The Institute started functioning as College of Medical Sciences in 1960 with nine departments of Modern Medicine and eight departments of Ayurveda, under the leadership of K. N. Udupa, the Founder Director of the Institute. In 1971, the College of Medical Sciences, was upgraded to Institute of Medical Sciences. Today it has 33 departments of Modern Medicine including 10 Departments of Super-specialities, four Departments of dentistry, eleven Departments of Ayurveda and a school of Nursing.
Academics
The institute is affiliated to Banaras Hindu University and offers medical and paramedical courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Admission in MBBS and BDS courses is on the basis of merit through NEET. Admission in BAMS and Nursing courses is through exams conducted on university level. It has 45 departments under three faculties.
Campus
The campus of IMS lies at the front part of university. The campus contains the medical college, the hospital, the student and resident hostels, the staff quarters, a post office, a temple, playgrounds and sporting fields. While the hospital section of the campus is typically crowded and busy, the residential part of the campus is quiet and idyllic punctuated with small parks.
Organization
IMS is not under the direct administrative control of the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, government of India, but under Banaras Hindu University, an autonomous central university under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, government of India. The three functions of the institute are to impart quality education in undergraduate and postgraduate medical and paramedical courses, to be a trend-setter in medical research and to offer patient care of high order. The institute is headed by the Director as the Chief Executive charged with responsibility of running the institute and the hospital. The Deans of the faculties help the Director in co-ordinating academic activities of the institute, including teaching and research. There are 28 academic departments headed by the Heads of the Departments. Ancillary hospital service is under the direct supervision of the Medical Superintendent with the individual units supervised by technical heads.
Rankings
IMS-BHU was ranked seventh among medical colleges in India in 2020 by India Today, sixth in 2019 by The Week and eight in 2019 by Outlook India.
Student life
The campus has three hostels for undergraduate men named Punarvasu Atrey Hostel, Ruiya Medical Hostel and Dhanwntri Hostel, and four hostels for postgraduate men named Old P. G. Hostel, New P.G. Hostel,sushruta hostel Ruiya Annexe. and Married Doctors Hostel. Undergraduate and postgraduate women live in Kasturba Girls Hostel. All hostels run their own messes.
Student activities
The inter-collegiate cultural, literary and sports festival of IMS is called Elixir and is held in mid-March every year. Both the undergraduate men's hostels and the undergraduate women's hostel hold annual hostel days.
