
The Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, India, is a prestigious private hospital and medical school that traces its origins back to Dr. Ida Sophia Scudder, who founded a 40-bed hospital in 1900, inspired by a vision of equal access to quality healthcare for women. Over the years, CMC has grown and evolved, achieving numerous medical firsts in India and worldwide. The hospital is currently owned and administered by an Administrative Council comprising Christian Church leaders from across India, with John Riehl serving as the President of the Foundation. CMC Vellore has received various accolades and is ranked highly among medical colleges in India.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Christian Medical College |
| Location | Vellore, India |
| Year founded | 1900 |
| Founder | Dr. Ida Sophia Scudder |
| Owner | Administrative Council made up of Christian Church leaders from across India |
| President of the Foundation | John Riehl |
| Number of campuses | 5 |
| Number of staff | 8,800+ |
| Number of doctors | 1,528+ |
| Number of nurses | 2,400+ |
| Number of students enrolled per year | 2,500 |
| Number of courses offered | 117+ |
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What You'll Learn
- CMC Vellore was founded by Dr Ida Sophia Scudder in 1900
- CMC is owned and administered by an Administrative Council of Christian Church leaders from across India
- CMC's five campuses include a main campus in Vellore City, a hospital near Chittoor, and a mental health centre
- CMC's community programs include Rural Unit for Health and Social Affairs (RUHSA) and Low Cost Effective Care Unit (LCECU)
- CMC has over 8,800 staff, including over 1,500 doctors and 2,400 nurses

CMC Vellore was founded by Dr Ida Sophia Scudder in 1900
CMC Vellore, officially known as Christian Medical College Vellore, was founded in 1900 by Dr Ida Sophia Scudder. Dr Scudder, an American missionary, first arrived in India in 1890 at the age of 20 to be with her sick mother. During her stay, three men arrived at her family's home seeking emergency aid for their wives, who were experiencing labour complications. Due to prevailing caste and gender customs, the men refused the assistance of Ida's father, a Christian missionary doctor, and as a result, the women died as Ida was not trained to help.
After reflecting on the tragic event, Dr Scudder felt a calling from God to serve the women of India. She returned to the United States and graduated from Cornell Medical College in 1899, becoming a doctor. In 1900, she went back to India and, with a $10,000 donation, opened a one-bed clinic to provide medical assistance to local women with limited healthcare access.
Over time, CMC Vellore expanded significantly. It was initially established as a medical school for women in 1918, and it began offering nursing training in 1946, becoming the first College of Nursing in India. The institute began admitting men in 1947 and was upgraded to a college in 1942. Today, CMC Vellore is a renowned multi-speciality medical institution with nearly 3000 beds across various campuses. It is known worldwide for its excellence in clinical care, medical research, and education.
CMC Vellore has achieved numerous milestones in Indian medicine, including performing the first successful open-heart surgery in the country in 1961, the first kidney transplant in 1971, and the first bone marrow transplantation in 1986. It caters to a diverse range of patients, serving over two million people annually and offering advanced diagnostic and therapeutic services, as well as primary, secondary, and tertiary care. The institute also has a strong research focus, with about 430 research articles published annually in indexed peer-reviewed journals.
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CMC is owned and administered by an Administrative Council of Christian Church leaders from across India
The Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, India, is a prestigious private hospital and medical school. It was founded by Dr Ida Sophia Scudder in 1900 and grew out of a 40-bed hospital opened in 1902. CMC now cares for over two million patients and trains one thousand medical professionals each year.
The CMC is owned and administered by an Administrative Council of Christian Church leaders from across India. The CMC Ludhiana Society, a governing body of the Christian community, also manages the affairs of the CMC and its allied institutions, including the Dental College, College of Nursing, College of Physiotherapy, and Allied Health Services.
The CMC has a strong commitment to serving the underserved, complemented by its record of clinical excellence. It has achieved several firsts in India and the world, including the first reconstructive surgery for leprosy globally in 1948, the country's first successful open-heart surgery in 1961, and the first kidney transplant in 1971.
The CMC's community programs include Community Health and Development (CHAD), Rural Unit for Health and Social Affairs (RUHSA), College of Nursing Community Health (CONCH), and Low-Cost Effective Care Unit (LCECU). These programs serve a diverse population of around 250,000 people in rural, semi-urban, and tribal areas.
With five campuses, CMC employs over 8,800 staff, including more than 1,500 doctors and 2,400 nurses. It offers a comprehensive range of clinical specialties and is consistently ranked highly among medical colleges in India.
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CMC's five campuses include a main campus in Vellore City, a hospital near Chittoor, and a mental health centre
The Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, India, is a highly prestigious private hospital and medical school, with a history of clinical excellence and a commitment to serving the underserved. The institution was founded by Ida S. Scudder, whose vision was to provide equal access to quality, compassionate healthcare for women regardless of religion or financial means.
CMC has five campuses, including a main campus in Vellore City, a hospital near Chittoor, and a mental health centre. The Vellore City campus is the original site of Mary Taber Schell Memorial Hospital, which opened in 1902 with 40 beds. Over time, this small clinic expanded into the renowned CMC, now caring for over two million patients and training one thousand medical professionals annually. The Vellore campus also includes the Shalom Family Medicine Centre, offering outpatient services and health-related training courses.
The Chittoor hospital campus is located in Andhra Pradesh, 29 kilometres from the main hospital in Vellore. This site provides secondary hospital services, including outpatient care, operating theatres, dental and eye care, and community-based health services. The Kannigapuram hospital is another CMC facility in Tamil Nadu, offering COVID care and ICU services.
In addition to these medical campuses, CMC also has a presence in Ludhiana, which was historically a women-only institution until 1947. Due to its proximity to the border between India and Pakistan, the hospital became a critical emergency centre during the partition, treating refugees fleeing from Pakistan. Today, the Ludhiana campus continues to serve the community with support from international groups like the Friends of Ludhiana in the UK.
Lastly, CMC offers marine courses at its Coimbatore, Mangalore, and Chennai campuses, as well as general engineering courses at the Mangalore Campus. The Coimbatore campus also houses an international school following the CBSE syllabus. These campuses were established by C/E Shri. S.I. Nathan in 2001, with a focus on providing world-class maritime, aeronautical, and engineering education.
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CMC's community programs include Rural Unit for Health and Social Affairs (RUHSA) and Low Cost Effective Care Unit (LCECU)
The Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, India, is a prestigious private hospital and medical school that trains thousands of medical professionals each year. CMC was founded by Ida Scudder, who dedicated her life to ensuring that women had the same access to quality and compassionate healthcare as men, regardless of religion or ability to pay.
CMC has several community programs, including the Rural Unit for Health and Social Affairs (RUHSA) and the Low-Cost Effective Care Unit (LCECU). RUHSA was established to address the healthcare needs of India's rural communities, particularly in the villages of K.V. Kuppam block, where 80% of India's population lived in the 1970s but only 20% of doctors practised. RUHSA provides both treatment and education, combining medical care with community development through initiatives like women's self-help groups, farmers' clubs, and elderly day care centres. They offer primary and secondary healthcare services, including specialty clinics for antenatal, diabetes, HIV, and more, to over 120,000 people.
LCECU, established in the early 1980s, provides primary and secondary healthcare at low cost to the residents of Vellore, particularly those in the slums. LCECU operates with minimal infrastructure and staff multitasking to keep costs down. They utilise generic medicines, offer free or subsidised access to specialists, and prescribe medication based on effectiveness and affordability. LCECU also works with local NGOs and community groups to provide food and support to the elderly, destitute, and very poor.
Both RUHSA and LCECU demonstrate CMC's commitment to serving the underserved and advancing the health and socio-economic status of the community, building upon Ida Scudder's legacy of accessible and compassionate healthcare.
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CMC has over 8,800 staff, including over 1,500 doctors and 2,400 nurses
The Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, India, is one of the country's most prestigious private hospitals and medical schools. The hospital was founded in 1900 by Dr Ida Sophia Scudder, who was born in India to American missionary parents. Dr Scudder was inspired to improve healthcare access for women, having witnessed famine, poverty, and death during her childhood. CMC has since grown into a large institution with over 8,800 staff members, including more than 1,500 doctors and 2,400 nurses.
CMC Vellore has achieved numerous medical milestones in India and worldwide. Notably, the hospital performed the first reconstructive surgery for leprosy globally in 1948 and the country's first successful open-heart surgery in 1961. In 1971, CMC Vellore performed India's first kidney transplant, followed by the first bone marrow transplantation in 1986. The hospital also established the first College of Nursing in 1946.
CMC's main campus is located in the heart of Vellore City, with additional campuses in Kilminnal, Ranipet District, and Kosapet, where the Schell Eye Hospital is situated. The Bagayam Campus, approximately 7 kilometres from the main campus, houses the Mental Health Centre, the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Hospital, and the Rehabilitation Institute. The community programs run by CMC include Community Health and Development (CHAD), the Rural Unit for Health and Social Affairs (RUHSA), the College of Nursing Community Health (CONCH), and the Low-Cost Effective Care Unit (LCECU).
CMC Vellore is owned and administered by an Administrative Council comprising Christian Church leaders from across India. The institution has received various accolades, including the Public Health Champion Award by the WHO in 2015 and top rankings among medical colleges in India. With its extensive staff, CMC cares for over two million patients and trains thousands of medical professionals annually, continuing its commitment to quality healthcare and education.
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Frequently asked questions
The hospital is owned and administered by its Administrative Council, made up of Christian Church leaders from across India. John Riehl is the President of the Foundation.
The Christian Medical College (CMC) Hospital is located in Vellore, India.
CMC Hospital was founded by Dr. Ida Sophia Scudder in 1900.
CMC Hospital was founded by Dr. Ida Sophia Scudder in 1900 as a small clinic dedicated to providing women with equal access to quality and compassionate healthcare, regardless of religion or ability to pay. It has since grown into one of India's most prestigious private hospitals and medical schools, caring for over two million patients and training one thousand medical professionals annually.
CMC Hospital has brought many significant achievements to India, including establishing the first College of Nursing in 1946, performing the first successful open-heart surgery in India in 1961, and being ranked among the top medical colleges in the country.











































