What you quoted...

"The 4-year M.D. Program of the Poznan University of Medical Sciences is designed for U.S. Canadian and international college graduates who have completed their pre-medical education and have obtained satisfactory grades in chemistry, physics and biology.

Candidates for this program may be accepted after demonstrating a record of academic achievements and after undergoing preliminary interviews.

Education at the University is based on the American M.D. program and conforms to American education standards."

...comes from the school website.

All of it is, strictly speaking, true. But, realistically, in spite of all the "official" sounding words, there are students in the 4-year program with no MCAT, and no pre-med courses.

Interviews are not mandatory, to use a strong word, as a good number of students are admitted without an interview. But the interview process is such that it does not, in effect, prevent anyone who really wants to come from coming to study. Rejections, if any, and there are rumours that they exist, are few. And even then, a bit of persistance will get you in.

Canadian students beware. There are extra tests that Canada requires above and beyond the USMLE. Further, post-9-11, there are visa issues. Finally, getting a residency in Canada is very difficult. Most likely, you will be a physician-in-residence in the U.S. I am not Canadian, and cannot comment further. US licensure is complicated as it is, and the school is woefully overwhelmed and unable to assist students with that. So, canadian students are wholly on their own.

The final paragraph is largely true. Everything is based on the US model.

A few extra points. There no longer exists a Prometric center (a place you take your Boards) in Warsaw. This is due to "irregularities." Not a surprise in a Central European country just learning how to govern itself in a civilized fashion. The closest center is in Berlin...actually closer than Warsaw.

Also, the school site speaks of "accreditation." They use the term very obfuscatively. There is no U.S.-accreditation for foreign schools. None. Foreign schools, in spite of what they may say, are never accredited in the US. The best a school can do is get registered with http://imed.ecfmg.org/

So, in spite of he nice, official-sounding language on the web site, the school still has a long way to go.

But, let me stress yet again. The teaching and the learning are there. The devil is in the details. It is very possible to learn what you need at PUMS, and to learn it well.

You've simply got to do it yourself. Excellence is not rewarded in Eastern European countries in the same way that it is in the US. Ironically, those students who do well at PUMS are the students who would do well anywhere...but for one reason or another did not go to US med schools.