Studying Medicine in Poland

Hello! And welcome to my post on studying medicine in Poland! 

I am a current student studying medicine in Poland and I thought I will create this post to help with applications. 

*This post is aimed at high school students who are interested in applying to study medicine, in English, in Europe.* 

• Note: graduates are still welcome to apply but make sure you email unversities of interest to see if they accept graduates.  

In Poland, there are 15 medical schools that teach medicine in English. The length of programme is 12 semsesters, so 6 years, of full time study and it leads to an MD (Doctor of Medicine) after successful completion.

• Note: Poland used to offer the 4 year accelerated programmes but these are now cancelled as the Polish government wanted to standerdise all of the medical programmes. 

The cost of these medical programmes vary and depending on the school you are in: tution fees will be charged in Euros or Zloty (the Polish currency). 

The list below shows which 15 Polish universities offer Medicine in English. I have also attached the website link for each university. The curriculum and teaching methods are bound to differ as well as the structure of the course. So make sure to do your research before you apply. 

*Note: you can directly apply to the universities without going through an agent! This is a cost effective way and you can avoid any unnecssary hassle!  

 Universities 

1. Medical University of Bialystok 
   
   
2. Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz
   
   
   
3. Medical University of Gdansk 
   
   
   
4. Medical University of Silesia 
   
   
   
5. Jan Kochanowski University 
   
   
   
6. Jagiellonian University Medical College 
   
   
   
7. Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University 
   
   
   
8. Medical University of Łodz 
   
   
   
9. Medical University of Lublin  
   
   
   
10. University of Warmia and Mazury 
    
    
    
11. Pomeranian University of Medicine 
    
    
    
12. Poznan University of Medical Sciences 
    
    
    
13. University of Rzeszów 
    
    
    
14. Medical University of Warsaw 
    
    
    
15. Wroclaw Medical University 
    

All of the universities mentioned above are included in the World Directory of Medical Schools. This means that the universities are accredted by medical councils around the world, such as the UK General Medical Council and the Medical Council of Canada. 

The universities are also incluced in the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) which allows Foreign Medical Graduates to apply for residency (internship/Foundation Year) in USA. 

*Poland currently needs to reapply for ECFMG in 2024 so those graduating after 2024, make sure you sign up for ECFMG certification if you want to apply for STEP 1 exams. 

The cost of living in Poland is very affordable, especially compared to Western nations. On average, my expenses (including dormitory fees, food and tuition fees) have been around 80,000pln (£15,000, $16,000 USD, 17,000 euros). Again, this varies depending on what part of Poland you live in, tuition fees and the type of accommodation you are in. The cost may seem high, and it was, as this was my first year living abroad and it took me time to settle. But once adapted, my budget improved.

I will be doing more posts on life as a foreign student in Poland so make sure to check back every so often!