Tianjin Medical University's predecessor was Tianjin Medical College, which was established in 1951. The first president of the university was Professor Zhu Xianyi a renowned endocrinologist and medical educationist. In June 1994, Tianjin Medical College and Tianjin Second Medical College merged to form Tianjin Medical University (TMU), and in December 1996, Tianjin Medical University formally became one of the national "211 Project" key universities in China, the only one in Tianjin. In October 2015, it became a university jointly developed by the People's Government of Tianjin, the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the Ministry of Education. In September 2017, Tianjin Medical University was selected as a university included in the national development plan of first-class disciplines.