The university received permission to open in 2002, and opened its doors in 2003. Salzburg is now home to Austria’s first and Europe's second medical university in private ownership that offers the study of human medicine. The University’s namesake Paracelsus (1493-1541) was a pioneer of modern medicine and organic chemistry. Partner and role model of the University is the renowned Mayo Medical School (Minnesota, USA), which is an integral part of the Mayo Clinic, the largest private nonprofit hospital in the United States.