building.

The new Medical School also has great potential to attract strong donor support from the private sector.

What are the next steps to the creation of the school?

Rowan with Cooper’s assistance must now embark on a rather lengthy (two-to-three year) and arduous process of formally applying to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) to achieve preliminary accreditation. There are multiple steps, including recruiting the Founding Dean and the leadership team; finalization of the design and the subsequent erection of the new medical school building; the development of the curriculum and completion of the extensive LCME application.

When will the first students be able to start?

The goal is to accept students to enter in September 2012.

How many students will there be in each class?

100.

What will happen to the Robert Wood Johnson students already “in the pipeline” at Cooper?

The Governor’s transition provides for the education of RWJMS students in Camden until 2013.