本校創設於 1954 年(高雄醫學院),為臺灣第一位醫學博士杜聰明院長所創辦,是第一所臺灣人籌設創建的大學院校,由臺灣醫界菁英何禮棟、徐傍興等教授與南部地方仕紳陳啟川、唐傳宗等先生眾志成城捐獻成立,也是臺灣第一所私立醫學院;於1999 年改名為高雄醫學大學時,亦是臺灣第一所私立醫學大學。杜聰明博士為高雄醫學大學創辦人,提出「樂學至上,研究第一」的校訓,也期許學生效法史懷哲醫師「終身奉獻、敬畏生命與生命尊嚴」的哲學,時時刻刻要把「欲為醫者,必先為人也」謹記在心,這是高醫創校時期即揭櫫的醫教理念。
Kaohsiung Medical University (originally known as Kaohsiung Medical College) was formally established in 1954. Apart from being the first private medical university in the university has also become an important cradle for highly-skilled physicians and medical-related specialists. Kaohsiung Medical University was a center of both medical care and the study of local tropical medicine in the early days. The colleges set aside its tropical disease research mission after the World Health Organization announced that was no longer a tropical disease endemic area, and turned its full attention to the steadily evolving areas of basic medical science and clinical medical research. The university has also continued to strengthen its medical services. Kaohsiung Medical University therefore has laid a solid foundation as southern’s leading medical institution. After Kaohsiung Medical College became a university in the summer of 1999, it seized this opportunity to move faster and further and attain to the highest standards in teaching, research and service. The shared vision of everyone at Kaohsiung Medical University is to make the university a modern, forward-looking institution striving for excellence in both academics and medical care. Kaohsiung Medical University has all the strengths of a well-established university. There is a wide range of medical related courses, and the facilities both for basic and clinical research are sufficient and of a good quality. The University is located in city center of Kaohsiung, the second biggest city in , which has all the attractions and excitement of city life.
願景
促進人類健康福祉之國際一流醫學大學
宗旨
教學:培育人文素養與專業知能兼具之健康照護人才
研究:從事身心健康相關之創新研究
服務:提供全人健康照護與公共服務
奉獻:致力於國內外弱勢民眾之醫療與教育服務
核心價值
誠信樸實、尊重關懷、自由開創、團結卓越
治校理念
敦品勵學 To cultivate and to pursue virtue and wisdom
實證濟世 To advocate and to innovate evidence-based healthcare
深耕國際 To promote and to advance international collaboration
永續高醫 To govern and to support KMU for overall sustainability