In 1954, erstwhile Pakistan government converted it to government medical college. In 1958, it was launched as a complete college. It is the first medical college in northern part of Bangladesh. The first head of department of Anatomy and Physiology were respectively Lieutenant Colonel Gias Uddin Ahmed who was the first principal of this college and Professor Dr. Nayeb Ali. There were 43 students in the first batch including 2 female students and only 5 college staffs. The college and hospital premises are set up on 90 acres of land. The three storied 530 bed hospital was built in 1965 which included medicine, surgery and gynaecology-obstetrics Department. This hospital premises stands on 60 acres of land which was agricultural farm before. 20 bed Infectious disease hospital, leprosy control centre and 150 bed Sadar hospital were affiliated with this hospital. Henceforth, Sadar hospital was converted to dental unit.