Academic Programs in English

Jagiellonian University Medical College

CATALOG INFORMATION

Location

• 31-008 Kraków, ul.sw. Anny 12
• Telephone: +48 (12) 422 80 42
• Email: smeoffice@cm-uj.krakow.pl
• Website: https://medschool.uj.edu.pl

Please contact Ms. Magda Kameczura: Telephone: 48 (12) 422 80 42 ext. 18; email if you have any questions or concerns regarding the information disclosed in this document.

Jagiellonian University Medical College is the oldest medical school in Poland. The School of Medicine in English is a fully integrated part of the Faculty of Medicine. Until the academic year 2018/19, the School offered two medical programs taught exclusively in English:  a four-year program for graduates of pre-medical college/university programs (enrolment discontinued), and a six-year program for graduates of secondary schools. Presently, only the latter is available.

JUMC is part of an exceptional community of health care professionals, researchers, students and support staff. Academic staff includes the most experienced scholars and lecturers at Jagiellonian University, as well as foreign academics from the United States, England, Germany, and other countries. The international community has recognized it as a leading medical school in the European Economic Union. It has been repeatedly recognized as the best medical university in Poland.

The JUMC faculty and administration believe that adequate training of the modern healthcare professional requires the development of basic research skills. This emphasis on research is consistent with the University’s tradition. Areas of focus are the fields of genetics, molecular biology, bio­chemistry and molecular biology, immunology, microbiolo­gy, pharmacology, experimental physiology, gastroenterology, and molecular pathology.

Clinical disciplines are also the focus of research activities, including cardiovascular and respi­ratory diseases, hematology, nephrology, treatment of dia­betes, endocrinology, neurology, oncology, cardiosurgery, non-invasive and surgical gastroenterology, transplantology, and pediatrics. The level of research carried out by the Faculty of Medicine is high, evidenced by the number of publications appearing in peer-reviewed journals. Researchers have published their works in some of the most prestigious international scientific jour­nals, including Nature and the New England Journal of Medicine.

JUMC requires that every graduate demonstrate effectiveness in clinical skills. JUMC’s facilities offer ample opportunity for experiencing various healthcare techniques, treatments and outcomes.

Students of the School of Medicine in English also have the opportunity in their final year of study to complete elective rotations at various universities in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere.

Graduates of the medical programs are eligible to apply for residency and postgraduate training programs at university teaching hospitals in various countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, England, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and Poland.

Set forth below is information briefly discussing topics related to JUMC’s courses of study, its faculty, facilities, and fees and expenses. By selecting the hyperlinks in each section you will be referred to another location on the JUMC website with detailed information related to that subject.

Admissions Policy

Since its beginning in 1994, JUMC’s School of Medicine in English has welcomed qualified international applicants from all over the world. Regardless of nationality, ethnicity or culture, all admitted students at JUMC have met rigorous academic requirements.

Six-Year Program

Admission to the Six-Year program is based only on entrance exam results. For information on the admission process to the six-year program, please refer to: Six-Year Admission Criteria.

Four-Year Program*

*admissions until the academic year 2018/19

JUMC sought individuals with both academic and extracurricular achievement. Applicants’ earlier careers had to demonstrate maturity, integrity, creativity and initiative. The selection of students was based on their MCAT or GAMSAT score, individualized assessment of all available data, including past academic performance, and a personal interview.

All admitted students had a university degree and demonstrated high academic achievement, proficiency in oral and written English, strong interpersonal skills, and minimum objective test scores. JUMC’s Examination Panel conducted at least one personal interview of all applicants.

For critical application dates, admission requirements, admission fees and application forms please refer to: Four-Year Program Admission Criteria.

Programs, Courses and Other Educational and Training Programs

JUMC’s MD curriculum emphasizes basic sciences along with clinical training in each year of study. The JUMC experience will prepare a student for a number of career options in addition to medical practice. Many JUMC graduates have distinguished themselves in the fields of research, public health and teaching, among others.

The JUMC Six-Year Program differs from many other six-year and extended year medical school programs. The Six-Year Program focuses entirely on its students developing the necessary tools of a healthcare professional: skill in basic science, research capacity, and clinical skill. Although the program requires that its students have sound writing abilities, it does not require that students take university-level “general education” as a prerequisite to obtaining a medical degree. In addition, once a student is admitted and remains in good standing, the student is not required to be accepted into the medical program after initial years of study, like many other programs. The Six-Year Program is conducted entirely in the Faculty of Medicine.  Starting from the first year, the program requires that students gain clinical experience every year.

Click here for an overview of the curriculum and a brief synopsis of all courses. The descriptions will include the major competencies students are expected to acquire and list other essential elements and special features, including assessment.

First-Year Courses:

The focus of the first year is on the basic sciences. Here, students learn the healthy function of the human body, including anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry, among others. Students are introduced to clinical skills and practice as well, concluding their first year with a summer clinical clerkship. This early focus on clinical skills maximizes the opportunities students have to experience different aspects and problems in providing health care. From the start of their studies, students are expected to work at the highest level.

A student must complete all of the First-Year Courses to be promoted to the second year and to graduate.

Second-Year Courses:

In the second year, the program continues to emphasize the basic sciences, however, the focus shifts to the pathology of the human body. Students also begin to learn the pharmacological treatment of disease. The curriculum of the second year emphasizes the clinical experience and examines broader questions facing health care professionals, like ethics and the impact of sociological and demographic forces on medicine. The broadening of subject matter does not diminish the program’s overall focus on basic science.

Students also complete a summer clerkship to continue to develop their clinical skills.

A student must complete all of the Second-Year Courses to continue to the third year and to graduate.

Third-Year Courses:

The third-year curriculum shifts its focus from basic sciences to clinical practice. Students begin bedside teaching at the various Jagiellonian University hospitals in courses such as Internal Medicine, Surgery, OB/GYN, and Pediatrics. Students work in small groups providing them with extensive direct communication with the patient to practice history taking and physical exams. They also are provided individualized assessment and focused support of skills. The curriculum of the third year challenges program participants to explore and master large amounts of medical material.

Students also complete a summer clerkship to continue to develop their clinical skills.

A student must complete all of the Third-Year Courses to continue the fourth year and to graduate.

Fourth-Year Courses:

The fourth-year emphasizes clinical training with bedside teaching and students are provided with the opportunity to practice their clinical skills through regular patient interactions. The fourth-year curriculum includes a continuation of the core clinical courses. Students receive instruction in this speciality as they visit new departments, broadening their perspective on medical problems and their treatment. They also continue the second year of clinical practice in the paediatrics hospital.

Students also complete a summer clerkship to continue to develop their clinical skills.

A student must complete all of the Fourth-Year Courses to continue the fourth year and to graduate.

Fifth-Year Courses:

The fifth-year concludes the formal medical coursework. It also provides ample opportunity for further development of clinical skills. Students learn to tie the patient history and physical exam together with laboratory values and imaging studies leading to the diagnosis and treatment. This comprehensive teaching technique prepares students for real-life patient care.

Students also complete a summer clerkship to continue to develop their clinical skills.

A student must complete all of the Fifth-Year Courses to continue to the sixth year and to graduate.

Sixth-Year Courses:

The student concludes the final year of study by participating exclusively in clinical training.

A student must complete all of the Sixth-Year Courses to graduate.

Final Year P-4

In the final year, having developed their basic clinical skills, students become more involved in the treatment of health conditions as interns. At the end of the fourth year, JUMC students should be sufficiently skilled in clinical practice to perform well in any first-year residency program in any reputable hospital system.

Students are permitted to participate in clinical rotations falling outside the scope of the required clinical courses, yet reflecting the needs of mod­ern medicine. Students may take elective clinical courses offered in the United States, Canada and the EU if the courses meet certain criteria.

Attending physicians and senior residents analyze student performance in this period.

A student must complete all of the P-4 courses to graduate.

For a complete list of all JUMC course materials visit here.

A student must complete the following to be awarded a medical doctor degree from Jagiellonian University Medical College:

• Satisfactorily complete all courses of the curriculum; and
• Obtain at least 360 ECTS points through the completion of required courses.

For additional information, please refer to Sections 4, 10 5. and 15 of the Rules and Regulations of Jagiellonian University, Resolutions Nos. 42 and 43 of JU Regulation of Studies (English Translation) – Consolidated test of 2021 adopted March 31, 2021.

The Jagiellonian University Faculty of Medicine confers a Doctor of Medicine (MD) upon graduation.

JUMC, together with more than 30 other world-class medical universities, participates in Global Health Learning Opportunities (“GHLO”), a collaborative that assists final year medical students in participating in clinical, research or public health electives outside their home country or outside the country where their medical school is located. GHLO was developed in part through the efforts of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

JUMC has the following administrative units: the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Pharmacy, the Faculty of Health Sciences, the University Hospitals, the Department of Research and International Cooperation. For further information on each, please refer to the following:

• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Pharmacy
• Faculty of Health Sciences
• School of Medicine in English
• University Hospitals
• Medical Library
• Department for Research and International Cooperation

Classes are taught throughout the Jagiellonian University campus, depending on the subject matter. Required clinical rotations are conducted at the following owned and operated Jagiellonian University locations:

• The University Hospital
• Children’s University Hospital
• Orthopedic-Rehabilitation University Hospital
• University Dental Clinic

For information regarding the cost of tuition, visit here. For information regarding student housing, please refer to: Dormitory Fees. For information regarding Non-EU Student Health Insurance, please refer to Non-EU Student Health Insurance. For payment information, please refer to the Tuition Fees section. The cost of books and supplies is approximately 6 000 Euro per year.

JUMC accepts tuition payments from the US Direct Loan program and private loans.

Students can use US Direct Loans and private loans to cover some or all of their cost of attendance. 

For more information on US Direct Loans, please refer to US Direct Loans.

For more information about Private Loans, please refer to Private Loans.

Approval to operate:

Ministry of Science and Higher Education

ul. Hoża 20 or ul. Wspólna 1/3

00-529 Warszawa

tel.: 22 52 92 718

fax: 22 50 17 865

e-mail: sekretariat.bm@nauka.gov.pl

Opening hours: 8:15 – 16:15

Accreditor:

Polish Commission of Accreditation (Polska Komisja Akredytacyjna or PAKA)

tel. 22 563-17-44
tel. 22 622-07-18

Email: pka@pka.edu.pl

JUMC shall, upon request by any prospective or current student, provide a copy of documentation describing its operating authority issued by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and its accreditation by PAKA. JUMC will also provide to any prospective or current student the current contact information for inquiries or for filing complaints with the Ministry or PAKA. Any prospective or current student should email his/her request for documentation or information to smeoffice@cm-uj.krakow.pl.

In addition to ongoing enhancements of its course offerings, JUMC is undertaking measures to improve both the performance of its students and the quality of their experience.

JUMC has made the Comprehensive Basic Science (cNBME) self-assessment testing available to students on request. Such self-assessments help students determine their readiness to take the exam required to practice medicine in the United States, the USMLE.

JUMC will also benefit from the University’s effort to improve its medical infrastructure. A new University hospital opened its doors to the first patients in 2019.  The hospital enjoys state of the art medical technology. Among its features is a facility where JUMC students can practice their clinical skills on “virtual patients.”  Construction of laboratories and other pre-clinical facilities is underway.

Where a student does not receive US financial aid and discontinues a program for reasons other than “poor academic standing,” the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and the President of the School Council review the student’s application to withdraw and for a refund of tuition. If they deem it appropriate under the circumstances to allow the withdrawal and reimburse the student for a portion of the tuition fee, a refund is provided per the following general guidelines:

A tuition refund is contingent on the number of classes taken until the day of the student’s withdrawal from the program.

When a student receives US financial aid, JUMC follows US guidelines for making refunds.

The academic year starts on October 1 and ends on September 30 of the following calendar year.  It is divided into two semesters. See Section II, paragraph  6, JU  Regulations. Section I, paragraph 1, point 2.5 provides that an academic year is “a calendar period in which classes and examinations provided in the study plan and curriculum are conducted and credits are granted.”

Per Section 4 of the Rules and Regulations of the 1st and 2nd Level and Uniform Master’s Programs at the Jagiellonian University, the Council of the Faculty of Medicine has adopted a study plan and curriculum for the program leading to a medical doctor degree. Section 10 of the Rules and Regulations provides that a student completing a study year per the relevant study plan and curriculum will receive at least 60 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (“ECTS”) credits.

The Faculty of Medicine will confer credit towards a medical doctor degree on students transferring from other medical schools in the EU based upon the ECTS. The ECTS enables students from various countries to attain ECTS credit points at participating institutions of higher learning. One full-time academic year in a subject area generally corresponds to 60 ECTS credits. For further information on ECTS, please refer to the information provided by the European Commission.

Section 5, point 10 of the JU Regulation of Studies – Consolidated Text of 2021 dated March 31, 2021, provides that the conditions and rules for transferring a student from another university or changing a major specialization at the Jagiellonian University shall be determined by the Council of the basic organizational unit. Per Section 5, point 10, the Council of the Faculty of Medicine has adopted a policy on conferring academic credits towards an MD degree based upon ECTS.

For JUMC Educational Standards, please refer to: JUMC Educational Standards.

Attendance at lectures and other classes, for example, seminars, bedside teaching, workshops, is mandatory. Individual courses may have specific requirements for attendance. Attendance requirements for individual courses may be found in the course syllabus.