Hallmarks of Excellence

Quality of Trainees

1. 100% of our residency positions are filled each year
2. ~40 applications received for each residency position available
3. Our residents consistently win national and local awards while in training
• 5 national Ernest Bors Awards (best research article in J Spinal Cord Med )
• 5 selected for Research Enrichment Course, MO Arthritis Rehab Research Ctr
• 4 elected to Assn. of Amer. Med. Colleges' Organization of Resident Representatives
• 4 elected to Alpha Omega Alpha while in residency
• 4 national Earl Elkins Awards (highest score in U.S. on board exam Part I)
• 3 winners of Young Investigator Award, Amer. Acad. Phys. Med. & Rehab.
• 2 selected as AMA representatives for specialty of PM&R
• 1 representative to national PM&R Residency Review Committee
• 1 Stanley   S. Bergen , Jr., M.D. Medal of Excellence
4. Each year since 1989, 100% of our residents who have taken Part I of the PM&R board exam in the year of graduation have passed on their first attempt. This compares with a national first-time pass rate on the Part I exam given in May 2002 of only 85%
5. Academic medicine careers were pursued directly by 8 graduates in past 5 years
6. 48% of graduates pursued fellowships in past 5 years

Quality of Training Programs

1. Full 4-year accreditation of residency program
2. Full 4-year accreditation of spinal cord injury medicine fellowship (only 19 programs accredited nationwide)
3. Fellowship opportunities are among the most extensive offerings in the U.S.
4. Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation (primary teaching affiliate) voted 2nd best rehabilitation hospital in U.S. ( U.S.  News and World Report, 2005 )
5. Mandatory medical student clerkship + 10 electives offered at 7 clinical sites
6. Mandatory resident research course + research project

Quality of Research

1. Only department in U.S. to be designated as the federal TBI National DataCenter
2. Designated by NIDRR as a Spinal Cord Injury model system
3. Grant funding per year : approximately $3 million
4. All three national "New Investigator Awards" given by the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Education and Research Fund in 2000 were awarded to our department

Quality of Faculty

1. Of the NJ-based physiatrists who were listed as "Best Doctors" in New York Magazine in 2001, 67% are faculty members in our department
2. Extensive faculty involvement in all 4 years of NJMS: teaching, curriculum development, admissions, alumni affairs
3. National presence on leading medical policy organizations: ABMS, ECFMG, AAP, SMAG, ABPMR, AAMC (CAS)
4. Extensive faculty service to, and leadership of, local, state and national organizations
5. Nationally recognized leaders in use of OSCE within PM&R, linked to ACGME website
6. 574 total publications over past 5 years
7. 32 faculty publications in field of medical education
8. Two consecutive winners: Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Humanism in Medicine Award (1998, 1999)

Quality of Clinical Services

1. Market penetration : SCI program market share was 53% in 2002
2. Access friendly - most injured workers are seen on same day/next day
3. Noninvasive Ventilation and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service (Dr. John Bach) attracts patients from throughout East Coast and the Western Hemisphere
4. Co-Directors of Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinic

Other Hallmarks

1. CME courses for physiatrists are largest, most extensive offerings in U.S.
2. Innovative distance learning systems being jointly developed by KMRREC and NJMS Office of Education
3. Leading text in field ( Rehabilitation Medicine, 4rd Ed. ) is edited by Chairman (26 other faculty are contributing editors), has been translated into Chinese and Portuguese
4. UMDNJ's academic relationships with Kessler Institute and KMRREC