GME Resources at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

GME Resources at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Written by Bill Olmsted, Guardian disability insurance specialist with 25 years advising medical residents and fellows.

Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School trains approximately 450 residents and fellows across more than 40 ACGME-accredited programs. The principal training site is RWJ University Hospital in New Brunswick, with affiliated programs at Community Medical Center, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center, RWJ University Hospital-Somerset, Trinitas Regional Medical Center, and the VA New Jersey Healthcare System.

This page maps official GME support resources available to RWJMS trainees. It also points to one separate planning issue — the GSI disability insurance path available to eligible trainees — that operates on different terms than what trainees may encounter through standard benefits onboarding.

This page is maintained by MDGSI as an independent educational resource. It is not produced by, endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School or Rutgers Health.

Official GME and wellbeing resources

RWJMS GME resources are maintained through the Rutgers Health enterprise and the RWJMS GME office. The resources below are maintained by Rutgers Health and RWJMS directly.

Resident wellbeing and mental health

  • Rutgers Health Well-Being Programs: enterprise-wide well-being programs for Rutgers Health trainees, including CIRCLE peer groups, One2CARE peer support, and Joy at Work initiatives.
  • Annual Well-Being in Healthcare Summit: enterprise-wide event for residents, fellows, and faculty.
  • Chief Resident Retreat: annual leadership and wellness event for chief residents across Rutgers Health programs.

Financial wellness

  • CIR Union: group disability and life insurance, fully paid by the institution per the collective bargaining agreement. Educational allowance of $1,300 per year.
  • AAMC FIRST Program: loan management and exit counseling resources available to Rutgers Health trainees.
  • RBHS Financial Aid (rbhs_pisc@ofa.rutgers.edu): financial aid and loan counseling contact for Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences trainees.
  • Abenity Employee Discount Program: available to RWJMS housestaff.

Benefits and compensation

  • Rutgers Health GME: enterprise GME portal listing all RWJMS programs and benefits information.
  • CIR Union contract: governs compensation, benefits, and working conditions for Rutgers Health housestaff.

GME office

  • RWJMS GME Office: (732) 235-3381 / (732) 235-3382 | 125 Paterson Street, MEB 587, New Brunswick, NJ 08901.
  • Rutgers Health GME: enterprise GME portal.
  • Enterprise DIO: kotharne@njms.rutgers.edu.

Training across a distributed system

Rutgers Health is the single ACGME-accredited sponsoring institution for all Rutgers GME programs — the seventh largest in the United States. RWJMS programs are based in New Brunswick and administered through the RWJMS GME office, with affiliated training across multiple hospital sites in central and southern New Jersey.

Benefits, wellness resources, and financial planning tools are coordinated at the Rutgers Health enterprise level, with program-level contacts managed through the RWJMS GME office. For benefits questions, the CIR Union contract and FREIDA listing are the most reliable starting points. For wellness support, the Rutgers Health well-being programs and peer support channels are available to all trainees.

Guardian GSI for Residents and Fellows Training at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Guardian offers a Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) disability insurance policy to eligible residents and fellows training at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. It is a Guardian product, not an institutional benefit — individually owned, not employer-provided, and available only during the active training window.

Two things are worth understanding before orientation and before making any disability insurance decision:

First, eligibility closes at the end of training.

Second, Guardian must be the first individual disability insurance application a trainee submits. An application to another carrier filed first can permanently affect access to this option. Underwriting often surfaces medical history residents did not know would matter. A past prescription, a lab result, a condition considered minor. A rated or modified offer from another carrier closes the GSI path for good.

Guardian’s GSI offer for Rutgers residents and fellows is available at disabilityquotes.com/physicians.

The deeper explanation is in the MDGSI Buyer’s Guide.

Ready to apply?

Apply for the Guardian GSI offer at Rutgers RWJMS →

MDGSI and Guardian are independent companies and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School or Rutgers Health. For authoritative information about your GME benefits, contact your program office or Rutgers Health HR directly.