Zaporizhzhia State Medical University is a modern, multi-profile higher education institution of the 4th level of accreditation with the right of autonomous management.

The history of Zaporizhzhia State Medical University comes back to the Women Pedagogic Courses organized in Odessa in 1903.

In 1959 the Pharmaceutical Institute was transferred from Odessa to Zaporizhzhia and renamed in Zaporizhzhia Pharmaceutical Institute, and in 1968 — in Zaporizhzhia Medical Institute.

In 1994 the Institute was reorganized into Zaporizhzhia State Medical University of the 4th (the top) level of accreditation, which main task is to provide higher education services at Bachelor, Specialist and Master levels in medicine and pharmacy for Ukraine and foreign countries.

The university is ranked among the top three state medical educational institutions: as of January 1, 2018, the university employed 808 teachers, including 131 doctors and professors and 483 associate professors and candidates of sciences. Among the scientists of the University, there are a Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine, 46 members of the International Academies of Sciences and International Scientific Societies, seven Honorary Science and Engineering Workers of Ukraine, four State Prize of Ukraine winners, five winners of the Ukrainian Academy of Medical Sciences prize, a winner of the President of Ukraine prize, two winners of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Prize, six Honored Doctors of Ukraine, five holders of the Cabinet of Ministers scholarships for young scientists, two holders of the President of Ukraine scholarships for outstanding health workers, two excellent workers in education, two honored coaches, an honored journalist of Ukraine, four masters of sports.

Zaporizhzhia State Medical University implements activities on integration into the European educational space. Today ZSMU cooperates with such international associations as: Association of Medical School in Europe (AMSE), International Association for Medical Education (AMEE), Organization for PhD Education in Biomedicine and Health Sciences in the European System (ORPHEUS), Student National Medical Association (SNMA), European Association for International Education (ЕАІЕ), Ukrainian Medical Students' Association (UMSA), Ukrainian Recognation Network(UaReNet), European Association of Faculties of Pharmacy (EAFP), International Association of Dental Students (IADS).