Hainan Medical University

Founded in 1947 as the Hainan Provincial Medical School, Hainan Medical University is the only provincial public medical university located in Hainan Province, China, situated in Haikou City. The institution developed through several stages of expansion and restructuring before becoming Hainan Medical College and, in 1993, being upgraded to Hainan Medical University. With Hainan’s growing role as an international gateway in southern China, it has become a medical training hub provincially, and within wider Southern China.

The island of Hainan is China’s southernmost province, known for its tropical climate, sandy beaches, coastal resorts and distinctive cuisine. The island’s geographical setting has given HMU’s medical education a distinctive regional character, particularly through its focus on tropical medicine, public health and healthcare provision in southern China.

It has developed a comprehensive medical education system covering medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, public health, traditional Chinese medicine and biomedical sciences. Its undergraduate programmes include clinical medicine, stomatology, nursing, preventive medicine, pharmacy, traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture and tuina, medical imaging, rehabilitation therapy and biomedical engineering. The university also offers a wide range of master’s degree programmes spanning clinical medicine, public health, traditional Chinese medicine, pharmacy, nursing and biomedical sciences.

Clinical education is a central part of HMU’s structure. The university works with a network of affiliated and teaching hospitals, allowing students to engage in a range of practical clinical experiences. Its also includes the School of Tropical Medicine and the associated NHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, reflecting the importance of tropical medicine and infectious disease research to Hainan’s geographical setting.