Founded ten years prior to the establishment of the Republic of China, this institution holds the distinction of being the oldest military academy of its kind in the country. Its predecessor was the Army Medical College. On June 1, 1947, the college merged with thirteen other units—including the Wartime Medical Personnel Training Center and its various branches and sub-centers—to form the National Defense Medical Center (NDMC) in Jiangwan, Shanghai, operating under a medical center model. In 1949, the institution relocated to the Shuiyuandi area of ​​Taipei alongside the government. On July 1, 1983, the Tri-Service General Hospital—already serving as a teaching hospital—was formally integrated as the institution's directly affiliated teaching hospital, thereby strengthening the integration of its educational structure. To meet the evolving needs of national defense medicine and the demands of the times, the institution established doctoral and master's degree programs as well as specialized medical service training courses; these initiatives aimed to cultivate senior faculty and research talent while bolstering the ranks of frontline medical personnel. Following the completion of the "National Defense Medical Center Redevelopment Project" in late 1999, the institution relocated to its current site in Neihu. On August 1, 2025, it was reorganized as the "National Defense Medical University."