Mukden Medical College

As described in "A brief History of Mukden Medical College - Fengtian yi ki da xue", published in Shenyang in 1992, the Mukden Medical College grew out of the Mukden Hospital, both of which were founded by Dr Dugald Christie, a Scottish missionary doctor, whose son, Ronald, later became Dean of Medicine at McGill University in Montreal. Dr. Christie, who was supported by the United Presbyterian Church, opened a 12-bed hospital in Mukden (now called Shenyang) in 1883/1884. Once this hospital was established a few young men were enrolled as apprentices and, after three years of study, they were given certificates as medical assistants, pharmacists or nursing aides. In 1892 eight young men were enrolled for a 5-year program and a preliminary medical school, Shenching Medical School, was established. After considerable effort by Dr. Christie and many set-backs this developed into a more formal medical school. In 1911 a four-story building was completed and the new College opened, as the Mukden Medical College (MMC) in January 1912. From 1940-1945 the Mukden Medical College was renamed, in English, the Christie Memorial Medical College to avoid confusion with the Japanese Manchurian Medical College in the city. It returned to its original name in 1945.

In 1949 the Mukden Medical College was absorbed by the China Medical University which was the first medical school established by the Chinese Communist Party. Its precursor was the Chinese Workers’ - Peasants’ Red Army Military Medical School and Chinese Workers’ - Peasants’ Red Army Health School which had been founded in Ruijin city, Jiangxi province, in 1931. After the Long March with the red army, it moved to Shanbei. In 1940 comrade Mao Zedong proposed, and the central committee of the Chinese Communist Party approved, the name of the school being changed to China Medical University. In July 1946 the university was ordered to enter north-east China with the army and reached Xinshan city - now Hegang city - Heilongjiang province. In November 1948 the whole north-east of China was liberated and the university was ordered to move to Shenyang. In 1948 and 1949 it absorbed the medical school formerly operated by the (Japanese) South Manchuria Railway Company (the South Manchuria Medical College, later called the Shenyang Medical College which had opened in 1911) and the Mukden Medical College. Further details on the China Medical University at [1]