For many families in Cape May and Atlantic counties, accessing specialized medical care often means long drives to North Jersey or Philadelphia. A new medical school planned for Atlantic City aims to change that.
AtlantiCare and Temple University recently formalized an agreement to establish a regional campus for Temple’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine in Atlantic City. The four-year medical school campus is expected to welcome its first class of students in August 2029.
The new medical school building will connect directly to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Campus, creating a hub for medical education, clinical training and patient care in the heart of Atlantic City. Officials say the project represents one of the region’s largest investments in healthcare and education in decades.
Under the agreement, the Atlantic City location will become one of four principal campuses for Temple’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine. The targeted class size is 40 students per year, with additional capacity for third- and fourth-year medical students completing clinical rotations. The inaugural class is projected to graduate in May 2033.
Leaders from both institutions said the partnership is aimed at addressing physician shortages in South Jersey while creating new educational and economic opportunities for the region.
Temple President John Fry said in a statement that both Temple and its medical school are guided by the belief that healthcare and education can transform communities. AtlantiCare President and CEO Michael Charlton called the medical school “one of the most significant investments in the future of Atlantic City and South Jersey in decades.”
Charlton also noted that the nation is facing growing shortages of physicians and healthcare professionals, making the partnership an important investment in the future workforce needs of South Jersey.
The project is expected to cost roughly $50 million, according to published reports.
The school could also continue Atlantic City’s evolution as a growing educational center. In recent years, the city has expanded its connections to higher education through partnerships and satellite campuses tied to regional universities and healthcare institutions.
Officials say students at the Atlantic City campus will receive the same curriculum and education standards as students at Temple’s existing medical school campuses in Pennsylvania. Temple’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine currently enrolls approximately 880 students across its current locations.
The medical school announcement also comes amid broader healthcare and workforce initiatives in the region. Earlier this month, Stockton University and AtlantiCare announced a strategic alliance focused on expanding health education and workforce pathways in Atlantic City and South Jersey.
Supporters believe the new campus could help retain aspiring physicians in South Jersey by allowing students to complete much of their education and clinical training close to home. Healthcare leaders have long argued that doctors are more likely to practice in communities where they train.
South Jersey residents, particularly those in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties, often must travel long distances for specialized care, advanced treatment and certain hospital services. Much of the region is served by only a handful of major healthcare systems, including AtlantiCare and Shore Medical Center, placing pressure on emergency rooms, specialists and primary care providers during both the year-round population cycle and the busy summer tourism season.
AtlantiCare currently serves more than one million residents across five South Jersey counties through more than 110 locations, but healthcare leaders say physician shortages continue to strain the region.
The new medical school is designed in part to strengthen that pipeline. Studies have shown physicians are more likely to practice in areas where they complete their medical education and residency training, and supporters hope the Atlantic City campus will encourage more doctors to remain in South Jersey after graduation.
“The new regional campus will play a key role in helping address physician pipeline challenges in southeastern New Jersey,” AtlantiCare said in its announcement.
Construction timelines and additional details about the facility are expected to be announced as planning moves forward over the next several years.
Sarah Fertsch of Egg Harbor Township holds a Bachelors of Arts in Public Relations. She is a locally renowned poet, storyteller, and dog lover.
