Integration Update: October 21 Mock Visit

November 3, 2026

New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) came together in New Brunswick at the HELIX on October 21 for an all-day mock preparation session ahead of the LCME accreditation site visit for the future Rutgers School of Medicine.

Approximately 120 participants, including all chairs, course and clerkship directors, administrators, and faculty administrators from both schools, took part in the first of three planned sessions as the two medical schools work toward a single LCME accreditation and the creation of the future Rutgers School of Medicine. The exercise gave participants an opportunity to practice responding to questions about school policies, programs, and educational experiences that have been developed for the future new school and to identify areas requiring additional preparation before the official site visit.

In an accreditation site visit, the survey team meets with individual groups and interviews them regarding specific accreditation elements. They look to hear the perspectives of faculty, leadership, and medical students on the same issues, thus triangulating all data sources, including what was written in the submission materials.

The October event was a unique one for mock site preparation. All participants were in the same room for nine hours, sitting within their specific interview groups, responding to questions from the mock site visitor, who went from group to group asking these questions. This format allowed for all participants to hear the responses from all parties and to level set and truly understand how to communicate adherence to an accreditation element with preciseness and clarity.

Carol A. Terregino, MD, senior associate dean for education and academic affairs at RWJMS and faculty lead for the LCME site visit, led the exercise as the mock site visitor. She directed questions to the groups, including to founding dean Amy P. Murtha, MD, on governance and administration, faculty issues, student support (e.g., wellness and financial aid), the curriculum, and resources to support the school and learning environment, as well as how the two schools function as the future Newark and New Brunswick campuses of the future Rutgers School of Medicine.

Dr. Terregino’s leadership and preparation were central to the exercise. Working closely with colleagues across both schools, she helped prepare participants for the mock session and guided them through the questions, and she and founding dean Dr. Murtha facilitated discussion and feedback throughout the day.

“I was very impressed by how well everyone prepared for the session and presented themselves. This was a primer for all on how medical schools function and uncovered for us opportunities to improve,” Dr. Terregino said. “We have work to do and two more opportunities to get it right, but we’re going to get it right in January.”

“Thank you to Carol for all the work and effort she put into getting us through this process,” said Ana M. Natale-Pereira, MD, MPH, associate dean of primary care and community engagement at NJMS. “It was inspiring to see everyone come together, discuss their journey, and share their challenges and accomplishments publicly. That kind of collaboration is essential as we continue preparing for the site visit and moving toward one medical school.”

For participants, the exercise also provided a broader understanding of the merging institutions and the accreditation process and how the work of individual groups contributes to the medical school’s overall response.

“It really gave me a good idea of the questions that will be asked of the other groups and helped me gain a broader perspective on the LCME and the overall medical school response,” said William C. Gause, PhD, senior associate dean for research at NJMS. “That will make it much easier for us to interact with the survey team in January.”

“Culture, belonging, and health equity were discussed throughout the day, and you could feel all of that in the room,” said Keith Lewis, RPh, MD, vice dean of RWJMS. “There was a real sense of collaboration and shared purpose as colleagues from both campuses worked through the questions together.”

Preparation will continue with the next two mock sessions on November 16-17 and November 30 to December 1, which will be conducted in a manner identical to that of the January “real” site visit scheduled for January 11-13, 2027, giving participants two other opportunities to apply lessons from the October exercise.  

The strong engagement in the first mock session marked another important milestone in the accreditation process. We look forward to our future.

Learn more about the integration process and the future Rutgers School of Medicine at Our Future: Rutgers School of Medicine. 

Amy P. Murtha, MD
Dean, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Founding Dean, Rutgers School of Medicine

Robert L. Johnson, MD, FAAP
Interim Chancellor, Rutgers Health
Dean, New Jersey Medical School