June 04, 2010 02:05am EST 

The most densely populated state in the United States also hosts one of the best medical institutions in the nation. The University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, or as it is better known, UMDNJ, is New Jersey’s university of the health sciences and the largest institution of its kind in the nation. Since its first class in 1956, when it was known as Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry to its current research efforts in many medical fields, UMDNJ has gone through many name changes and expansions to become one of the most respected institutions in the Northeast United States. The University has 6 main campuses and 8 schools covering 185 acres, 64 buildings, and 7.2 million square feet, making it the largest institution of its kind in the nation.
The 8 schools: New Jersey Medical School, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, School of Osteopathic Medicine, New Jersey Dental School, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Related Professions, School of Nursing, and School of Public Health offer 41 graduate degrees or certificates, 21 undergraduate degrees or certificates in 43 different fields of study. Additionally, they offer 26 dual degree programs among UMDNJ schools and with NJIT, Princeton, Rutgers, and Seton Hall universities, 26 joint degree programs, 12 articulated programs, and 8 online programs. Today, UMDJ had a total student enrollment of nearly 6,000 students. UMDNJ also has one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation, ranking 2nd in number of Asians receiving medical degrees, 3rd in number of African Americans, 7th in number of Hispanics leading to a #2 ranking in total minorities receiving their first professional degrees in medicine.
UMDNJ’s mission is simple: to enhance the health of all New Jerseyans through broad-based programs covering every aspect of the health sciences. It teaches New Jersey’s future HealthCare professionals in medicine, dentistry, allied health and nursing, and provides lifelong learning for HealthCare professionals. It heals with the most advanced treatment techniques through specialized referrals at University hospitals and behavioral health programs and discovers new ways to prevent and treat the most serious health problems in New Jersey through its biomedical research programs. Additionally, UMDNJ cares through its community service and outreach programs, particularly in the state’s urban centers.
In support of the nation’s largest public health sciences university, individuals, foundations and corporations contribute to all campuses of UMDNJ through the Foundation of UMDNJ. The Foundation is an independent not-for-profit corporation that assures donors that 100 percent of their contributions are used as they designate, made possible because their operating expenses are covered by interest earned from board-designated funds. The Foundation helps researchers find cures for devastating diseases and can help to educate future healthcare professionals or bring state-of-the-art healthcare to people in need. You can find their website here, or call them at 866-44UMDNJ.
UMDNJ’s commitment to excellence in education, research and patient care leads them to be not only the largest institution of its kind, but an institution that makes an impact on its community, treating 2.2 million patients and paying salary to more than 15,000 faculty members every year.