During his studies at the Peking Union medical College(1921-1929),Chen Zhiqian formed his thoughts on public health under the influences of modern medical education and the advanced thinking of the times,which laid an ideological foundation for his later engagement in rural health care and reflected the medical progress in China at that time.in the 1920s,Chen Zhiqian’s thoughts on public health mainly encompassed five aspects.First,health was a cornerstone of the country’s wealth and people’s well-being.Second,he belived in comprehensive“big medicine”which emphasized the combination of prevention and treatment.Third,he advocated the return of medicine to the state and the building of a medical system covering all people.Fourth,he advocated maternal training and institutional standardization,emphasizing child health protection.Fifth,he was committed to the popularization of health science and advocated health education reform.Summarizing the above five aspects is of great significance for enriching and improving the academic evaluation about Chen Zhiqian and provides a reference for today’s work on public health。