The Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry was incorporated on August 6, 1954. The college enrolled its first class in 1956 at the Jersey City Medical Center. This was the forerunner of the New Jersey Medical School, the New Jersey Dental School, and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. In 1965, the college was acquired by the state of New Jersey and renamed the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry. Meanwhile, The Rutgers Medical School opened in 1966 as a two-year basic science institution offering the master of medical science degree. The College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey was created by legislature in 1970 with the consolidation of the boards of trustees of Rutgers Medical School and New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry. In 1981, the CMDNJ was renamed to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. It was the largest school of health sciences of its kind in the United States. It was also the leading research university in New Jersey, edging the other major research universities in the state in federal research grant dollars. It did, however, have various academic partnerships with universities and other institutions in New Jersey.
Dissolution
In July 2010, the UMDNJ Board of Trustees voted to raise tuition up to 21 percent for out-of-state students and up to 18% for in-state students. The changes occurred after medical students had already begun their clinical rotations, signed into housing agreements, and received their financial aid packages. Returning students received an additional bill after the academic year had already started. They had anticipated an increase of up to 4% based on historical data and their acceptance letters. However, Governor Chris Christie had passed a tuition cap of 4% for public universities on undergraduate tuition in 2010. In the students' eyes, the unprecedented increase in tuition was viewed as a way to make up a sudden financial deficit in UMDNJ's budget, though there was a lack of transparency by the UMDNJ Board of Trustees and President Denise Rodgers at the time.
Paul J. Lioy, RWJMS Professor of Occupational and Community Medicine, author of DUST: The Inside Story of Its Role in the September 11th Aftermath
Sidney Pestka, RWJMS Professor of Microbiology, and Immunology, known as the "father of interferon" for his groundbreaking work developing antiviral treatments for hepatitis B and C
Arthur C. Upton, RWJMS Clinical Professor of Environmental and Community Medicine, former director of the National Cancer Institute
Eric F. Wieschaus, Nobel Prize-winning biologist and RWJMS Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry
René Joyeuse, M.D., MS, FACS was an AlliedOSS intelligence agent/officer during World War II, CMDNJ Assistant Professor of Surgery, co-founder of the American Trauma Society, involved in training physicians and EMS personnel in trauma care.
Controversy and scandals
UMDNJ was involved in a series of Medicaid over-billings. The criminal complaint filed against the institution charged that health-care fraud occurred through alleged double-billing of Medicaid between May 2001 and November 2004 for physician services in outpatient clinics. A deferred prosecution agreement was filed in federal court in Newark, N.J., December 29, 2005 to avoid prosecution. Herbert Jay Stern, a former U.S. Attorney and federal judge in New Jersey, was appointed as a federal monitor to oversee and enforce compliance in accordance with the deferred prosecution agreement that outlines reform and action to help resolve illegal practices and restore financial integrity and professionalism to the institution. The monitor soon discovered dental students were being given credit for classes they did not attend. Local doctors were rewarded for no-show jobs at the school in exchange for sending patients to the cardiac-surgery center. In March 2008, UMDNJ announced that its accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education had been restored, following the termination of the Deferred Prosecution Agreement; Stern had recommended the return of full responsibility for governance of the institution to the UMDNJ Board of Trustees after implementation of a number of systemic reforms by the Board and administration. In Stratford, New Jersey, at the UMDNJ School of Osteopathic Medicine, Warren Wallace, the prior Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, was terminated amid accusations of unethical behavior. Accusations include inappropriate use of UMDNJ time and resources for political activities, efforts to obtain no-bid contracts for a friend or neighbor, and inappropriate actions in relation to obtaining admission to the School of Osteopathic Medicine for his daughter. UMDNJ had placed New Jersey Senator Wayne Bryant on a "no-show" job to increase funding for the school, Bryant being the chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Legislature's Joint Budget Oversight Committee. Bryant stepped down from this position in February 2007. The case was investigated by former United States Attorney Christopher Christie. Bryant was found guilty of the charges on November 19, 2008 and received a four-year sentence in federal prison. R. Michael Gallagher, former dean of the School of Osteopathic Medicine, was convicted of bribing Bryant and received an 18-month sentence.
