The Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) was established in 1956, and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) was founded in 1917. Since 1957, the two institutions have operated under an integrated governance system, referred to as CAMS PUMC. CAMS PUMC serves as a leading national and world-class medical institution integrating research, education, and clinical care. Since its founding, CAMS PUMC has remained committed to its mission of serving the nation and people, advancing medical science and education in China, and safeguarding public health. It has made great contributions to the development of China's healthcare sector.

In education reform, CAMS PUMC introduced China's eight-year medical education program, higher nursing education, the residency training system, and modern public health education, laying a solid foundation for China's modern medical education system. In medical research and innovation, CAMS PUMC focuses on key challenges in major disease prevention and control, drug development, and medical devices, with the aim of improving public health. The institution have developed more than 50% of the antibiotics used in China, contributed to the near elimination of leprosy and the comprehensive control of poliomyelitis, identified the causes of the high incidence of esophageal cancer in Linxian County, and established radical chemotherapy for choriocarcinoma, turning a 90% mortality rate into a 90% cure rate. CAMS/PUMC was also the first in the world to sequence the complete genome of SARS-CoV-2, contributing to higher life expectancy and better health in China. CAMS PUMC developed artificial musk and promoted its industrial application. It also brought several novel drugs to market, including butylphthalide, bicyclol, carrimycin, and total alkaloids from mulberry twigs. It pioneered the world's first Sabin strain inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine and the EV71 vaccine against hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and has become a key player in China's development of originator drugs. It also developed a third-generation fully magnetically levitated artificial heart with fully independent intellectual property rights, and established the world's first radiation-free cardiovascular interventional technology and product system, strengthening China's capacity for independent innovation in medical devices. In clinical care, the six affiliated hospitals, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Fuwai Hospital, Cancer Hospital, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, and Hospital for Skin Diseases, possess own areas of distinction, among China’s leading hospitals.

In talent cultivation, CAMS PUMC has nurtured generations of distinguished physicians and scientists, and has provided personnel and technical support for the establishment and development of numerous medical and public health institutions. It currently has 1,340 doctoral supervisors and 1,279 master's supervisors, along with more than 1,100 undergraduate, 4,000 master's, and 4,900 doctoral students. In ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, the Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences ranked second worldwide for two consecutive years. According to the latest Essential Science Indicators (ESI) data released in July 2026, Pharmacology & Toxicology ranked among the top 0.01% globally, with six disciplines in the top 0.1%, and seventeen disciplines in the top 1%. CAMS PUMC is advancing the national medical centers in comprehensive medicine, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, strengthening its leading role in these areas nationwide.

CAMS PUMC is now a comprehensive national medical institution integrating healthcare, education, research, and industry. It comprises 6 hospitals, 14 schools, 26 research institutes, and 97 external research and development institutions. It works with more than 80 leading medical schools, research institutions, and international organizations across 32 countries and regions. CAMS PUMC also co-founded the CAMS Oxford Institute with the University of Oxford. Through these partnerships, it has built an open and inclusive international collaboration network and contributes to the building of a global community of health for all.