The School of Medical Sciences was originally founded as part of the University of Tehran in 1931, and after greatly expanding over the decades was split off as the independent Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 1986.
Since its founding TUMS has been regarded as a premier medical institution for higher learning and research in Iran. TUMS was founded with schools ranging from dentistry to the nursing and Midwifery, both of which continue to be considered within in Iran as the oldest and most renowned learning centres in their field.
The Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Centre was completed in 1990, and is situated in a modern architectural building in downtown Tehran. As well as its research centres, TUMS is also affiliated with a number of active hospitals across Tehran and the whole of Iran, including Bahraini Children’s Hospital and Moheb Yas Women’s General Hospital.
The institution has sought to build alliances with overseas institutions. In 2016, delegates from the University of Indiana visited the TUMS Comprehensive Research Laboratory, and academics from TUMS signed a contract of research collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.
As part of this outreach, TUMS has had an established International Campus in Tehran since 2006, welcoming international students and offering assistance through an Office of Consular Affairs.
Notable alumni include Mohammad Gharib, a key figure in the establishment of paediatrics in Iran, and Bagher Larijani, known for his studies in diabetes and osteoporosis, as well as holding the position of deputy minister for medical education in Iran.