Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

Brief Background:

Ages ago, a dream began that there will be a four-year medical school in Camden, New Jersey. In 2012, this dream was fulfilled with the establishment of the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. Cooper has been engaged in medical education since 1887 when Cooper Hospital was established. Cooper started its 40-year hunt to become a four-year medical school in 1970, and this hunt officially began in 1975 when legislation to bring a medical school to New Jersey was signed by Governor Brendan Byrne. For the next 30 years, Cooper was a primary clinical campus for third and fourth-year medical school students from UMDNJ (University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) which was later named Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. As the goal of Cooper was to open a medical school in New Jersey, it partnered with Rowan University which is an academic center with long dedication and commitment to New Jersey and it was recognized for its remarkable strategic growth at a national stage. In June 2008, Cooper’s partnership with UMDNJ was officially ended by Governor Jon S. Corzine and recognized the Cooper-Rowan partnership. After a year, Cooper Medical School of University was established by Rowan University and The Cooper Health System through an executive order.

Overview:

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University is recognized as the first medical school to be founded in New Jersey in 35 years. It was officially founded in 2012. As it is the new medical school, Cooper has the advantage of being able to evolve a curriculum that provides various unique teaching methods that will aid in the improvement of the academic learning, focus on active learning and persistent and early exposure to the clinical patient care. In 2016, several milestones were achieved by the Cooper Medical School at Rowan University. The College is equipped with modern technology and infrastructure along with the top-rated facility. The University has a team of top-rated professionals and subject matter experts who are accountable for innovative medical advancements and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments.

Location and Contact Information:

Location: 401 Broadway, Camden, NJ 08103, United States

Contact:

For Admissions:

- 1. Office of Admissions

admissions@coopermed.rowan.edu (856) 361-2850

For other inquiries:

- 1. Michele Puliti

Assistant to the Dean puliti@rowan.edu (856) 361-2800 (Main)

Leading Principles:

The four leading principles of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University are:

Educate:

- Follow exceptional approaches to teaching and experimental learning.
- To be able to demonstrate deductive reasoning in solving clinical problems, including situations in which information is incomplete or ambiguous.
- To be able to recognize and respond appropriately to medical situations that are immediately life-threatening.

Innovate:

- To possess a dedication to continual enhancement of clinical skills.
- To possess a dedication to lifelong learning and an appreciation for the role of science in medical advances.
- To demonstrate a commitment to excellence and ongoing professional development.

Lead:

- To possess the willingness to lead when leadership is required.
- To be able to work effectively with the other members of the health care team.

Serve:

- To possess a commitment to promote the health and well-being of the communities served.
- To possess a dedication to the well-being and needs of patients.

Mission:

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University is dedicated to equipping its students with an enlightened education in the art of the medicine within a scientific community in which advance teaching and research, high-quality patient care and service to the community are valued.

Vision:

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University’s vision is to recognize itself as an innovative leader in the medical field and research, keeping its focus on developing comprehensive systems of healthcare for the underprivileged community as an example to address the problems of patient care in this century and beyond.

Educational Programs:

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University offers a wide range of educational programs in the healthcare field. The primary focus of CMSRU is the four-year curriculum which leads to MD-Degree. Moreover, it offers various programs that are designed to prepare students of all ages for careers in healthcare from university’s ongoing programs that are focused on bringing healthcare education to Camden’s elementary school students, high school’s summer programs and college students who are looking for a career in healthcare, to its post-baccalaureate program which designed to prepare students with a bachelor’s degree in a way that will help them navigate their route of admission to the medical school successfully. Cooper Medical School of Rowan University offers several programs that are specifically designed for financially and other underprivileged students which are aligned with University’s mission to improve diversity and access to a career in the different healthcare fields. In addition to this, it also provides tuition-based offerings that are available for interested students. It offers several programs which are listed below:

MD Education:

CMRSU believes in providing students with an innovative four-year program where they are exposed to various cases to connect and implement their basic science knowledge with clinical relevance. The coursework of MD Education is divided into two phases. Phase I is known as Foundation and Integration and Phase II is known as Application, Exploration, and Advancement. Phase I includes the first two years basically, after which students can develop the scientific knowledge and skills and they’ll be ready to connect those skills with the clinical practice. In Phase II, which consists of the last two years of medical school, students are exposed to the clinical care and they’re provided advanced knowledge to the social and ethical aspects of care.

Admission Process:

NOTE: Cooper Medical School of Rowan University doesn’t accept transfer applications.

Step One: AMCAS Application and MCAT

To apply to the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, applicants are required to apply through AMCAS. The application is submitted through AMCAS official website. The AMCAS application cycle is from June to December and the college will not accept unverified or incomplete AMCAS applications. All the applicants applying to CMSRU are also required to submit valid MCAT scores and they can register for MCAT through the AMCAS website. For the latest admissions cycle, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University will be engaged in the Early Decision Program and to qualify for this program, students must have a GPA of 3.6 in the science courses such as Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics, and having a 3.5 GPA overall. Students that are interested in the EDP Program must submit their AMCAS application and MCAT score and all related official transcripts by 1^st August.

Step Two: Secondary Application

All the complete and verified AMCAS applications, MCAT scores and all valid official documents will be reviewed to check their academic authenticity. Incomplete or unverified documents will not be screened. After this process, selected candidates will be invited on a rolling basis to complete the secondary application.

Step Three: Interview Selection Screening

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University will perform a detailed review of all the completed and verified applications to decide whether to invite an applicant for an interview or not.

Step Four: Interview

Selected applicants will be called for an interview on the interview day.

Step Five: Admission Decision

Admission through the Early Decision Program will be informed by mid to late September. Regular admissions of MD will be notified in October per AAMC traffic rules. After October, applicants will be notified about their admission within three weeks of a candidate’s interview date.

Step Six: Acceptance and Deposit

To accept the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University’s offer, selected students are required to submit a deposit within two weeks of receiving the acceptance offer.

- PC3 Program:

CMSRU offers a three-year PC3 program, which is designed for students who want to explore their career in Primary Care Internal Medicine or Pediatrics.

- Requirements for PC3 Track:
- Dedicated to enter Primary Care Internal Medicine or Primary Care Pediatrics.
- Mature enough to excel in an accelerated three-year program.
- A strong academic background.

Application Process for PC3 Track:

After being accepted in CMSRU, students can apply to PC3 Track. Students will be interviewed by the PC3 track’s faculty and Cooper residency programs through a separate process. Students should apply at pc3@rowan.edu.

- 1. A personal statement (maximum 800 words) that describes student’s desire to become a Primary Care Internist or Pediatrician and consists of some qualities that make him the best candidate for the PC3 Program.
  2. A recent curriculum account, highlighting any accomplishment and skills that support student’s interest in a primary care career.

Contact Information for PC3 Program:

For additional information about the program, students may contact:

- Camille Henry, MD

Internal Medicine-Pediatrics PC3 Director

- Mary Pileggi, RN, BSN

PC3 Coordinator pc3@rowan.edu.

- Post-Baccalaureate Program:

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University offers The Post Baccalaureate in Advanced Premedical Studies which is a flexible academic program. The courses of this program are taught by top-rated faculty and build upon the knowledge base on the premedical core sequence from an undergraduate degree, incorporating high-level problem solving and teamwork.

Admission Requirements:

Below is the list of items that are required to start with the application process:

- There should be a complete Rowan Global Online Application Form.
- An application fee of $65 (non-refundable).
- A Bachelor’s degree or it’s equivalent from a recognized institute.
- Valid official transcripts from all the colleges attended.
- The minimum CGPA requirement is 3.00 out of 4.00.
- Complete UG courses required from a recognized institute:
- General Biology (total 8 credits which includes 2 semesters with labs)
- General Chemistry (total 8 credits which includes 2 semesters with labs)
- Complete UG courses suggested from a recognized institute:
- General Physics (total 8 credits which includes 2 semesters with labs)
- Organic Chemistry (total 8 credits which includes 2 semesters with labs)
- A reported and valid MCAT score if taken.
- A printed personal statement (not more than 1000-1500) describing your pathway to medical school.
- Around two letters of recommendation from dean, professors or any academic advisor.
- One letter of recommendation must be from a science professor.
- A current resume.

Admission Selection Process:

Applications will be reviewed in 2 cycles:

- Cycle 1: Those applications received on 1^st February will be reviewed by 28^th
- Cycle 2: Those applications received between 2^nd February and 1^st May will be reviewed by 15^th
- Applications meeting following criteria will be granted admission in the Post-baccalaureate Program automatically:
- An overall 3.5 GPA or higher.
- A BCPM 3.2 GPA or higher.
- MCAT score should be 5,000 or higher.
- Outstanding proof of extracurricular participation in at least two of the following domains: clinical scribing or shadowing, translational research, or community service.
- Premedical Urban Leaders Summer Enrichment (PULSE)

PULSE is basically, a 6-weeks long, summer academic program for UG students who are interested in pursuing their careers in healthcare. PULSE’s main focus is on urban health needs and for that, it includes clinical, research, academic and service-learning opportunities to serve those needs. It is developed by Cooper Medical School of Rowan University to help students to become long-lasting learners and allow them to use their basic knowledge to make a difference in the communities they’re going to serve. PULSE is divided into 3 phases which are described below: Phase I: This phase is specifically designed for those students who have just started pre-professional studies. Phase II: This phase is designed for students who have completed the following courses:

- Complete two semesters of Chemistry, Biology, and Organic Chemistry.

Phase III: This phase is designed for those students who have completed nearly all pre-professional science requirements and who are at or near the point of applying to professional school.

- Health Careers Programs for High School Students

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University offers several programs to high school students who want to pursue their career in the healthcare field. CMSRU offers a premier summer program known as MEDacademy which is 4-weeks long and offered to students of high school who are interested in becoming future physicians. Moreover, CMSRU also offers need-based scholarships for the students who qualify for this program. CMSRU also offers an ongoing Saturday program known as Junior Urban Medical Pioneers (JUMP) program for high school students who are planning to pursue their careers in the healthcare field and are excelling in Mathematics and Science. This program is offered to students from 10^th to 12^th grade who are recommended by their guidance advisor.

- Middle/Elementary School Programs.

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University is dedicated to providing opportunities to learn about careers in Math, Science, and Healthcare for Middle/Elementary School students in Southern New Jersey. CMSRU has a Primary Urban Partnership (PUP) program that works with local elementary schools to provide these opportunities and life learning experiences to the students. Currently, CMSRU has active programs with Camden’s Wiggins Elementary School and the ECO Charter School.

Learning Facilities:

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University’s building is designed according to the innovative curriculum, filled with advanced technology to support its community. Following are the few facilities provided by the CMSRU to its students:

University’s building is a 6-story building of 200,000 square foot designed in a way which reflects the historic nature of the community while working on the future.
There are 27 Active Learning rooms in the building.
University is equipped with the rooms which are designed to be home for 8 students for their initial two years of medical school.
The building has an auditorium that provides seating for 250 people and a large multipurpose room with a seating of 140 people.
Also, there is a multipurpose teaching laboratory with a seating of 120 people.
Several floors of research and teaching labs are constructed for the use of students and faculty.
A full-service café for the university community.

Student Life at CMSRU:

- Housing Options:

CMSRU doesn’t provide any on-campus housing facility. However, there are a lot of housing options for CMSRU students who are in and around the city of Camden. These options include apartments in suburban and urban settings, rental houses, single-family homes, and condominiums.

- Student Health Services:

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University provides its registered students necessary medical student healthcare services. These services are provided on-site at the following places; Cooper University Hospital, Student Health Center, and Three Cooper Plaza, Camden. There is a Director of Student Health who keeps an eye on all the health services offered to students.

- Student Counseling Services:

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University has partnered with Student Assistance Program. There are several services offered to students by this program that include Confidential Assistance to Students & Family Members with personal, interpersonal and school performance problems, Assistance with Alcohol/Drug Abuse Problems, Consultation to Academic Advisement/Faculty, Mediation, Coaching, Critical Incident, Stress Management Services, Community Resource Referrals which include Free Legal Consultation (one per year), Management/Supervisory Training Courses.

After Getting into CMSRU:

There are some tips and tricks that need to be kept in mind to effectively get through Medicine School by demonstrating excellent performance and utilization of skills. It is a renowned fact that Medicine School is no joke. It requires effort, long sleepless hours, immense hard work, meeting deadlines, and so forth. Thus it is especially essential to follow some core fundamental techniques to get you by.

Perform daily study:

This phrase is the most commonly used phrase across the world. But this holds an integral importance when it comes to Medicine School. And why is that? Because tackling medicine school on a day-to-day basis is the sole way of ensuring a representable place in the classroom. Medicine school requires versatility in nature, adaptability in routine, resilient and tough working hours where you can either make or break; depending on the way you take this experience. Thus, it is imperative to perform a day-to-day study to ensure your survival; which becomes a necessity, if not an option to many students.

Ability to meet deadlines:

The ability to meet deadlines is an integral part of any institute around the world. This is the primary need of any institute, be it medicine, business, engineering, etc. Meeting deadlines timely is specifically required of the student. If the student, for any reason, is unable to meet his/her deadlines; this, as a result, portrays a lack of professionalism, inability or unwillingness to learn thereby reckoning survival impossible.

Study smartly:

Studying non-stop or studying 18 hours out of 24 hours is an extremely common phenomenon among the students in Medicine School. This capability of long hours of studying by the students sometimes may eliminate or diminish the ‘smart study’ factor. This occurs due to students being overly stressed, paralyzing their brains from thinking smartly or outside the box. Situations like these give rise to long unproductive studying sessions, which consequently, bear no fruit.

Najeeb’s Lectures:

To say the least, these lectures have been a game-changer. These lectures transformed productively and innovatively, the way students study and demonstrate their hard work and their skills. It cannot be emphasized adequately as to how crucial and how much importance every lecture holds in the field of Medicine. Every lecture defines the paradigms of future lectures, thereby missing out on a single lecture create conceptual distortions and ambiguities, thereby paralyzing future concepts. But in the worst of scenarios, there could be valid reasons surrounding the need to leave a lecture. That’s when Dr. Najeeb’s lectures come into play. These lectures shed light on many crucial concepts to facilitate future concepts. These lectures are a click away, and the way they enlighten the students on the puzzling and technical concepts in an easy way is mind-blowing. The subjects encompassing these lectures are Neuro-Anatomy, Embryology, Histology, Physiology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology. The teaching style in these lectures is extremely versatile and flexible; this is because students all over the world are viewing these lectures and this quality is accommodated by adapting to a diverse set of teaching skills, making it comprehensible for the students viewing it. Furthermore, incorporation of visual representation is also accommodated to aid in betting understandability of the vast concepts surrounding this field. The use of the application, with the vast Internet usage, makes it easier and simpler for students to view the lectures from their phones because the availability of laptops may not always be present. Lastly, these lectures will transform your life in the best way possible, if given a fair chance to do so. Furthermore, following these tips will also ensure the necessary success in this field. Don’t give up and never lose hope, keep our tricks and tips in mind and Good luck! For more information, please visit their official website.