The need to have a separate Medical University in Tamilnadu exclusively to deal with medical education and research at Under graduate, Post graduate and Doctoral level was keenly felt for over a period of years and was under consideration of the State Government since 1980. The State Government appointed a High Level Committee consisting of Dr. A. Venugopal, Dr. M. Natarajan and Dr. S. Kameswaran to go into all aspects of establishing a separate Medical University and make suitable recommendations to the State Government.
Apart from modern medicine, the Committee was also requested to examine and suggest improvements to be made in other traditional systems of Indian Medicine viz. Siddha, Ayurveda and Unani. The intension was that the Medical University to be established in Tamil Nadu should bring about co-ordination between various educational and training institutions of modern medicine as well as other Indian Systems of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, etc. and promote research. Based on the report of the Committee, the Medical University was established by the Government of Tamil Nadu.
The Tamil Nadu Medical University Act, 1987 (Act No.37 of 1987) received the assent of the President of India on 24th September, 1987. By an Act No. 39 of 1991, it was amended that the Act may be called "The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai, Act, 1987. This affiliating University governed by the said Act started functioning from July 1988.
This is the only Medical University in Tamil Nadu capable of granting affiliation to new institutions under Government or Self-financing in Medical, Dental, Indian Medicine/Homoeopathy & Allied Health Sciences(Pharmacy, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy etc.) and awarding degrees under a single umbrella to maintain uniform and high standards of education. Until 1988, all degrees of Health Sciences were awarded by the University of Madras.