Mission Statement

The Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) is an academic unit of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) which is the state's university of the health sciences. The medical school is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in the education of health professionals, in the conduct of biomedical, clinical, and public health research, in the delivery of health care and in the promotion of community health for the residents of the state. RWJMS maintains programs at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels and conducts continuing education courses for health professionals as well as community education programs. These efforts are focused on the development of ethical, integrated, comprehensive, culturally sensitive models of health promotion, disease prevention, and medical management that encompasses all levels of care.

As an institution supported by the state, RWJMS selects most of its student body from New Jersey residents. In pursuit of a diverse student body, special efforts are made to recruit and support students and other trainees from underrepresented minority groups and women. Further, the graduation of medical students who are likely to pursue careers in primary care is a special concern.

In support of its mission, the school has adopted the following strategies:

• Excellence in educational programs is achieved through the work of a scholarly and creative faculty, a productive staff and a high-achieving and diverse student body. The faculty delivers high quality instruction in an academic environment that engenders collegiality, promotes active self-directed learning, and sets high standards of ethical conduct. Students are encouraged to develop a lifelong commitment to learning and professional growth that will enable them to cope effectively with the rapidly expanding body of health related information and knowledge.
  
• Excellence in scholarship is promoted by encouraging and supporting exemplary individual research, creative interdisciplinary activities, and cooperative inter-institutional linkages. The advancement of biotechnology is encouraged in cooperation with the large corporate infrastructure of the State of New Jersey. Scholarship includes basic research, clinical research, health services and other population-based research and research in health education. The value of such scholarship is best judged by its degree of acceptance by peers, its contribution to the body of scientific knowledge, and its usefulness to society.
  
• Excellence in the delivery of health care is essential to the creation of an environment that is optimal for teaching and research and is important as an exemplar for the community. Emphasis must be on the health of families and of the community as well as the health of individuals. Health promotion and disease prevention comprise important components of clinical care and are emphasized where appropriate in the course of patient care. Sufficient resources, support, and authority are provided to the professional staff so they can approach their work with a spirit of caring and a commitment to innovation, creativity, and continuous improvement.
  
• Excellence in the promotion of a healthy society is pursued through research, education, and public health broadly defined as it affects the health of citizens. These efforts maximize the impact that the medical school can have on the health of the public.