RESUMEN
1) The historical development to date of the systems of medical education and medical licensure were reviewed, and the quantitative and qualitative evolution of medical schools was divided into 7 stages.2) In the early Meiji era, persons who had already practiced medicine could apply to receive a medical license. Until the Taisho era, medical licenses were granted either to graduates of medical universities and relevant special schools or to those who passed the national examination. Thus, the criteria for medical license were not uniform during this period.3) Before the end of World War II, medical schools aimed to improve the quality of medical education so that their graduates could receive medical licenses without taking the national examination and to raise their status to the level of universities. However, because the types of medical schools during this period varied and included imperial universities, colleges, and specialty schools, the quality of medical education also varied.4) After World War II, the introduction of the state examination for the license to practice medicine and a new university system standardized medical education to guarantee its quality.5) The quantitative expansion of the medical education occurred mainly in the 12 years after 1919, in the 7 years after 1939 and during the war, and in the 10 years after 1970, and, except for the years of violent change before 1887, the number of medical schools has otherwise remained stable.