Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, the only DO School in the State of New Jersey 

Do you want to become the type of physician that treats the whole patient and not just the symptoms? Rowan-Virtua SOM has a long track record of graduating clinically-skillful, competent and compassionate physicians that become leaders in the state of NJ and the nation. We are one of only a small number of medical schools that offer medical education on the same campus where student clerkships, residency programs, and patient visits all take place. 
 

Mind, body and spirit are the foundation of osteopathic medicine - an approach to medical care that considers the whole patient, the environment, and the community when determining a course of medical treatment. As part of a more holistic approach to medical care, D.O.s learn and practice a form of osteopathic manipulative medicine, in which hands-on care is integral in the body's healing process.
 

Rowan-Virtua SOM, a nationally-ranked osteopathic medical school located 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia, less than two hours from bustling New York city and an hour away from the famous Jersey Shore, offers a student-centered education in a family-like atmosphere. Explore your degree options and plan to D.O. more with your medical education!

Vision and Mission

Our Vision

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine will improve access, affordability and quality of both education and healthcare for our community and the nation.

Our Mission

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine prepares future physicians and scientists who are committed to improving health in New Jersey and throughout the nation.

To advance our mission we:

• Develop clinically skillful, compassionate and culturally competent physicians from diverse backgrounds who are grounded in our osteopathic philosophy and ready to meet future healthcare workforce needs;
• Advance research, innovation and discovery to improve health and solve the medical challenges of today and the future; and we
• Provide exceptional patient-centered care, with an emphasis on primary and interprofessional team-based care that responds to the needs of the community including underserved and special needs populations.

Meeting Tomorrow’s Challenges

• Recently opened second campus location!
  • In an effort to respond to the growing physician shortage in New Jersey and the nation, Rowan-Virtua SOM established a second campus location which is a two-story 55,000 square foot building located 15 minutes from our Stratford campus in Sewell, NJ. The facility has a clinical practice on the first floor and state of the art medical education and research space on the second floor. This synergy of having opportunities for both academic and clinical training provided in the same building will provide a unique learning environment designed to enhance and expand students’ exposure to medical services and spanning the spectrum from primary care, behavioral and mental health services, pain management, addiction and recovery services, specialty care, and most notably care and treatment for persons with physical and cognitive disabilities at the Rowan Integrated Special Needs Center (RISN). The additional campus will expand our incoming class size from 200 to 272. There will be seamless and simultaneous delivery of our new Tensegrity curriculum across both campuses, however Rowan-Virtua SOM Sewell will deliver Tensegrity using our distinctive Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model.
• Major expansion of our Simulation Lab
  • Our Simulation Center is completed an expansion project which tripled the size of our physical space and increased the volume and variety of programming we offer to students.  The new space, which opened in Fall 2020, created dedicated rooms for mannequin simulation and debriefing, offers a clinical skills lab for procedural task training, and allows us to continue our standardized patient programming with an increased number of exam rooms. As part of this project we expanded our inventory of simulation equipment.  This included a new fleet of adult and pediatric human patient simulators which can expose students to critical and life threatening scenarios in advance to encountering them on the wards.  It also involved the acquisition of several task trainers which allow students to learn and practice several skills--IV line placement, intubation, urinary catheterization, and others—before performing them on real patients. In addition to this expansion project, our school has unveiled a new curriculum which includes both point-of-case ultrasound training and procedural skills training over the duration of medical school.  Students will learn how to operate an ultrasound machine and perform several key examinations independently.  They will also be trained on how to perform multiple procedures in preparation for clerkship rotations and internship.
• Tensegrity curriculum debuts
  • A new systems-based curriculum rolled out at the start of the 2019 academic year, emphasizing scholarly activity, population health, and cultural competence, while introducing clinical experiences earlier. This transformative curriculum will ensure today’s medical students will continue offering the highest levels of medical excellence for the next 30-40 years.
• $25 million and counting
  • Rowan University cemented its role among the best national public research universities with a significant increase in research funding this academic year. This was led by researchers and clinicians on the Stratford campus who garnered sponsored research and grants of more than $25 million.
• RISN fills an essential need
  • Launcher earlier in 2019, Rowan Integrated Special Needs (RISN) Center will be signature clinical program at the new Sewell, NJ campus. RISN provides family-centered, comprehensive and culturally competent primary and behavioral health care for the special needs population, with particular focus on the transition of these patients from pediatric to adult care.
• Rowan takes on the opioid crisis
  • Rowan Medicine’s NeuroMusculoskeletal Institute (NMI) and its Director, Dr. Richard Jermyn, are at the front lines of the opioid crisis. Along with hosting a unique combination of pain and substance abuse programs, the NMI provides education and training for health care providers, including a six-module webinar on the best practices in opioid prescribing and patient care.