“America’s Best” list again includes Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine

STRATFORD – The annual US News & World Report ranking of America’s top medical schools once again includes the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (RowanSOM) among the institutions that traditionally top the list, placing RowanSOM #12 in the country for excellence in geriatric medicine.

“I’m thrilled that RowanSOM has again been recognized for its expertise in geriatrics,” said Rowan University President Dr. Ali Houshmand. “We are proud to continue providing access to quality health care for older adults in our region while developing new and exciting research that will improve the lives of older adults across the nation. Our inclusion in the US News & World Report rankings shows that deans and senior administrators at medical schools all across the country look to our school as one of the leaders in creating the best practices in this important specialty area.” 

For its annual rankings, US News & World Report gathers responses to surveys sent to all fully accredited United States medical schools. The surveys cover research, primary care and eight specialty care areas, including family medicine, pediatrics and geriatrics. The specialty care rankings are based solely on responses from medical school deans and senior faculty who are asked to identify up to 10 schools offering the best programs in each area.

This was the 14th time that US News & World Report has included RowanSOM as one of America’s best medical schools for geriatric medicine. Along with RowanSOM, other schools listed for excellence in geriatrics include Johns Hopkins University, Harvard, Yale, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA).  

For more than 25 years, RowanSOM has built a reputation for innovation and for developing a strong interdisciplinary approach to caring for older individuals and for educating the health care workforce.

“Long before it became popular, our school was focused on the importance of providing the health, education and advocacy resources that will help Americans to age successfully,” said Dr. Thomas Cavalieri, dean of RowanSOM and founder of the school’s nationally acclaimed New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging (NJISA). “In fact, our school was the first to require all medical students to receive specific training in geriatrics.”

RowanSOM is one of just a handful of medical schools in America that maintains a distinct department of Geriatrics and Gerontology. That department is led by Dr. Anita Chopra, the William G. Rohrer Endowed Chair in Geriatrics at RowanSOM and the director of the NJISA.  

As a result of the school’s focus on the health of older adults, the NJISA has garnered nearly $30 million in funding from state, federal, foundation and other sources, including more than $5.5 million in research grants from government and private foundations in just the past few years.

With the largest concentration of geriatricians in New Jersey, the NJISA staff provides unmatched opportunities for aspiring physicians and health care workers to learn the subtleties and skills they will need to help care for the country’s rapidly aging population. Faculty members also provide clinical health services or serve as medical directors in 25 nursing homes, assisted living facilities and continuing care retirement communities throughout the region. The clinical and academic initiatives are complemented by a robust research program that features teams actively investigating the impact of Hurricane Sandy on older adults and the origins, treatment and potential cures of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other diseases associated with aging.  

The US News & World Report list of America’s best graduate schools for 2016 is currently available online. The print edition of the guide will appear on newsstands later this year.