Address: Shatai North Road, Baiyun District, 510515 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Clinical Medicine, Western Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Stomatology, Economics
Southern Medical University in Guangzhou was founded on 30 October 1951 in Qiqihar as the Northeast Military Region Medical School of the People’s Liberation Army. Li Ziping was its first president. Between 1953 and 1966 it was renamed several times and moved between military and civilian administration. It relocated to Changsha in 1969, and in 1970 to the former campus of Jinan University at Shipai, in Guangzhou. In 1975 it was renamed the PLA First Military Medical University.
In 1979 the university was designated a national key institution, and it began to enrol master’s students in the same year. Ye Jianying personally inscribed its name in 1980. In 2004 it was transferred to the province of Guangdong and renamed Southern Medical University on 24 August. In the same year it was named one of the first eight institutions in China to pilot an eight-year programme in medical education.
The main campus is on Shatai North Road in the Baiyun District of Guangzhou, at the foot of Baiyun Mountain. The Shunde campus is in Foshan. The main and south campuses together cover nearly one square kilometre. The university offers bachelor’s and master’s programmes in clinical medicine, Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, economics and medical-related fields. It teaches English to Chinese students and basic Mandarin to international students.
Its affiliated hospitals include Nanfang Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhujiang Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Hua’nan Hospital, Nanhua Hospital, the Stomatology Hospital, Pingxiang Hospital, Jiangdu Hospital and Xinhui People’s Hospital. Six of them are rated First-Class Hospitals at Grade III.
Research awards include two Second Prizes in National Natural Science, one Second Prize in National Technological Invention, fifteen Second Prizes in National Scientific and Technological Progress and one Excellence Award of National Patent. The university hosts the State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research and several national and provincial research centres. It is recognised by the World Health Organization and the Medical Council of India. In 2025 U.S. News ranked it 558th, and in 2024 ShanghaiRanking placed it in the 301 to 400 band. Check the current tariff. Teaching is mainly in Chinese.
Domains taught:
Bioinformatics, Life Sciences, Microbiology and Genetics, Statistics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Nanfang Hospital, Zhujiang Hospital, Hua’nan Hospital, Nanhua Hospital, Stomatology Hospital, and the State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research.
Research:
Organ failure, clinical and basic medicine, with two Second Prizes in National Natural Science and fifteen Second Prizes in National Scientific and Technological Progress.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
N/A
Current students***:
N/A
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Large medical university in Guangzhou at the foot of Baiyun Mountain, Nanfang Hospital as flagship clinic, eight-year medical programme, State Key Laboratory.
Cons
Specialised in medicine, teaching mainly in Chinese, competitive national admission.
Best For
Medical students seeking a large teaching hospital network in Guangzhou, with an eight-year medical programme.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
Nanjing Medical University sits close to this institution on bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and statistics; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Another national school that puts bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and life sciences at the centre is Anhui Medical University, and it enrols about 18,700 students, and is also a public institution.
Fujian Medical University shares the core fields of this university, namely microbiology and genetics and life sciences; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Guangzhou Medical University shares the core fields of this university, namely microbiology and genetics and life sciences; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers bioengineering as well.
Among national alternatives, Wenzhou Medical University stands out for its focus on microbiology and genetics and life sciences, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
For bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and statistics outside the home country, Medical University of Vienna in Austria is a natural reference; it enrols about 8,000 students, and is also a public institution.
Students considering a move abroad can look at Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria, where bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and life sciences also form the core, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and enrols about 3,800 students.
For bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and life sciences outside the home country, Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran is a natural reference; it enrols about 11,543 students, and is also a public institution.
The closest overseas parallel on bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and statistics is University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, located in the United States; it covers data analytics as well, and enrols about 5,241 students.
Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Italy pursues a similar profile in bioinformatics, microbiology and genetics and life sciences, and it is private, whereas this university is public, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Southern Medical University?
On Shatai North Road in the Baiyun District of Guangzhou, with a second campus in Shunde, Foshan.
When was it founded?
On 30 October 1951, in Qiqihar, as the Northeast Military Region Medical School.
When did it receive its present name?
On 24 August 2004, when it was transferred to Guangdong Province.
What was it called before 2004?
The PLA First Military Medical University, from 1975.
What is the eight-year programme?
A pilot programme in medical education in which Southern Medical University was one of the first eight institutions in 2004.
Which hospitals are affiliated?
Nanfang Hospital, Zhujiang Hospital, Hua'nan Hospital and Nanhua Hospital, among others.
How many affiliated hospitals are rated Grade III First-Class?
Six.
Which state laboratory does it host?
The State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research.
Is it recognised internationally?
Yes, by the World Health Organization and the Medical Council of India.
What does it cost?
Check the current tariff.
Biology, Biomedical Sensors, Innovation, Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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