Shanxi Medical University, originally known as Shanxi Medical Institute, was established in 1919 in the ancient city of Bingzhou. It underwent several name changes: Private Shanxi Chuanchih Medical College in 1932, the Medical Specialty Department of Shanxi University in 1940, and National Shanxi University Medical College in 1946. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the university embarked on a new developmental journey. It became an independent institution named Shanxi Medical College in 1953 and was later renamed Shanxi Medical University in 1996.
The university holds the distinction of being one of the third batch of doctoral degree-granting units nationwide, as well as the first batch of master's and bachelor's degree-granting units in Shanxi Province. It is also recognized as an early pilot unit for the Ministry of Education's "Excellent Doctor Education and Training Program," a supported institution under the National Central and Western Universities Basic Capacity Building Project, one of the "Old Six" medical institutions in the national health system, one of the 18 high-level public health colleges nationwide, and among the first universities approved by the Ministry of Education to establish a forensic medicine program and resume the undergraduate program in pediatrics.The university was honored with the national flag raisedon September 6, 2019at Tiananmen Square. Its "Red Pomegranate" Studio was bestowed with the title of "National Model Collective for Ethnic Unity and Progress" by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.
After 106 years of construction and development, the university has evolved into a medical-focused institution with integrated development across medicine, engineering, science, humanities, and management. It boasts a comprehensive talent cultivation system spanning undergraduate, master's, and doctoral education, embodying the motto School Motto of "醫(yī)理博精 德能高邃" —Broad and Profound in Medicine, High and Sound in Virtue; the School Ethos of "獻身、務實、團結、進取"—Dedication, Pragmatism, Solidarity and Enterprisingness; and the School Spirit of "求實精進 堅韌弘毅"—Practicality and Diligence, Persistence and Tenacity.
The university operates three campuses—Chuanzhi, Yingze, and Zhongdu—encompassing a total area of 1,422 acres and a building area of 710,000 square meters. It comprises 40 teaching institutions, including the First to Fifth Clinical Medical Colleges, Basic Medical College, School of Public Health, School of Pharmacy, School of Forensic Medicine, and School of Nursing. Additionally, it has 66 affiliated and teaching hospitals, 103 teaching bases, and 4 industry-education integration graduate joint training bases within Shanxi Province.
With a faculty and medical staff exceeding 7,000, the university includes over 2,300 graduate supervisors and over 2,200 clinical teachers. It is home to over 500 national and provincial-level experts and high-level talents, such as recipients of the National Outstanding Youth Science Fund, National Excellent Youth Science Fund, National Outstanding Contributors Award, chief scientists of the National Key R&D Program, "New Century Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Talents Project" national candidates, and Ministry of Education "New Century Excellent Talents." Furthermore, it houses 24 national and provincial-level teaching teams, including National Excellent Teaching Teams.
The university possesses one national key discipline—Physiology, and 2 academician workstations, Academician XU Jianguo Workstation for the Reverse Pathogen Research Center and Academician ZHAO Xiangeng's Workstation for Nuclear Medicine Innovation. It also hosts two key laboratories of the Ministry of Education—the Cell Physiology Key Laboratory and the Coal Environment Pathogenesis and Prevention Key Laboratory—along with a provincial-ministerial collaborative innovation center, the Molecular Imaging Precision Diagnosis and Treatment Provincial-Ministerial Collaborative Innovation Center. Additional assets include a National Health Commission key laboratory, the Pneumoconiosis Key Laboratory; a Ministry of Education pharmaceutical basic research innovation center, the Chronic Kidney Disease Pharmaceutical Basic Research Innovation Center; a China Atomic Energy Authority nuclear technology research and development center, the Nuclear Medicine Diagnosis, Treatment, and Transformation Research and Development Center; and a Ministry of Public Security forensic toxicology analysis key laboratory. National demonstration centers encompass the Clinical Skills Training Center, Basic Medical Experimental Teaching Center, and Clinical Teaching Training Demonstration Center, alongside a national innovation and entrepreneurship college.
8 disciplines of the university are ranked in the top 1% globally by ESI: Clinical Medicine, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Neuroscience & Behavior, Biology & Biochemistry, Social Sciences, General, Chemistry, Materials Science and Molecular Biology and Genetics. Special Medicine has secured the top position nationwide in the Soft Science China's Best Discipline Ranking for three consecutive years and has been designated a top discipline in China. It has also ranked first nationwide in the Alumni Association China's First-Class Discipline Ranking for two consecutive years, earning selection as a world-class and top discipline in China by the Alumni Association. The university boasts 12 national key clinical specialties, 34 national key clinical specialty construction projects, and 6 national-supported key clinical specialties in Shanxi Province, in addition to 88 provincial-level scientific research platforms and the Precision Diagnosis and Treatment Shanxi Provincial Laboratory.
The university offers five first-level disciplines with postdoctoral research stations: Clinical Medicine, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Specialty Medicine, Basic Medical Sciences, and Nursing. It provides six first-level doctoral degree authorization points, two doctoral professional degree authorization points, 11 first-level master's degree authorization points, and 10 master's professional degree authorization points. Notable undergraduate programs include 12 national first-class undergraduate professional construction sites and five national characteristic specialty construction sites. Clinical Medicine (five-year program), Clinical Medicine (Rural-oriented Free Students), and Nursing are designated as pilot programs under the Ministry of Education's "Undergraduate Teaching Engineering" for local university undergraduate professional comprehensive reform. The university offers 30 undergraduate programs, encompassing Clinical Medicine (five-year program, "5+3" integrated program), Preventive Medicine, Forensic Medicine, Stomatology, Pediatrics, Medical Imaging, Anesthesiology, Nursing, Psychiatry, Ophthalmology and Optometry, Pharmacy, and more.
Currently, the university accommodates 22,567 full-time students, including 14,401 undergraduates, 6,845 master's students, 1072 doctoral students, and 249 international students. Since its inception, the university has nurtured over 150,000 medical and health professionals, including renowned figures such as Xu Fujing, Shi Shuhan, Wang Minting, Liu Qian (former directors of the Central Health Care Bureau), Zhao Xuefang (the inaugural recipient of the "Bethune Medal" and acclaimed as "the People's Good Doctor"), academicians Xu Jianguo and Tian Zhigang of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Nursing Award recipients Yang Hui and Zhang Yinghui.
The university's scientific research endeavors are flourishing. In 2024, it secured 71 national-level projects, including six major national key projects. Notably, it was approved for the National Key R&D Program's "Common and Frequent Disease Prevention and Treatment Research" major project, with a record-breaking single-item funding of 40 million yuan. Furthermore, it acquired 258 provincial-ministerial-level projects and engaged in 75 horizontal cooperation projects. The university published 5,463 papers, with 2,755 indexed by SCI. Collaborations with institutions such as Tsinghua University School of Medicine and BGI Life Science Research Institute have deepened, yielding high-level publications in prestigious international journals, including three papers in Nature and one in Science. These achievements were recognized among the TOP 100 in the 2024 China Mainland Universities Top-Tier Journal Publication Yearbook. The university also garnered 27 Shanxi Provincial Science and Technology Awards, obtained 611 patents, and secured 348 software copyright authorizations.
The university is committed to fostering international exchange and cooperation, as well as international student education. It has forged partnerships with 48 universities and related education and scientific research institutions across 17 countries, joined six influential education alliances such as the China-Russia Medical University Alliance, and hosted the Ministry of Education's "International Industry-University-Research Cooperation Conference" for three consecutive years. To enhance international competence, it implements the "Young Backbone Teachers Overseas Training Program" and the "Doctoral Students Overseas Training Program," continually elevating the global proficiency of its faculty, students, and medical staff.
Standing at a new historical juncture, the university remains steadfast in adhering to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It is committed to implementing the visions of the National Education Conference and the Provincial Education Conference, upholding and strengthening the Party's comprehensive leadership over the university, andfirmlyimplementingthe fundamental task of fostering virtue through education. With its sights set on the strategic goal of becoming a nationally first-class research-applied medical university, the university is poised to make new and significant contributions to the development of an education powerhouse and a strong education province, as well as to the realization of a Healthy China and a Healthy Shanxi.
(Updated on August 28, 2025)
