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The first batch of medical students was admitted to the Faculty of Medicine in 1964. A year earlier, these
students, 40 of them, were placed in the Faculty of Science as pre-medical students. Construction of the
faculty building began in July 1963 and was completed in 10 months. The pioneer students thus began their
medical journey in May 1964. The Faculty continued to grow, and the second phase was ready for the
students as they embarked on to Year II the following May. Planning, building, procurement of equipment,
recruitment of staff, organization of the Faculty, and discussions on the curriculum continued unremittingly.
Phase I of what was then known as University Hospital, consisting of the main block together with podium or
“technical box” (operating theatres, radio-diagnostic, accident and emergency, polyclinic, pharmacy, central
sterile supply, cafeteria, administration and medical records) was completed in December 1966, and the first
wards were opened in March 1967. Phase II of the Hospital consisting of Paediatric, Maternity and
Rehabilitation Units was completed in December 1967, and welcomed patients in March 1968. The total
construction period for the faculty and hospital, consisting of the teaching departments, hospital (740 beds),
hostel for clinical students, Nurses Quarters with Nursing School, and Central Animal House was three and a
half years.
The faculty and hospital, now known as Universiti Malaya Medical Centre have grown significantly. Since
1993, the Faculty of Medicine also began offering undergraduate programmes in Biomedical Science and
Nursing.

Philosophy of the Faculty of Medicine

The philosophy of the Faculty is to mould students to be competent, highly-skilled and knowledgeable health
professionals, who can work with others as a team, who are caring and concerned about their patients and
society, and who can emerge as leaders in their community.

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