The Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts (TNIMA) was established in 1945 through the effort and cooperation of the Liberian National Public Health services- now Ministry of Health and the United States Mission.

In 1945, two already existing programs for the training of nurses were merged-namely Professional/ Practical Nursing. Through the collaborative efforts of the National Public Health Team, a unified local training program of instruction for nurses and other health-related workers was started. This union was named “ Tubman National Institute of Medical Arts” ( TNIMA) after the incumbent President of Liberia- William V.S. Tubman.

In 1952, a training course of auxiliary health education was established at TNIMA through the effort of the Liberian American Joint Commission for Economic Development. This program later phased out. Later that year, the Liberian requested WHO to established a school of sanitation after realizing the most of the population’s common diseases were a result of poor sanitation and hygiene. The school was then established on a one-year training basis until 1961 when it was raised to two (2) years and renamed the School of Environmental Health. Temporarily closed for curriculum update from 1982 – 1984 and reopened since 1985 and is operational. In 1964, the need to established a Physician Assistant Program for the development of health workers for the rural areas became apparent. The Government of Liberia in collaboration with WHO and UNICEF establish the Physician Assistant Program, and training started in March 1965 as a two (2) year program and increased to three (3) years in 1976.