This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Study Medicine in Poland

This time last year i had already had a few rejections to study in the UK, so i started to look at studying abroad, and here i am in Gdansk, Poland. I just thought i would share my experience and knowledge with you guys as it might help a few of you.
I got AABB but still couldnt get into a UK med school basically because i had applied to study vet med the year before.
The is an english company you can go thru to apply to Poland...i have forgotton the name right now....google 'medicine abroad' and you may get it. I would NOT apply through this company. They have some usefull info but they charge you an arm and a leg to apply when it should be free to most uni's. It's free to apply to Gdansk, then i think there is an £80 fee to other polish schools, but your chances of getting in are significantly higher.

Funding is not so easy to get. Basically the student loan companys wont finance your studies and you have to pay upfront for the 1st years tuition over about 6 months. Its about £6000 a year but the cost of living is nothing. I order pizza most days delivered straight to my door for £1.20. Beer is 80p-£1, food is very cheap, accomodation is £70 a month!
my parents are partially funding my course with the help of a fairly low interest loan from the bank.

The course is very traditional, its all taught in english and it is very hard work. We get 33hours of lectures and classes a week and tests basically every week. It is a 6 year course and it is fully recognizable with the GMC, so i can go back to england and work without taking any exams.

I would say if your commited go for it. I am so pleased i have and i worked out i would leave uni with the same amount of debt as i would have had at home.

Hope this helps some of you peeps who are desperate to study medicine, i know how it feels, and i am loving it here!

Reply 1

Talya

16

Is your Polish good enough for the medical schools there? If it is, go for it! :smile:

Would you want to come to England to work after?

Reply 2

Dr. Funkenstein

Talya

Is your Polish good enough for the medical schools there? If it is, go for it! :smile:

Would you want to come to England to work after?

Teaching is in English...

Reply 3

lucho22

13

Talya

Is your Polish good enough for the medical schools there? If it is, go for it! :smile:

Would you want to come to England to work after?

The pay in Poland must be crap...

Reply 4

shelly 84

can i make a few points

1. I have heard that you get kicked out if you dont do well in tests
2. Dont you need to learn czech by a certain stage
3. Uk will favour home graduates

Reply 5

Dr. Funkenstein

84 shelly

can i make a few points

1. I have heard that you get kicked out if you dont do well in tests
2. Dont you need to learn czech by a certain stage
3. Uk will favour home graduates

Why would you need to learn Czech to study in Poland?

Reply 6

shelly 84

Jackel

Why would you need to learn Czech to study in Poland?

o gosh sorry im thinking of prague, im sure the same rules would apply to poland however

Reply 7

scaredashell

OP

1

84 shelly

can i make a few points

1. I have heard that you get kicked out if you dont do well in tests
2. Dont you need to learn czech by a certain stage
3. Uk will favour home graduates

Obviously if you dont pass the final then you have to repeat the class. I believe this is the case in UK med schools as well.
I have 3 hours of polish class a week but we can always have a translator when we do clinicals
I rang the GMC and the polish degree is equally as favourable and you actually come out having to do 1 year less as a junior doctor as the course here is 6 years. You dont have top anymore exams to be able to practice in other areas of europe
Yes i do plan to go back to the Uk to practice
EDIT Jackal are you studying medicine in czech republic?

Reply 8

shelly 84

scaredashell

Obviously if you dont pass the final then you have to repeat the class. I believe this is the case in UK med schools as well.
I have 3 hours of polish class a week but we can always have a translator when we do clinicals
I rang the GMC and the polish degree is equally as favourable and you actually come out having to do 1 year less as a junior doctor as the course here is 6 years. You dont have top anymore exams to be able to practice in other areas of europe
Yes i do plan to go back to the Uk to practice
EDIT Jackal are you studying medicine in czech republic?

http://www.newmediamedicine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26133
If you read that thread studying medicine in europe seems like an awful prospect.

I dont think many people can cope with the pressure of having a test every week either tbh.

Reply 9

scaredashell

OP

1

84 shelly

http://www.newmediamedicine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26133
If you read that thread studying medicine in europe seems like an awful prospect.

I dont think many people can cope with the pressure of having a test every week either tbh.

How can you comment when you havent been in that position.
Yes we do have tests every week, buts its better to be prepared than be like it is in england and just cram for the final. I agree, don't come here if you aren't prepared to work as i think it is a lot tougher than studying in the UK however, i dont think you can judge just by reading one forum.

Reply 10

olajot

I live in Gdansk and I'm really glad you like it here. :smile:

The Academy is very good and studying medicine is hard everywhere in Poland.
It's not true that they will favour home students in England, as they actually make some Polish doctors (meaning those who have studied in Poland) come and work for them as they are known for being very well educated and skillfull.

Reply 11

Vaino

shelly

I dont think many people can cope with the pressure of having a test every week either tbh.

Orly? Then do explain how come so many ppl are at the polish universities, which ALL of them have tests every week and bout 30 more or less hours a week?

It's real studying and learning compared to the "nothing-to-do-this-month" uk unis.
I am very happy to study in uk as I don't rly have to do nothing at all but pay (that sucks a bit). But doing nothing aint what I realy started studying for :/ Hope it gets better in further years here or ill have to start studying on my own. - sorry for OT

Big respects for ppl that do medicine in Poland - both international and Polish!

Reply 12

Michelhasia

I just realized this post is about two years old! Haha! Just wondering if you [original poster] were studing vet med at the university or differently?

Reply 13

Amuh

Talya

Is your Polish good enough for the medical schools there? If it is, go for it! :smile:

Would you want to come to England to work after?

as far as i have been told..polish is not that necessary to study medicine in poland...everything is in english... or am i wrong? coz i am yet not sure..

Reply 14

Lyaios

scaredashell

The course is very traditional, its all taught in english and it is very hard work.

scaredashell

I have 3 hours of polish class a week but we can always have a translator when we do clinicals

It isn't that difficult to read the OPs posts.

Reply 15

Rainbow_1985

I have 6-7 old classmates in Poland and they seem very pleased with the education. They all can return to sweden for their special clinical practice and won't have any trouble finding jobs due to lack of doctors in sweden.

5 years ago when I applied (didn't go) was first come first served, now they require high grades.

Reply 16

pamwell

Hi guys

I got into medicine here in Canada in 2006, decided not to go for personal reasons and went travelling instead. I wrote the mcat in 2005 and i'm wondering what the admission requirements are for polish schools. Do you know if my MCAT scores would still be valid? Is it a 4 yr program if you have a uni degree and 6 year program if you're out of high school? Do all schools require the MCAT? In terms of comparing UK/North American schools with the ones in Poland, is the curriculum as intense? Part of the reasons why I didn't want to jump on board in Canada is because your quality of life is seriously decreased when attending a Canadian med school (16 hour shifts at the hospital, ridiculous amounts of work... med students are motivated, but they're not machines!!!) is that what it's like in Poland? I'm not allergic to hard work, quite fond of it actually, i do however have a problem with being run into the ground!

So many questions, but I think the best information comes from experience :smile:

Take care and thanks :smile:

Reply 17

_M_ll

10

Original post by scaredashell

This time last year i had already had a few rejections to study in the UK, so i started to look at studying abroad, and here i am in Gdansk, Poland. I just thought i would share my experience and knowledge with you guys as it might help a few of you.
I got AABB but still couldnt get into a UK med school basically because i had applied to study vet med the year before.
The is an english company you can go thru to apply to Poland...i have forgotton the name right now....google 'medicine abroad' and you may get it. I would NOT apply through this company. They have some usefull info but they charge you an arm and a leg to apply when it should be free to most uni's. It's free to apply to Gdansk, then i think there is an £80 fee to other polish schools, but your chances of getting in are significantly higher.

Funding is not so easy to get. Basically the student loan companys wont finance your studies and you have to pay upfront for the 1st years tuition over about 6 months. Its about £6000 a year but the cost of living is nothing. I order pizza most days delivered straight to my door for £1.20. Beer is 80p-£1, food is very cheap, accomodation is £70 a month!
my parents are partially funding my course with the help of a fairly low interest loan from the bank.

The course is very traditional, its all taught in english and it is very hard work. We get 33hours of lectures and classes a week and tests basically every week. It is a 6 year course and it is fully recognizable with the GMC, so i can go back to england and work without taking any exams.

I would say if your commited go for it. I am so pleased i have and i worked out i would leave uni with the same amount of debt as i would have had at home.

Hope this helps some of you peeps who are desperate to study medicine, i know how it feels, and i am loving it here!