The Department of Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) announced a major expansion of its accelerated dual-track training programs. The initiative is designed to allow resident physicians to achieve double board-certification in four years instead of the traditional five, enabling them to enter the active health care workforce sooner.
The announcement was made during the annual Department of Medicine Housestaff Commencement ceremony, which celebrated graduating residents and fellows.
According to data from the American Board of Family Medicine, New Jersey maintains one of the lowest concentrations of primary care and family physicians in the nation, sitting at approximately 17 per 100,000 residents. As the largest clinical department at NJMS, the Department of Medicine is tackling this deficit by scaling up specialized, multi-year training pathways that condense dual-certification timelines without compromising educational rigor.
“We’re excited to be pioneering education models that help address the workforce shortages faced by each of these specialties, while sacrificing none of the rigor,” Dr. Kristin Wong, director of the internal medicine-pediatrics residency and vice chair of education, said.
The newly spotlighted initiatives build upon the success of the department’s existing internal medicine-pediatrics residency, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a one-of-a-kind program in New Jersey. The newly expanded offerings feature:
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Internal Medicine-Preventive Medicine (IM/PM): NJMS is one of only five institutions nationwide—and one of just three in the Northeast—approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to offer this combined residency.
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Internal Medicine-Nephrology Track: Introduced in July 2025, this pilot program is one of only three ACGME-approved tracks of its kind in the country, fast-tracking trainees to dual certification in four years with a guaranteed fellowship placement.
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Proposed Internal Medicine-Infectious Disease Pilot: Announced by Department of Medicine Chair Dr. Marc Klapholz, this upcoming pathway will represent the first combined training cohort of its kind in the nation, pending final council approval.
“Both specialties emphasize strong clinical reasoning and diagnostic acumen over procedural skills, which sets them apart,” Dr. Daniel Matassa, co-director of the proposed infectious disease pathway, said.
During the commencement ceremony—which honored 58 graduating residents and 27 fellows—Dr. Robert L. Johnson, interim chancellor of Rutgers Health and dean of NJMS, commended the graduates for meeting the evolving complexities of modern medicine.
