As the school’s first president, He Cheng pioneered the cause of revolutionary medical and health care. After the school moved to Chaling in Xingguo County, Jiangxi Province, conditions were extremely rudimentary: all its possessions could be carried on a single horse, earning it the name “School on Horseback”. Instructors compiled their own teaching materials, focusing on battlefield injuries and common illnesses. Despite harsh living conditions, the students remained eager to learn. By the eve of the Long March, the school had trained 686 core medical personnel. In October 1934, it joined the Red Army’s strategic relocation. It was the only school in China to take part in the 25,000-li Long March as an institution, keep classes running under fire, and complete the entire journey.