Southern Medical University, formerly known as the First Military Medical University of Chinese People's Liberation Army, was founded in 195 1, 1979 and was designated as a national key university. In August 2004, it was transferred to Guangdong Province as a whole and renamed Southern Medical University. The only medical college among the key construction universities of high-level universities in Guangdong Province, the first batch in China, the only medical college in Guangdong Province, the first batch established by the Ministry of Education, the National Health and Wellness Commission and Guangdong Province, one of the first eight universities offering eight-year undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs in clinical medicine, the first batch of pilot universities offering excellent doctor education and training programs, the only independent medical college offering eight-year medical education in China, and the scholarship receiving institution of China government for international students in China.
Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine is the first batch of "world-class discipline construction universities" in China, a high-level university construction unit in Guangdong Province, a "2 1 1 project" construction university in Guangdong Province, the first batch of pilot universities for the reform of the education and training plan for excellent doctors (Chinese medicine) by the Ministry of Education, the first batch of universities for the reform of top-notch innovative talents in Chinese medicine, and the first batch of doctoral and master's degree awarding units in China. It has the exemption of master's recommendation.