昆明醫科大學1997年獲批招收外國留學生資格,1998年開始招收留學生,2004年成為首批云南省政府獎學金招收院校。2011年獲批招收中國政府獎學金生資格。2010年獲教育部批準成為招收本科臨床醫學專業(英語授課)來華留學生的高校,2011年學校成立國際教育學院開始招收以英語為教學語言的醫學專業的長期學歷留學生,是全國45所招收英文授課臨床醫學本科(MBBS)學生院校之一。學校多次在教育部組織的來華留學專項檢查中獲得好評,MBBS專業通過印度、尼泊爾、巴基斯坦、孟加拉國和泰國等醫學委員會認證。2018年通過教育部來華留學高等教育質量認證,為云南省首家通過質量認證的高校,是中國高等教育學會外國留學生教育管理分會和中國教育國際交流協會理事單位和全國首批醫學漢語水平考試(MCT)考點。
2011年至今,學校共計招收全英文授課臨床醫學(MBBS)、中國政府獎學金、云南省政府獎學金、越南奠邊府獎學金、老撾衛生部獎學金、南方電網獎學金等項目的來華留學生900余人。生源國分布五大洲40個國家,其中本科生800余人,碩士研究生140余人,博士研究生20余人。
學校招生的留學生學歷層次涵蓋本科生、碩士研究生、博士研究生及進修生。招生專業情況如下:全英文授課本科專業為臨床醫學;漢語授課本科包括臨床醫學、口腔醫學、法醫學等36個專業;碩士研究生教育涵蓋臨床醫學、口腔醫學、基礎醫學、公共衛生與預防醫學、藥學、護理學、醫學技術和生物學等8個一級學科學位授權點158個專業;博士研究生教育包括基礎醫學、臨床醫學、口腔醫學、公共衛生與預防醫學、藥學等5個一級學科學位授權點108個專業。臨床醫學、藥理學與毒理學、神經科學與行為學3個學科進入ESI全球排名前1%。
學校與29個國家和港澳臺地區的90余所高校及科研院所建立了穩固的交流合作關系,發起成立南亞東南亞醫學教育與醫療衛生聯盟,成為推動國家和云南與南亞東在醫學教育和醫療衛生領域交流合作的重要平臺,是云南省“國際醫學人才培養基地”和南亞東南亞國家學生來華學習醫學的主要目標院校。
Kunming Medical University was authorized to enroll international students in 1997, began to enroll international students in 1998, and was eligible to enroll international students through Yunnan provincial government scholarship program in 2004 when the first batch universities were authorized. In 2011, KMU was authorized to enroll international students through Chinese government scholarships program. In 2010, it was authorized by the Ministry of Education to enroll international students majoring in Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (short for MBBS) (taught in English medium) in China. In 2011, KMU, established International Education School and began to enroll long-term medical students taught in English as language of instruction, became one of 45 universities which are eligible to enroll international students in Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery. KMU has been well-reviewed in many examinations for studying in China organized by Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, and the major of MBBS has been certified by the medical committees of India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Thailand. In 2018,KMU gained the higher education quality certification awarded by Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, making it the first university in Yunnan Province to pass the quality certification. It is the director unit of China Association of International Education, and the first batch medical Chinese proficiency examination (MCT) test sites in China.
Since 2011, Kunming Medical University has enrolled more than 900 students studying in China through Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery programs, Chinese government scholarships, Yunnan provincial government scholarships, Vietnam Dien Bien scholarships, Scholarship of Lao Ministry of Health, and Scholarship of China Southern Power Grid and other programs. The students are from 40 countries on five continents, including more than 800 undergraduates, more than 140 master's students and more than 20 doctoral students.
The academic level of international students enrolled by Kunming Medical University includes undergraduates, postgraduates, both in master’s degree and doctor’s degree, and non-degree scholars. Majors for bachelor’s education include Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery taught in English medium and 36 majors taught in Chinese medium such as Clinical Medicine, Stomatology and Forensic Medicine. Master's education covers 158 majors out of 8 first-level disciplines,such as Stomatology, Basic Medicine, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Medical Technology and Biology etc. Doctoral education includes 108 majors out of five first-level disciplines, such as Basic Medicine, Clinical Medicine, Stomatology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Pharmacy etc. Clinical Medicine, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Neuroscience and Ethology ranked in the top 1% of ESI global rankings.
Kunming Medical University has established a solid exchange and cooperation relationship with more than 90 universities and scientific research institutes in 29 countries and in the districts of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Also Kunming Medical University initiated the establishment of the Medical Education and Health Alliance in South and Southeast Asian , which has become an important platform to promote exchanges and cooperation between China and Southeast Asia in the field of medical education and health care. Based on all the achievements mentioned above, Kunming Medical University becomes the main target institution of Yunnan Province for international students from South Asian and Southeast Asian countries to study medicine.