In Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, in a School of Medicine, English division studies have been conducted for more than 20 years. In 2019 year, first English division learning cycle was finished by students of Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze. University has a perennial campus with a reach history, with a friendly and kind atmosphere. University campus attracts students from around the world and gives opportunity to become independent and to get social maturity. There is a dormitory in the area near the Zabrze-Rokitnica Campus, very close to Medical Units and Departments in which, mostly first and second year students decide to live. Medical campus is not only studying, but also atmosphere and tradition characteristic for a south region of Poland called Śląsk. In about 30 km distance are localized the objects with great history – cultural units for example museums/coal mines (UNESCO), strictly connected with the history of coal and silver mining in Zabrze, Katowice, Tarnowskie Góry, cultural zone in Katowice, Giszowiec District, opera in Bytom. Katowice got title of the “City of Music” because of its’ huge number of cultural units connected with music. What is very characteristic in Śląsk is its’ good communication with the other regions of our country. It takes only 1,5 hour to get to Beskidy mountains, with enormous number of great view places and hiking trails. It takes about 7 hours to change landscape and get by the Baltic Sea. Śląsk is also popular because it is most populated in Poland, and hence it is a mix of different nationalities, cultures, traditions and religions.
HISTORY
Before 1971, the Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze (formerly the Faculty of Medical Sciences) was the only faculty of the Medical University of Silesia (formerly Medical University of Silesia). Established in 1948 it consequently performed as the fundamental body of other schools.
The origin of the School dates back to 1946 when the Citizens’ Committee for Preparation of the Silesian Social Academy of Medicine made its first attempt to establish such school in Upper Silesia. Discussions held with General Jerzy Ziętek – the Vice-voivode of Silesia, assumed education of personnel for the primary health care (provided on social insurance basis), treatment of occupational diseases and launching the preventive programmes. The scientific and teaching background was supposed to be Polish School of Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Scotland and the equipment was to be supplied by Paderewski Hospital, also from Edinburgh, and financed by Paderewski Testimonial Foundation.
Future location would have been Rokitnica and Bytom while the organizational efforts were entrusted to Professor Antoni Tomasz Jurasz, MD PhD (1882-1961), founder of the School in Edinburgh. Soon after, in 1947, the project was cancelled. Changes of the political systems forced in Poland made the Foundation and Prof. Jurasz himself, withdraw from the challenge. Neither did the authorities approve of the idea, interested only in takeover of the equipment and promoting, instead of the Academy, establishment of an Institute providing specialist training programmes for the physicians.
Nevertheless, by ordinance of the 20th March, 1948, the Council of Ministers established the Medical Academy in Bytom, acting as a graduate school with a Department of Medicine including within its structures the Division of Dentistry. The first dean wad Prof. Tadeusz Pawlikowski, MD PhD (1904-1985), a the vice-dean – Prof. Mieczysław Jankowski MD PhD (1896 – 1978).
Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze offers undergraduate programmes for English speaking students at the Dentistry Program. The studies comprise 10 semesters and include theoretical, pre-clinical and clinical courses. The syllabus includes also a summer holiday internship. The programme has been designed to meet all the valid teaching standards. A student is awarded the professional title of a dentist. The faculties of medicine and dentistry have been accredited by Polish Accreditation Committee (Resolution No. 217/2023 of the 06.04.2023 and Resolution No. 1041/2023 of 23.11.2023).
FACULTY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES IN ZABRZE IN NUMBERS:
The Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze offers undergraduate programmes to Polish speaking students at the faculties of medicine, dentistry and medical rescue.
In the academic year 2023/2024 the School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze is attended by almost 2 470 students, including 1 597 students of medicine, 740 students of dentistry and 133 students of medical rescue.
Until the academic year 2022/2023 the number of our School graduates reached 9 712 physicians, 6 966 dentists (English and Polish Division) and 506 paramedics.
At present, the School comprises 57 Departments (clinical departments and wards) in Zabrze, Bytom, Katowice, Sosnowiec and Tarnowskie Góry, as well as the Department of Doctoral Studies, the Department of Foreign Languages.
What makes our University unique is the practical form of didactic classes. Working with the patient starts at third year of studies, preceded by practical experience in medical simulation conditions. The great example of competitive for different academic units didactic base is a newly created Medical Simulation Center in Zabrze. Medical Simulation Center gives students opportunity to get practical skills of their future profession, which is the most important aspect for foreign students.
This center is equipped with modern equipment, phantom rooms with vision tracks for both the medical and dental faculty. The Medical Simulation Center in Zabrze gives students the opportunity to learn a profession in practice. The first “phantom patients” at the Medical Simulation Center begin their actual medical practice.
Tempting for English-speaking students is very quick contact with a “real patient”. Compared to foreign centers, students of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice start their practical classes very quickly, which is what they care about the most. This is a very big advantage for studying in Zabrze. Students gain practice by learning on the latest equipment with the use of modern technologies, both in dentistry and in general medicine.
In addition, students have the opportunity to comprehensively diagnose and treat the patient, thanks to the classes introduced in the field of medicine and dentistry in the subject of “Integrated dentistry”. This subject allows you to look at the patient through the prism of all areas of dentistry and to choose the appropriate method of treatment, not just “moving” within one field of dentistry. Learning carried out in this way allows the future dentist to be prepared to work with the patient in a comprehensive manner.
For many English-speaking students, studying at the Medical University of Silesia can be a great start to a further scientific career. Belonging to the Student Science Club is a great opportunity to gain scientific achievements. Any research and scientific work can be successfully published in English-language journals, and, moreover, can be presented at STN Conferences in English-language sessions, which are highly scored.
