The Medical College; Bengal, was founded  150 years  ago  on  the  28th  January,  1835, by  Lord  William  Bentinck, the then Governor General of India; "for the education of the Indian youth without exception to creed or caste", as  the  premier medical institution in the East for learning European Allopathic system of Medicine.

This Medical College owes its genesis to the dedicated service of the "Native Doctors''. who were trained up to act as compounders  and  dressers as the British could not trust the Ayurveds and Hakims. Inspired by the sincerity of the  native doctors, a vernacular medical School was started in October, 1824. Classes were held in  the Sanskrit College and Calcutta Madiassa. The enthusiasm and excellence of  the students soon proved the teaching system inadequate. An educational committee appointed by Lord Bentinck in 1833 recommended  abolition of the school  and formation of the New Medical. College in 1835.

The College started functioning on the 20th February, 1835  in  an  old  house. Dr M. S. Bramley was appointed Principal, Dr H. H. Gooaeve Professor of Anatomy and Medicine, and Pundit Madhusudan Gupta, a Vaidya Professor of.the Native School as  Instructor.  50  students  were admitted, each receiving a stipend of Rs 7 to 12 per month. Mr. David Hare, the noted philanthropist,  was  the  Secretary and Treasurer. In the following years, the college  and hospital buildings were developed till 1910, mainly from public donations.

The centenary celebration was held in 1935 with  the laying of the foundation stone of the Casualty Block. The foundation stone of the Terjubilee College building for education and research was laid on t e. 150th foundation day in 1984.

The college has been unique with  many landmarks in the history of medical education in India. On the 10th Jan., 1836, Pundit. Madhusudan Gupta alongwith four students dissected the first human dead body overcoming all  prejudice  and superstition. It produced the  first  five Indian doctors in 1838. Babu Uma Charan Sett  stood  first.  In  1845,  the college was registered in England and in the same year the first   four Indian students were sent abroad for higher studies. In 1848, the first proper teaching  hospital was founded on the land donated by Babu Mutty Lal Seal. This is depicted in the commemorative stamp as the oldest existing building erected from public contributions. The college was affiliated to the newly formed University of Calcutta in 1857. In 1884, the first lady medical student, Kadambini Ganguli, was admitted. The college has remained unparalleled in producing hundreds of brilliant medical men, many of whom became the doyens of medical profession  in  India,  viz  Sir N, R. Sircar, Sir U. N. Brahmachari, Sir Kedarnath Das,  Dr B. C. Roy, to name only a few.

The college which started with 50 students and 20 hospital beds 150 years ago is now training up 750 undergraduates and 100 postgraduates and hospital serves 2000 in-patients and 6000 out-patients daily.

The Indian Posts & Telegraphs Department is privileged to issue a commemorative postage stamp on the completion of 150 years of service by this premier institute of medical  education.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India