[6][7] The university was founded in 1975 as the National Yang-Ming College of Medicine to cultivate first-class medical professionals and biomedical scientists.

Along with its original mission, the university was devoted to excelling in biomedical research, and to promoting intercollegiate and international collaboration.

By the end of the 2005 academic year, NYMU became a medium-sized university with 5 schools - Medicine, Dentistry, Medical Technology and Biomedical Engineering, Life Sciences and Nursing, and a Center for General Education.

NYMU also established 15 research centers with a wide spectrum of emphases including Genomic Medicine, Brain Research, Cognitive Neuroscience, Immunology, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Medical Imaging, Biophotonics, Bioinformatics, Health Informatics, AIDS, Community Medicine, and Community Nursing.

In cooperation with Taipei City Hospital System and National Chengchi University, the three institution formed a health care system which covers medical education, healthcare, and management.