Zhou (Chow original) was born in Beijing in 1910 and attended Peiyuan Primary School, Bridgeman Girls High School, and Yanjing University, all Christian missionary schools in Beijing. She is originally from a town just south of Hangzhou. In 1926, she entered a medical training program run jointly by Yanjing University and the Nursing School of Peking Union Medical College (PUMC). She earned a degree and her Registered Nurse License from PUMC in 1930. She worked as head nurse at Cemtral Clinic.
