Cooper Medical School of Rowan University welcomes new med students

Sixty four new students started their medical education this week at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU). The incoming students joined CMSRU’s charter class, now second-year medical students at the Camden school, expanding enrollment from 50 to 114 students.   

Thirty-five women and 29 men, ranging in age from 22 to 36 years old, comprise the Class of 2017. They were selected from nearly 4000 applicants, 306 of whom were invited to interview at the school. The students hail from 12 different states, with more than half from New Jersey. Their socioeconomic, cultural and educational backgrounds are diverse, but all share the drive to become successful physicians and the passion to affect change in their communities.  Fifty percent of the class have chosen to live in the City of Camden, exemplifying CMSRU’s mission to positively impact the city it calls home.

“We are excited to welcome these 64 new first year students to our school and to the City of Camden,” said Paul Katz, MD, Dean of CMSRU.  “They are entering a vibrant and dynamic community that is full of promise. All around us, positive changes are taking place – at Rowan University, at Cooper University Hospital and in this City.  CMSRU is proud to be preparing 114 men and women to become stewards of this unprecedented growth, and we look forward to witnessing their impact on the future of healthcare in South Jersey.”

The incoming students participated in a week-long orientation program designed to familiarize them with the each other, the faculty, the school and the City of Camden.  A highlight of the week was a scavenger hunt through the City of Camden, which ended at Harleigh Cemetery, the final resting place for two famous Camden poets – Walt Whitman and Nick Virgilio.  Students also participated in get-to-know-you team building activities; workshops on CMSRU’s curriculum and student life; a panel discussion with community members and a service learning fair; and social events with second year students.  On September 21, the Class of 2017 will take part in a White Coat Ceremony, which marks the beginning of their transformation into medical professionals.

CMSRU was established in June 2009 through a partnership between Rowan University and The Cooper Health System and is located in Camden, NJ.  The first new medical school in New Jersey in over 35 years, CMSRU will help address the physician shortage locally and nationally, and improve healthcare throughout the region.  With its innovative curriculum, state-of-the-art facility and commitment to serving the community, CMSRU will provide a comprehensive, progressive medical education for physicians of tomorrow.