Welcome to the Department of Psychiatry

Message from the Interim Chair

Welcome to the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Department of Psychiatry website. I am glad to provide you with a brief introduction to our department and hope that you will explore our website.

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School was founded in 1966 and is located adjacent to the Rutgers University Campus. It was originally the Rutgers Medical School but became part of The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) in 1975. In July of 2013 we once again became part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, as part of the New Jersey Medical and Health Sciences Education Restructuring Act.

As one of the nation's leading comprehensive medical schools, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education, research, health care delivery, and the promotion of community health. In cooperation with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the medical school's principal affiliate, we comprise New Jersey's premier academic medical center. In addition, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has 34 other hospital affiliates and ambulatory care sites throughout the region.

The medical school maintains educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels for more than 1,500 students on its campuses in New Brunswick and Piscataway, and provides continuing education courses for health care professionals and community education programs.

The Department of Psychiatry has an energetic and productive faculty who are devoted to our core missions of teaching, research, patient care and community service. We have an excellent student body and a superb group of residents. Our clinical and research resources are broad based and make for a top notch academic atmosphere.

Here is a brief review of some of the priorities of the Department:

Training

The Department of Psychiatry has played a major leadership role in curriculum development for our over 400 medical students. Our general psychiatry residency program recruits academically strong, well-rounded trainees who go on to successful careers. The department offers ACGME accredited fellowships in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry. Finally, a nationally recognized psychology internship is offered through the department and our clinical partner, University Behavioral HealthCare. We believe our training programs are a real strength and I hope you will consider further exploring the opportunities that we provide.

Patient Care

Our patient care activities include state of the art programs in acute services, psychopharmacology and diverse psychotherapy programs and serve child, adult and geriatric populations. Our department boasts nationally recognized programs and offers a full array of services in behavioral medicine, neuropsychiatry and transplantation medicine.

Research

We have, over the past ten years, focused our efforts on clinical research which has allowed our department to maintain strong funding from the National Institute of Health as well as a variety of foundations and industry groups. We are involved in a variety of collaborations with researchers from other institutions and other departments and institutes at RWJMS and Rutgers.  These research efforts encompass a wide variety of studies in most important areas of psychiatry – including psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, addictions, tobacco dependence, cultural psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, primary care, and child and adolescent psychiatry. I am very excited about the future of clinical research at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School - Department of Psychiatry.

Community Service

Our faculty serve the community through various clinical joint programs with primary care at the Chandler Clinic and with University Behavioral HealthCare. The department makes significant contributions to the needs of the medically underserved and chronically mentally ill population.

So, I am confident that we have a vibrant Department with many strengths. If you are a potential trainee, be sure that your experience will be second to none. If you are a patient, we will provide state of the art treatment in a respectful and caring atmosphere. If you are someone interested in research, we can provide the academic community in which you can prosper. And, if you are interested in community service, we can provide you with the opportunity to contribute to the care of individuals with many needs.

Anthony Tobia, MD
Interim Chair