Peking Union Medical College
Yu was born in Shanghai, China in 1911. At age 13, her mother died and her father worked three jobs to help support her educational ambitions. As a sophomore at Ginling College in China, Yu was admitted into Peking Union Medical College on full scholarship and received her medical degree with highest honors in 1939. In the same year, Yu became the Chief Resident in Internal Medicine at Peking Union Medical College.