It has been only a few months since, RBHS Chancellor Strom rammed though his ill-thought-out dream to merger both Rutgers medical schools into one.  When proposing the merger to the Board, he promised  “Each school would have a local dean and retain significant autonomy as a (sic) co-equals.”  Report to Rutgers University Board of Governors, Development of Integrated Medical School Model, July 10, 2023.  Now, faculty all received word via the March 19th email that both schools will have only one Dean. Specifically, the email stated “the LCME made it clear that we will need to identify a single leader for the new Rutgers School of Medicine as a requirement of accreditation…” It is no surprise that the Chancellor was less than honest with us when it comes to plans for the merged medical school. 

This will be a disaster. When Dr. Sherine Gabriel stepped down in 2018, NJMS Dean Dr. Robert Johnson served as interim Dean until he was asked to step down in 2021. During that time, many RWJMS faculty complained they never saw Dean Johnson and it did not seem as if the school had any leadership at all. 

This recent announcement gives us a taste of the chaos a combined medical school would create. Given that Dean Johnson is at the end of his career, and Dean Murtha was recently hired, it is likely that under a merged school configuration NJMS will be deanless. That will be a blow to the school that has had such an important commitment to the Newark community. 

It is far past time that RBHS Administration paid better attention to day-to-day problems, and not waste time and money on on an ill-fated boondoggle. We will continue to fight and/or slow it down.

Sincerely, 

Dr. Catherine Monteleone

President, AAUP-BHSNJ