Shantou University Medical College

The history of Shantou University Medical College dates back to 1924. In that year the Chaozhou Obstetrics Training School, our direct forerunner, was founded. In 1959, the Chaozhou Obstetrics Training School got approval from the Chinese State Council to grow into a generic medical school offering 3-year training programs in clinical medicine. The name was changed into Guangdong Province Shantou Medical Vocational School.

When Shantou University was created in 1981, Shantou Medical Vocational School merged into the newly founded university as the medical school, as well as our name, was changed into Shantou University Medical College (SUMC). From 1983, SUMC began offering proper 5-year bachelor’s programs in Clinical Medicine. In Medicine, we also began offering master and doctorate programs in the 90’s of the last century.

The past decade has found significant achievements being achieved by SUMC both in research and instruction. Our school was enlisted in the esteemed “Project 211” as one of the very best universities in south China. In 2002, we were the first medical school in China to execute a brand new teaching model of cross-disciplinary problem-based learning (PBL), getting great recognition. Several of our programs are understood as provincial and national programs that were vital, and similar acknowledgement has been obtained by several of our lab’s. Since the turn of the millennium, the variety of provincial and national research grants increased steadily, leading to a sudden increase of SCI publications in the past five years.

In January 2013 new impetus was added to increase and the progression of SUMC. Dr JunhuiBian, who graduated from University of Maryland School of Medicine and had 12 years teaching experience at Abilene Christian University in the USA before joining SUMC, was named as SUMC’s Executive Dean to lead the administrative reform, innovation and internationalization of the faculty, with a view to becoming a top medical school in China and worldwide.

Landmarks

1924 Foundation of Chaozhou Obstetrics Training School

1959 Transformation into Guangdong Province Shantou Medical Vocational School

1981 Uniting into Shantou University

1983 Allowed permission to register undergraduate students

1990 Allowed permission to register students for master degrees

1996 Backed by “Project 211”

1998 authorised to grant doctorate degrees

2001 authorised to give post doctorate degrees

2002 Beginning of 7-year Clinical Medicine programs

Pathology & Pathophysiology approved as national key issues

2006 Fundamental Clinical Skills program accredited as national top-notch class

2008 Start of project to construct a brand new integrated campus and to relocate the medical campus

2009 Post doctorate program in pharmacology approved

2009 Received total certification for Clinical Medicine programs as the very first medical school in China

2010 Start of English-established medical degree program for international students

2012 Program in Clinical Medicine were rated in the top 1% of research institutions and universities globally based on ESI Evaluation.

2012 Became one of the Nationwide Prominent Doctor Training Job of the very first pilot schools in China.

2013 Approved to be one of Guangdong provincial aviator development associations.

2013 Start of an English-based nursing program.

2014 Start of 5 3 Combined Bachelor- a program in Dentistry and Stomatology as well as Master program in Clinical Medicine.