Shiraz University of Medical Sciences is one of the oldest medical universities in Iran, located in the centre of the city of Shiraz.
It dates back to about 70 years ago, when Shiraz Institute of Higher Health Education admitted a few medical students in 1945, as a college within Pahlavi University. In 1953, a faculty of nursing was added, followed by a faculty of dentistry in 1969.
Iranian students are recruited to SUMS through a National Entrance Exam, known as Konkur, while international students are required to apply online.
SUMS offers international degrees and non-degree programmes to international students at different levels and disciplines, including as a Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor fo Dental Medicine (DMD) and Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D).
SUMS is not only responsible for training students in medical areas, but also manages all 41 public hospitals, including 14 teaching hospitals, as well as 17 schools, 63 research centres, six research incubators, clinics and healthcare centres in Fars Province in southern Iran.
There are more than 9,000 students studying in over 200 disciplines at the university's schools and research centres.
Health tourism sees the university host hundreds of patients from nearby countries for services such as organ transplantation, cochlear implantation, angiography, radio- and chemotherapy, eye surgery, heart surgery, orthopaedic surgery, foetal surgery and IVF treatment.
The seven faculties at the university are medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, health, nursing and midwifery, paramedical sciences, and rehabilitation.
Alumni include the founder of liver transplantation in Iran, Kamran Bagheri Lankarani.