History of TUOMS
Modern trainings, no doubt, have built on the context of old educational systems and of course accepted innovations and modern findings and modern educational structures too. TUOMS also relying on its rich scientific and cultural history is one of the oldest and biggest universities of Iran.
According to historical documents, the first scientific–medical center of ancient Iran named Jondishapoor was established 2000 years ago during Sassanid era and was disappeared with the fall of Sassanid dynasty.
Some of these historical documents indicate that for the first time in Iran after Islam and in Ilkhanid era great scientific complexes were established that can be described as "ancient universities”. From this point of view it can be said that the ancient universities and scientific fields in Ilkhanid era were established in Tabriz and Maragheh with the efforts of Khajeh Nasir Toosi and Rashīd al-Dīn Fadhl-allāh Hamadānī- the ministers.
Later in the modern era, Tabriz University was founded in 1947 and the Medical Faculty started its work with 8 professors. Two years later, Tabriz University formally got legal personality. In 1948, the junior college of nursing and midwifery opened under the supervision of Medical Faculty.
The first foreign professors of the Medical Faculty were four Austrian physicians who were employed for training medical students and supervision of hospitals. First group of medical students graduated in 1952. In this year, medicine, pharmacy, nursing and midwifery courses were also taught and later Pahlavi hospital was established in 1964. The first international relations of Tabriz University started in 1949 and 1950 with a memorandum of agreement in medical and agricultural fields with cultural and technological affairs office of the ministry of foreign affairs of France. The Memorandum was about exchanging academic staff (sending French medical and agricultural experts and professors to Tabriz and sending University Professors to France to get acquainted with the latest achievements in medical, technical and agricultural fields). In 1955 the School of Pharmacy got separated from medical faculty and began its work as an independent faculty. Later, the first magazine of medical sciences with the title of “Tabriz Medical and Pharmacy Magazine” was published in 1959.
These activities continued until 1979 and up to the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Six years later, in 1985 and following the approval of Islamic parliament all the faculties and centers affiliated to medical sciences in Iran were separated and started their work independently under the title of medical universities. Thereafter, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences continued its activities under the supervision of the ministry of health and medical education.