Based on the retrieval into the official website databank published by Department of Science and Technology and Department of Education, Southern Medical University is ranked at the second place among the 70 independently-administrated universities and college as far as the comprehensive power is concerned.

1.The four subject groups in the field of basic medical science
　　 Southern Medical University is characterized by its 4 preponderant subject groups: combination of medicine, science and engineering, combination of Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, bio-high-tech and tropical medicine.
　　 In the group of combination of medicine, science and engineering, the university owns 1 academician of China Academy of Engineering and 1 premier scientist of “973 Project”. Holding the position of chief director of Chinese Association of Medical I mageology , the university sponsors 2 core academic periodicals: Chinese Medical Physics and Chinese Clinical Anatomy. The subject group has established the stations for postdoctoral research, the key laboratory of PLA medical imageology, and one PLA testing center of large medical instruments, which is in charge of regulating the standards for large medical instruments. In the group, the bio-medical engineering is the first-level subject granting the M.D. degree. In 2002, it was ranked at the 8 th place in the first-level subject evaluation among the engineering and science institutions and at the third place in terms of “scientific research”. Before long, the subject of bio-medical engineering gained another fund from the key projects of “the Tenth Five-year Project”.
　　 In the group of combination of Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine sit the first-level subject granting M.D. degree, a state-level key subject, a station for postdoctoral research, the state-level clinical pharmacology base of Chinese and Western medicines. In the group 3 experts are candidates for academician recommended by PLA, 2 awarded the title of State Advanced Workers in Science and Technology and 4 registered as experts for health care of the leaders of the central government. Since “the Tenth Five-year Project”, they have won 18 funds by China Natural Science Foundation, ranked at the 4 th place among the 28 universities of traditional Chinese medicine.
　　 In the group of bio-high-tech sits one academician of China Academy of Science and one premier scientist of “973 Project”. The experts in the group have achieved great achievements in the fields of molecular biological study on mechanism of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, targeted bio-therapy of tumors, applied gene cores, early gene diagnosis of thalassemia, malaria im munity, vaccines by gene engineering and reagent testing.
　　 The group of tropical medicine is a most powerful base for tropical medical teaching and scientific research, where a team consisting of experts of Subjects Evaluation Panel of the Sate Council, theme experts of “963 Project” and appraising experts for State Scientific and Technological Advances are holding their positions. The project group owns a simulated climate laboratory of digitalized human body, a P3 laboratory and the first testing bas e of bio-technology in Guangdong Province. The group members hold the position of chief director of Guangdong Provincial Tropical Medicine, leading the key subject as well as the key laboratory of Guangdong Provincial Preventive Medicine. Academician Ba Denian, former president of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, remarked, “The subject group of tropical medicine of the First Military Medical University (the current Southern Medical University) is a representative subject of Chinese tropical medicine.”

2.A large group of outstanding medical talents and a team of ideally-structured faculty
　　 Among the total number of over 700 professors or associate professors in the university, more than 80 are supervisors of M.D. candidates and 200 of M.M. candidates, and more than 100 are specially subsidized by the governments. Of 3 academicians on life science in Guangdong Province, 2 work in the university and so do the only 2 premier scientists of “973 Project” working in Guangdong Province. Recently, 9 medical doctors of the university were elected as famous doctors, accounting for 36% of the total 25 ones of Guangdong Province. There are 16 medical departments holding the chief membership of medical panels affiliated to Guangdong Association of Medicine, accounting for 23% of the total 69 panels. More than 100 experts of the university hold the directorship or standing membership of the state or military medical organizations. The middle- and young-aged talents at the first authorship have undertaken 91% of all the key projects the university has successfully applied for and achieved 84% of high-level achievements, demonstrating the potential of the university. As a result, the university has risen to the top of medical universities in China as regards teaching, scientific research and medical treatment.
　　 In academic exchanges, Southern Medical University has enforced cooperative research and academic exchanges with the universities or institutes in more than 30 countries or regions like the United States, Britain, Japan, France and Australia and Hong Kong. At present, the university has admitted international students from more than 10 countries. Meanwhile, it works in coordination with about 100 medical institutions or institutes in or outside of the army to jointly foster medical talents.