The former Union Medical College was founded in 1906, bringing together six smaller missionary colleges. The
Rockefeller Foundation was established in 1913 and in 1913-1914 the newly formed Foundation created a Commission, including
Franklin C. McLean, to examine medical education in China.
Wu Lien-teh strongly supported the establishment of a new medical college in Peking and made a number of recommendations, all of which were adopted. The Peking Union Medical College was formally established by the Rockefeller Foundation in 1917. In 1951, the government of the People's Republic of China nationalized Peking Union Medical College. In April 2025, Peking Union Medical College was exposed by the media to have launched a clinical medicine doctoral training program in 2018 known as the "4+4" model, which consists of 4 years of non-medical undergraduate education followed by 4 years of medical professional education. The program uses the theory of liberal education as a justification, arguing that doctors should possess a broader knowledge base beyond medicine. This has sparked a debate between liberal education and specialized education. The public has expressed disapproval, claiming that it not only wastes the first four years of undergraduate study but also results in doctors trained under the liberal education theory lacking adequate medical skills. Furthermore, the program has been criticized as a shortcut for children of powerful and wealthy families to quickly obtain a doctoral degree. == Rankings ==