Fast Facts

Established in 1976 as the only four-year medical school in Southern New Jersey, the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine (UMDNJ-SOM) is the state’s only college of osteopathic medicine.
UMDNJ-SOM is dedicated to providing excellence in medical education, research and health care for New Jersey and the nation. An emphasis on primary health care and community health services reflects the School’s osteopathic philosophy, with specialty care and centers of excellence demonstrating our commitment to innovation and quality in all endeavors. The School seeks to develop clinically skillful, compassionate and culturally competent physicians from diverse backgrounds, who are prepared to become leaders in their communities.
UMDNJ-SOM is a leader in providing opportunities for medical education to New Jersey students. For the 162 students selected from over 4,000 applicants for admission in August 2012, 81% are New Jersey residents, with 17% from South Jersey. As well as the D.O. degree, the school offers a range of dual and joint-degree options to students with interests in law, management, public health or research.
UMDNJ-SOM is ranked #1 of all U.S. osteopathic medical schools in the percentage of underrepresented minority student enrollment (18%) and total minority student enrollment (56%). Pipeline and articulation programs support the school’s diversity commitment.
UMDNJ-SOM is at the forefront of addressing the need for more physicians; it has expanded class size by 50% over the past two years.
UMDNJ-SOM is a major source of primary care physicians for the State and South Jersey. Of the more than 2,000 graduates of UMDNJ-SOM, half practice in the State, of whom about 50 percent deliver primary care. For 11 percent of UMDNJ-SOM alumni, at least half of their practice hours are in medically underserved communities. More than half of 2012 graduates entered primary care residencies.
UMDNJ-SOM has one of the largest Graduate Medical Education Programs (350+ interns, residents and fellows) of all U.S. osteopathic medical schools. The UMDNJ-SOM Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institution (OPTI) includes seven hospital systems – Kennedy University Hospital (three acute care divisions), Lourdes Health System (two acute care divisions), Christ Hospital, Meridian Health System-K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, Cooper University Hospital, Atlantic Health (two acute care divisions), and South Jersey Healthcare (two acute care divisions) – and dozens of affiliated training sites across the Delaware Valley region.
UMDNJ-SOM has among the largest number of faculty as compared to all U.S. osteopathic medical schools, with 182 full-time faculty, 46 part-time faculty, and over 440 volunteer faculty.
UMDNJ-SOM has a large network of clinical affiliates in South Jersey. UMDNJ-SOM’s principal hospital system, Kennedy University Hospital (Cherry Hill, Stratford and Washington Township), and major teaching affiliates, Lourdes Health System (Camden and Willingboro) and South Jersey Healthcare (Bridgeton, Elmer and Vineland) represent eight inpatient sites in five counties, handle about 80,000 admissions per year and a diverse and growing population of about 1.5 million.
UMDNJ-SOM is a leader in patient care - 250,000 patients per year to The University Doctors, UMDNJ-SOM’s faculty practice plan.
Bringing approximately $13 million in research and extramural funding, including funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), into the state, UMDNJ-SOM is a leader as compared to all U.S. osteopathic medical schools.
UMDNJ-SOM has a strong community service mission, sponsoring the three Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) – the only programs of their type in the state – in Bridgeton/Vineland, Camden City, and Atlantic City for over 30 years, and serving Camden City through the Camden Free Clinic and St. Luke’s-Latino Health Center.
UMDNJ-SOM promotes interdisciplinary collaboration in education, service and research with five other schools of UMDNJ that offer programs on the 32-acre Stratford campus: the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; the School of Nursing; the School of Health Related Professions; the School of Public Health; and the New Jersey Dental School.
The economic impact of the UMDNJ Stratford campus continues to grow, as it provides almost 2,000 jobs. At the same time, the housing and living needs of approximately 1,200 students attending the six schools on the campus are a significant generator of economic activity for Stratford and the region.
The NJ Institute for Successful Aging at UMDNJ-SOM , currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, has been ranked among the best U.S. medical schools for geriatric medical education by U.S. News and World Report – and has been among the top 20 schools for 11 years.
The Child Abuse Research Education and Service (CARES) Institute at UMDNJ-SOM , also celebrating its 25th anniversary, is a national leader in the development of comprehensive diagnostic and treatment programs to address both the medical and mental health needs of children experiencing abuse. The federal government has recognized the CARES treatment program as the national model for detecting and treating child victims of sexual abuse and their families.
The NeuroMusculoskeletal Institute (NMI) uses a unique multi-disciplinary approach that includes physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical therapy, interventional procedures, osteopathic manipulation, headache specialists, orthopedic surgery, a medically-supervised gym, and a specialized program for pain management in patients infected with HIV.
The vision of UMDNJ-SOM is to be the best osteopathic medical school in the nation.