The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM) welcomed its ninth cohort of medical students at a White Coat Ceremony, held last week at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.
The incoming class of 162 medical students was selected from nearly 6,500 applicants. The white coat is a significant rite of passage in healthcare and marks a medical student’s official entry into the profession. It symbolizes a commitment to patient care and humanistic medicine.
The students will work over the next four years, or an accelerated three-year track, Hackensack Meridian Health said.
“This is an extremely talented group, and we are excited to bring them into the fold. It’s especially gratifying to see how many New Jersey residents are staying in the state to become doctors,” said Jeffrey Boscamp, M.D., HMSOM president and dean.
Addressing Physician Shortages in New Jersey
New Jersey faces a severe physician shortage, particularly in primary care and specialized fields like OB-GYN, according to numerous federal, state, and independent studies, including the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute and the New Jersey Hospital Association. New Jersey ranks as one of the most difficult in the country to practice medicine, driven by low reimbursement rates, high living costs, and bottlenecks in the medical training pipeline.
“This medical school was founded to address New Jersey’s physician shortage,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. The incoming class collectively speaks 27 languages beyond English, and 66% are state residents.
“Since 2018, we have trained more than 500 doctors, and last month we graduated our largest class yet. With nearly two-thirds of this incoming cohort from right here in New Jersey, we are keeping top medical talent in-state and ensuring our communities have easily accessible care for decades to come,” Garret said
Physician Shortages: Nationwide Problem
Nationwide physician shortages are driven by several factors, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), including an aging population requiring more care, a retiring workforce of older doctors, and strict federal limits on medical residency training slots. The AAMC predicts there will be a nationwide physician shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, according to its most recent report.
A report published by the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute shows the primary care physician shortage is driven by low pay, low state rankings in doctor retention, and inadequate Medicaid reimbursement rates. New Jersey has roughly 17 family physicians per 100,000 residents and ranks 48th nationally in overall primary care spending.
“Anyone who has tried to schedule a nonemergency visit understands the problem,” said Dr. Alfred Tallia, one of 16 experts who contributed to the report. “Existing patients often wait months; others struggle to find a doctor who’s even taking new patients. Lots of people get no care until small problems grow into emergencies.”
“Most of this problem stems from money,” Tallia said, adding that primary care physicians earn “way less” than specialists, and the financial divide is larger in New Jersey than in other states.
About Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Located on a 20-acre campus straddling Nutley and Clifton, New Jersey, The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine is an independent operation of the Hackensack Meridian Health network. Founded in 2015, its first cohort of 60 students was welcomed in 2018.
Last month, the largest-to-date class of 168 doctors graduated. The institution has now trained more than 500 doctors.
Its unique Human Dimension Course offers a longitudinal, community-based program where students are paired with local families across New Jersey to follow their real-life health trajectories and social determinants of health over time. HMSOM is also tied directly into the HMH network of 18 hospitals and the Center for Discovery and Innovation, giving students immediate access to active clinical trials and translational research.
