The former institute of the National Defense Medical Center, established in 1902, was recognized as the first military school in Chinese history. This center was the amalgamation of the Army Medical College, the Wartime Health Personnel Training Center and its 13 branches in Shanghai on June 1, 1947, and later, in 1949, moved to Taiwan. Following the annexation of the Tri-Service General Hospital, a total integration of basic and clinic department was achieved in 1983. In October, 1999, the school moved to the Nei-hu area of Taipei; in the next year, the Tri-Service General Hospital, the affiliated hospital, also moved to Nei-hu, where they were renamed collectively as the National Defense Medical Center.At the school, students can pursue course in eight different areas: medicine, dentistry, pharmacology, nursing, public health engineering, public health equipment, public health inspection, and public health administration. There are six different levels of course, including basic education, specialized education and medical technique training. It integrates teaching, research and medical care. In May 2000, the National Defense Medical Center was incorporated with Armed Forces University, National Defense Management College, and Chung Cheng Institute of Technology to National Defense University. Employing the most advanced equipment and teaching methods, National Defense Medical Center has cultivated numerous high-level teachers, researchers and medical personnel. It has made a major contribution to raising medical standards in country and to the nation's internationalization.