The Calicut Medical College was established in 1957 as the 2nd medical college in Kerala. Since  then the institution has grown into a premier center of medical education in the state. The vast and sprawling Medical College complex is spread over an extensive area of 270 acres located in picturesque surroundings about 10km from the heart of Calicut. It is affiliated to the University of Calicut and serves 2/5 of the population of Kerala.

           The foundation stone of the college was laid on 29th May 1957 by the  Governor of Kerala Dr.B.Ramakrishna Rao and inaugurated by Dr.A.R.Menon M.B.Ch.B ,Minister for Health,Kerla State on August 5th 1957 . The College was opened by Sri.E.M.S, Chief Minister,Kerala state on 15th March,1959. The task of organising the college was in the capable hands of Dr.K.N.Pisharady, the first Principal. With the completion of the college building in 1959 the preclinical section was shifted from the temporary location to the campus. The main collegiate hospital with 1183 beds was commissioned in 1966 and the Institute of Maternal and Child Health with 610 beds was commissioned in 1975.

           The Savithri Devi Saboo Memorial Cancer Institute with 101 beds, an artificial limb centre and casualty complex are additions to the institution. Later on the Chest Hospital, Samraksha Kendram and Vishrama Kendram were added. New blocks for the College of Nursing and College of Pharmacy are the recent additions. A superspeciality complex in under construction.             From its modest beginning the institution has grown steadily for the last 49 years. The annual intake of undergraduate students was increased from 50 to 200. The consolidation of undergraduate medical education was achieved in the 1960's and the 1970's witnessed the establishment and expansion of postgraduate medical education in the various branches of medical science. With the establishment of training programmes in the superspecialities, the institution further widened its academic horizon. During the last decade almost all modern specialty services in medical care have been developed in the institution facilities for Kidney Transplant and Whole Body Scan. A well equipped Cath Lab and Tele Cobalt Therapy are recent additions to the hospital complex. 

       The next major addition to this collegiate hospital was Institute of Chest diseases, which was commissioned on 20^th September 1990 by the then Chief Minister Sri.E.K.Nayanar in the presence of Health Minister Sri.A.C.Shanmughadas. It started as a 100 bedded specialty hospital for respiratory diseases.  This is a dedicated center for chest disease and tuberculosis, which undertakes lot of research and community oriented project as well.           

       A well equipped Medical Education Unit was also started . The Dental College which was earlier attached to Medical College has been separated and is functioning independently. The college also conducts in Nursing, Pharmacy, Lab technician training, training of Radiological Assistants and Ophthalmic Assistants. MSc.Nursing was started in the College of Nursing during 1997. The Medical library and most of the departments of the college have been provided with computer facility.

      The latest addition to this hospital city is the Multistoried Specialty Complex inaugurated on 23rd September 2006.  The modern hospital unit is being started with outpatient clinics of the following specialties exclusively.

1. Cardiology

2. Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

3. Nephrology

4. Urology

5. Neurology

6. Neurosurgery

 The hospital is expected to be commissioned fully within next one year.