Our History From its founding to the present day, the UC Irvine School of Medicine has become a renowned leader in academic medicine and bench-to-bedside research. The school trains skilled clinicians, researchers and educators to shape a future where advanced, compassionate healthcare is accessible to all. Home History More than a Century of Rich History UC Irvine’s medical school has roots that date back more than 125 years. Originally founded as the Pacific Sanitarium and School of Osteopathic Medicine in 1896, the UC Irvine School of Medicine is the oldest continually operating medical school in the Los Angeles area. By 1962, the school was known as the California College of Medicine (CCM), offering MD, MS and PhD programs. In 1965, the same year UC Irvine welcomed its first students, the UC Regents acquired CCM. In 1968, CCM officially became the UC Irvine School of Medicine, moving from Los Angeles to a 122-acre site on the western edge of the Irvine campus. Warren Bostick, MD, served as the first dean of the UC Irvine School of Medicine (see the deans who have since followed at the bottom of this page). In 1976, UC Irvine purchased the Orange County Medical Center, known today as UCI Health – Orange, which currently houses one of UCI Health’s six hospitals. A little over 10 years later, the Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic opened, becoming the first of now dozens of research centers and institutes run by the UC Irvine School of Medicine, including the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, originally founded as the UCI Cancer Center in 1989. In 2004, the School of Medicine launched the first of its four mission-based educational training programs, and in 2012, it became one of the first medical schools in the country to receive an Apple Distinguished School designation for its innovation in education technology. The current dean, Michael J. Stamos, took on the role in 2017, the same year the College of Health Sciences was renamed the Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences in honor of the couple’s $200 million cornerstone gift, the largest in UC Irvine history. In 2025, the School of Medicine received its most recent full eight-year reaccreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). Late 2025 also saw the opening of the nation’s first all-electric acute care hospital with UCI Health – Irvine, and in July 2026, the UCI Health – Irvine Rehabilitation Hospital will open, becoming Orange County’s only academic medical center rehabilitation facility. Learn more below about our “Discover. Teach. Heal.” mission. Discover Research is at the foundation of our mission to discover new ways to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure human illness. Our advances in basic, clinical and translational research range from unraveling fundamental biological processes to designing novel therapeutics. Transformative Research Teach The UC Irvine School of Medicine embodies a supportive and collaborative learning environment centered around the most current knowledge in health sciences, empowering the next generation of healthcare researchers and providers. Education & Training Excellence Heal Clinical excellence and personalized care are at the heart of UCI Health, the only academic health system in Orange County. UCI Health clinicians and trainees strive to meet all patient needs with compassion and to actively engage with and serve our communities. Compassionate Clinical Care At a Glance For more information about the UC Irvine School of Medicine, review current By the Numbers data. View Facts & Figures School of Medicine Current Dean Appointed 2017 Michael J. Stamos, MD Dean — UC Irvine School of Medicine Professor — Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Surgery Meet the Dean Past Deans Warren Bostick, MD Appointed 1965 Stanley van den Noort, MD Appointed 1973 Ted Quilligan, MD Appointed 1987 Walter Henry, MD Appointed 1989 Thomas C. Cesario, MD Appointed 1994 David Bailey, MD Appointed 2007 Ralph V. Clayman, MD Appointed 2009 Howard Federoff, MD, PhD Appointed 2015