The Autonomous University of Baja California (Spanish: Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, UABC) is a public institution of higher education in Baja California. Established in 1957, UABC has its headquarters located in the city of Mexicali.
The UABC has three main campuses in the cities of Ensenada, Mexicali, and Tijuana. UABC maintains five sub campuses in the cities of Rosarito, San Quintin, Tecate, Valle Dorado in Ensenada, and the suburban region of Valle de Las Palmas in Tijuana. The institution also operates three Units of Basic Formation in the cities of San Felipe, Ciudad Morelos, and Guadalupe Victoria.
Under the Subsecretary of Higher Education, UABC belongs to the General Management of Higher Learning Institutions (DGESU), a part of the nation’s eight-tier public higher education system, which also includes the General Coordination of Technological Universities (CGUT), the General Management of Technological Higher Learning (DGEST), the General Management of Higher Learning for Educators (DGESPE), the General Management of Professions (DGP), the Copyrights National Institute (INDAUTOR), the National Pedagogical University (UPN), and the Coordination of Polytechnic Universities (CUP).
UABC follows Mexico’s higher education format: tronco común (general education requirements), técnico superior (associate degree), licenciatura (bachelor’s degree), maestria (master’s degree), and doctorado (doctorate).
The Mexicali Faculty of Medicine was formally established by the University Council on September 27, 1971, as the School of Medicine.
The efforts for the creation of an academic structure that could ensure the training of future doctors for the state of Baja California, are carried out with the vision and leadership of some young people who were in their last semesters of high school at the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), facing the opinions that were for and against, on the creation of a medical school in this territory of the country, especially those of the doctors who at that time were listed as leaders of medicine in the city.
Despite the setbacks they encountered, they managed to reach Lic. Luis Echeverria Álvarez, who was serving at that time as President of the Republic, to request his intervention and support, in the crystallization of the educational projects they had planned.
The approval becomes possible and with Lic. Rafael Soto Gil as rector, classes begin on January 4, 1972 in classroom “B” of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Hospital of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in this city, teaching for the first time, Dr. Heliodoro Osuna gave the Anatomy class to 79 students.
Later, between 1975 and 1976, the land for the Civic Center was obtained and the construction of the school began in the place that still occupies us today, with an address at Calle Dr. Humberto Torres Sanginés S/N.
In 1993, the school became the Faculty of Medicine due to the opening of the Master’s Degree in Medical Sciences, as well as programs of medical specialties, such as General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Anesthesiology and Psychiatry in agreement with the Secretary of Health of the state of Baja California (ISESALUD). The medical specialties are offered at Mexicali’s General Hospital.