Vitebsk State Medical Institute was established as a hospital-medical institute in November 1, 1934 by Resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR. The total number of students on all courses was 250. MD, Professor Moisei Anisimovich Khazanov, a graduate of the Medical Faculty of the University of Bern (Switzerland) was appointed as the first Rector of the Institute. 12 Professors, well-known in the USSR and abroad medical scientists, started to work with him: Professor Pavel Markovich Gurevich, a graduate of the University of Strasbourg (Alsace - France), became the first dean. In 1938 a hospital-medical institute was renamed into Vitebsk Medical Institute. 

Established about 86 years ago, Vitebsk State Medical University of Belarus is one of the premium universities in Belarus. In 1934 it was founded in Vitebsk city and became the not-profitable public university. It is the premium option for doing MBBS in Belarus. The university is 84 years old and it has set its own admission policies based on entrance examinations. The courses and programs which this university offers are degree programs, such as, pre-bachelor degrees, bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees etc. 

There are 5 faculties at the university at present namely; the medical preventive faculty, the pharmaceutical faculty, the faculty for training specialists for foreign countries, the faculty for updating specialists, the pre-university training faculty etc. The teaching faculties at the university are highly qualified and trained. The university provides many facilities to students like Computer facilities, internet, library, student scientific research society, student cafe, sport complex etc.