About the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

The Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Saigon was established in 1947 in Saigon as a division of the Indochina School of Medicine in Hanoi. In 1961, it was divided into the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmacy of Saigon. The Faculty of Dentistry was founded in 1964. However, in the areas under the control of the South-East Revolutionary Forces, the training of medical professionals was provided by the College of Medicine, which was established in 1965.

Following the reunification of the country, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City was founded in 1976 as an integration of the above mentioned schools and was composed of the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy and Faculty of Odonto-Stomatology. In 1994, the Faculty of Fundamental Sciences was established to provide the teaching of basic sciences to students of the three faculties during their first semesters of training.

In 1998, the University was expanded to train auxiliary medical staff with the addition of the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Technology, which originated from the Central Medical Technical School III. Then Tue Tinh National Medical School II and the Department of Traditional Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine merged to become the Faculty of Traditional Medicine.

In 1999, the Faculty of Public Health was founded as a merger between the Public Health Department of the Faculty of Medicine and the Division of Health Organization and Management of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Hygiene and Public Health.

In 2000, the University opened its own medical center of 250 beds with modern medical equipment and highly qualified staff. This center was soon joined by four other additions, raising the total number of beds of the University Medical Center to 500. Therefore, since 2000, the University consists of the seven faculties mentioned above and one University Medical Center. In 2005, the university was recognized as one of the two strategic medical teaching institutions of the country. The university offers the most comprehensive array of training for health professionals from undergraduate to graduate level. The University Hospital houses 650 beds and modern teaching and research facilities.