Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore (CMC)

The city of Vellore, Tamil Nadu,

lies between Chennai and Bangalore. It has a spectacular fort, and increasingly attracts pilgrims to the “Golden Temple” at nearby Sripuram. However it is known the world over as the home of the Christian Medical College – a centre of excellence in medical services, research and education.

Every day it attracts more than 7,000 people from all over India and other parts of the subcontinent.

CMC Vellore was founded by an American, Dr. Ida S. Scudder. Born in South India in 1870, she spent most of her childhood in the US and was educated there. As the first woman graduate of Cornell Medical and first American woman to be licensed as a doctor, she returned to Vellore to provide medical care for the women and children

Gradually her reputation grew and with it the demand for her services.

In 1902 she opened the 40-bedded Mary Taber Schell Memorial Hospital, built using funds donated in the USA. In 1924 a new 267-bedded hospital was opened in the centre of Vellore, which has continued to expand there ever since.

Today there are more than 2,700 beds across five campuses, and the hospital caters to nearly every medical speciality. It is equipped with a vast array of sophisticated equipment, including three MRI and three CT scanners, two advanced Linear Accelerators, a PET-CT Scan and the latest auto analysers in the laboratories.

CMC is particularly well known for certain departments such as Gasteroenterology, Neurosciences and Haematology (where it is a national leader in the treatment of rare blood disorders and bone marrow transplantation).However it also gives high importance to less prominent specialities such as Rheumatology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Developmental Paediatrics and Palliative Care. Ophthalmology and Psychiatry departments are located on different campuses, as is the Rehabilitation Institute. There are 106 wards including 11 ICUs and 6 HDUs. About 76% of the beds are in general wards and are subsidised to reduce the financial burden on patients.There are 39 major operation theatres and a further 14 facilities for minor procedures. An average of 175 operations are carried out each day.

Today CMC Vellore offers 22 undergraduate degree courses (MBBS, nursing and Allied Health Sciences) and 11 undergraduate diploma courses (Nursing & AHS). There are 148 post graduate courses (degrees, fellowships and diplomas) in a full range of Medical, Nursing and AHS specialities, 5 Distance Education courses and PhD programs in various disciplines. Training is available in fields as diverse as Dialysis Therapy, Medical Records Science and Neurosurgery. In 2015 CMC was voted “2nd best Medical College in India” in surveys by India Today and The Week for MBBS. The College of Nursing is a WHO collaborating centre for Nursing and Midwifery Development. There are 100 seats for MBBS, and 100 each for Bachelor and Diploma of Nursing and 226 for undergraduate Allied Health programs.

CMC’s Outreach Program continues a legacy of caring for the rural disadvantaged

Alongside the conventional hospital work, Dr. Ida Scudder had a passionate concern for the health needs of the rural poor. This found an outlet when she began “roadside clinics” in 1906 – taking a small team out in a bullock cart to visit local villages and running clinics under a shady tree for all comers. Today that tradition continues with CMC’s Outreach Program.

A Legacy of Leadership

CMC’s outreach and commitment to the poor is complemented by its record of clinical excellence including many firsts in India (and in some cases, the world).

Find out the advantages of donating through the Scudder Association – More Information

For additional information from the Vellore Foundation – More Information

For additional information via Wikipedia – More Information