The journey of Medical Education in Assam started with the establishment of Berry White Medical School at Dibrugarh about 100 years back. The first Medical College in Assam-the Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh was established on 3rd November 1947 by upgradation of the Berry White Medical School. Subsequently, on 20th September, 1960 the Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati and on 15th August, 1968 the Silchar Medical College, Silchar were established.

After a long duration of more than 40 years, the Government of Assam, under the inspiring and farsighted leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Tarun Gogoi and with the dedicated and untiring efforts of Hon’ble Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Assam, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, decided to establish three new medical colleges at Jorhat, Barpeta and Tezpur in the state of Assam in 2005 so that these medical colleges would go a long way. The sincerity of the government was reflected when the Jorhat Medical College, Jorhat was inaugurated as the 4th medical college of Assam on 12th October, 2009. Meanwhile, to fulfill the flat demand of the people of Karbi Anglong, the Govt. of Assam has declared to establish another medical college-“The Assam Hills Medical College and Research Institute” at Diphu and its Foundation Stone has been laid by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam on 19th January 2011.

Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences, Assam has been established to bring uniform academic standard and development of research activities in Medical Education of the state.

The Regional Dental College was established in the year 1985. There are Ayurvedic College at Jalukbari, Guwahati, three Homeopathic Medical Colleges at Guwahati, Nagaon and Jorhat, three institutes of Pharmacy and one Regional College of Nursing in Assam. Besides, the Jorhat Medical Institute was established in 1985 to import medical education through a three year medical course of ‘Diploma in Medicine and Rural Health’.

Post Doctorate courses of M.Ch. in Plastic Surgery, Paediatric Surgery, Cardio-Thoracic Surgery and D.M. courses in Neurology and Cardiology in Gauhati Medical College was started from the academic session 2008. M.Ch. in Urology has been started since 2006. Permission is granted for starting of M.Ch course in Neurosurgery and D.M. course in Endocrinology in Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati, Nursing Council of India has given permission to start the M.Sc. courses with 25 intake capacity in Regional College of Nursing, Guwahati.

Laboratory Technician and other paramedical courses were introduced in the existing medical colleges. Since August, 2008, as many as 12 paramedical courses have been started in GMC, AMC and SMC.

The Gauhati Medical College can boast of a Genetic Laboratory and the first ‘BSL-3 Virology Laboratory’ among medical colleges in India.