The history of TUSM can be traced back to 1907, when the German Medical School was founded by Erich Paulun, a German doctor, and was then renamed as Tongji German Medical School in the following year. The School was expanded later to include engineering in its programs. In 1917, it was taken over by ethnic Chinese. In 1923, it was formally established as Tongji University. Following a nationwide campaign of reorganizing schools and departments among universities launched by the central government of the newly founded People’s Republic of China in 1949, medicine discipline was moved to Hubei Province to support Central China. In 2000, the expanded Tongji has merged again with Shanghai Tiedao University and developed into the new Tongji. Then, TUSM was rebuilt on the basis of Shanghai Tiedao University School of Medicine.

Now TUSM is located in Siping Campus, North Campus, and West Campus. It constitutes the School of Basic Medicine, the Research Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanoscience, the School of Clinical Medicine of Shanghai Tenth People Hospital, the School of Clinical Medicine of Tongji Hospital, the School of Clinical Medicine of Shanghai East Hospital, the School of Clinical Medicine of Pulmonary Medicine, the School of Clinical Medicine of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Health Hospital, the Affiliated Yangpu Center Hospital, 20 teaching hospitals and practice bases, and rich clinical resources with more than 12000 beds in the affiliated hospitals. It possesses 9 National Key Clinical Specialties (the department of thoracic surgery, of digestive medicine, of obstetrics, of occupational medicine, of respiratory medicine, of traditional Chinese medicine, of hematologyand the major in emergency medicine and in clinical nursing) and an array of Shanghai key disciplines (specialties) and clinical medical centers.

TUSM (including schools of clinical medicine the affiliated hospitals) has 373 on-the-job instructors who have the title of senior professional teacher. TUSM has 2 CAS academician, 1 foreign CAE academician, 22 chief scientists of the National Key R&D Plan (including the Major Research Plan and Project 973 and 863 ), 1 Creative Research Group of China, 1 Innovative Research Team supported by the Ministry of Education, 11 Changjiang Scholars, 9 winners of the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholar and 35 winners of the National Foundation for young  scholars. The School has also established the new academic management system with the Principal Investigator (PI) as the core, introduced and developed a large number of outstanding talents, and focused on the medical research in the areas of stem cells, immunology, tumors, geriatric diseases. It is funded by Project 973 and has many specialized funds in the field of stem cells/regenerative medicine in particular; it built the national (East China) stem cell bank and the Sino-US stem cell research center, and has received government approval to establish the national international joint research center of stem cell and regenerative medicine. In recent years, TUSM has had an annual increase of projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. In recent 5 years, 1255 projects were approved. The funds for all kinds of scientific research total nearly RMB 16.879 billion.

Scholars from Tongji have published many important research papers in some of the world's best journals, among which 35 papers were published in highly influential (IF>20) periodicals like Nature, Science and Cell. Furthermore, it has also achieved a batch of scientific research results that have won the National Natural Science Award (second class), the National Scientific and Technological Progress Award (second class), the Natural Science Award of the Ministry of Education (first class), Shanghai Natural Science Award (first class), Shanghai Scientific and Technological Progress Award (first class), the Chinese Medical Scientific and Technological Achievement Award (first class), etc.

The undergraduate programs of TUSM include clinical medicine, rehabilitation physical therapy, and nursing. The school has now set the doctoral and master programs of the first-level discipline of clinical medicine, the doctoral and master programs (professional degree) of the first-level discipline of clinical medicine, the doctoral and master programs of the first-level discipline of basic medicine, the master programs of public health and preventive medicine, pharmacy and biomedical engineering, and the master programs (professional degree) of the first-level discipline of nursing.

TUSM admits about 150 undergraduates into the clinical medicine major, 30 undergraduates into the rehabilitation physical therapy major, 20 undergraduates into the nursing major, 30 international students into the MBBS class, and over 800 postgraduates and doctor-postgraduates each year.

Adhering to the educational principle of “serving the world with sincerity and seeking for truth,” TUSM has set up the cultivation system for clinical professionals in which the 5+3 doctor training serves as the main part and the “direct-entry” cultivation of top-notch creative medical talents is the advanced part. TUSM has achieved much at the present stage with respect to pursuing a medical educational model and curriculum system that are up to the international standards, improving international exchanges and cooperation, and developing outstanding medical talents who have the comprehensive qualities of solid foundation, practical ability, creative thinking, global perspective, and social responsibility. In recent years, TUSM students have won many grand prizes of the National Competition of Clinical Skills for Medical Students (East China division), first, second and third prizes of National Undergraduate Curricular Academic Science and Technology Works and National Undergraduate Experimental Design Contest in Basic Medical Science, the outstanding student award of the Baosteel Education Fund, and Shanghai Person of the Year, etc.

TUSM actively explores internationalized ways of developing talent, which can be seen from its close cooperation with prestigious medical schools in the United States, Australia, Britain and Germany. In this way, it is able to introduce excellent tutors and curricula, and to build the international cooperation system for collaborative cultivation, student exchange, exchanges of tutors, and the research in translational medicine. Around 30% of TUSM students have the opportunity visit overseas partner universities for practice exchange and clinical rotations for one to three months. These graduates can apply for CSC funding to study for a degree at TUSM’s partner universities, or go to overseas hospitals for further study in many areas, including resident training programs. The school constantly invites foreign professors to attend the teaching and academic exchange of basic and specialized courses. In conclusion, internationalization has become an important feature of education at TUSM.

TUSM took the lead in launching ACGME-I accreditation in China, becoming the first university in China to participate in ACGME-I accreditation. On August 12, 2019, the rehabilitation physical therapy major officially passed the international education certification of the WCPT with the highest certification level (five-year certification period qualification), becoming one of the few institutions in China to obtain the highest certification period.

In 2020, Tongji University divided more than 400 mu of land in West Campus to TUSM for development and use. TUSM is marching toward its dream of revitalizing medical science at Tongji University.