Jagiellonian University - how competetive is it?

[TheSoulofMedicine]

Hello

Does anyone possess any information regarding the "competetiveness" and minimum criteria required for entry into the 6-year M.D. program at the Jagiellonian University?

P.S. Any insight will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Daniel
mathman987@yahoo.com

[LUGANSK_STATE_MEDICAL_UNI]

Hi,

maybe it would be good for you to give us some brief information on this establishment, so that others can research and comment?

[opuscule]

Daniel,

I'm in the 4 year program, so I can't provide you with information based on 1-st hand experience. What I can tell you though is that the English programs here in Krakow are well-run and to my knowledge haven't produced the horror stories you might have heard about some other programs in the region.

Frankly, the ladies running the admissions office are very friendly and helpful, so I suggest you get in touch with them directly at smeoffice@cm-uj.krakow.pl. I am confident you will receive honest replies to all your questions, and suspect they'll be able to give you the clearest answers.

Keeping in mind that we have no background about your situation (ie. what part of the world you're from, what your academic standing is coming out of high school, why you're shying away from an undergrad degree, etc), you might consider: a. doing an undergrad in North America and applying to a NA medical school, or b. one of the California-approved Central European 6 year programs. Both of these routes might give you more options down the road, not because of the quality of education but because of the regulatory environment in NA.

Good luck with the decisions ahead of you. Don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any other questions specific to studying in Krakow.

[TheSoulofMedicine]

Hello

I am writing in respose to the tread posted be opuscule, which inquiries about my academic status and "social" background.

Well, to start off with, I am a high school junior who transferred into the United States School system more than a year ago from Poland (after finishing junior high school). I excel in science-oriented studies (meaning Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science etc.) and particular areas of the humanites; as well as possess a fluent command of three languages including: English, Polish and German. I am classified as a dual citizen, and in about a year from now, I will be graduating from my current school. I apparently have a strong interest in medicine, and therefore plan to pursue this field after graduation.

Considering my ethnicity, knowledge of the Polish Language, and the vast number of relatives that I have in Poland, I have been lately pondering upon the possibility of acquiring a medical education in the motherland.

So, perhaps with this information you will be able to elaborate more on the question that I have previously asked.

Thanks

Daniel

[euromd]

I believe the 6 year program in english is reserved for non-polish citizens. If you are a polish citizen, then you can study in polish (and then would be approved in CA)

This was something that I stumbled upon when I was browsing the entrance requirements for schools in the region. But, as always, email the school.

[LUGANSK_STATE_MEDICAL_UNI]

Well now i can try and anser your question directly.
As you have probably discovered from sifting through the millions of posts on this site, East european schools are renowned for having very bad admissions requirements. They may not seem bad to you people, as you can apply and become a doctor, but the fact of the matter is, even though you are accepted onto the 1st year of medicine, do you think with grades which arnt good by any stretch of the imagination will be able to get you through the 1st year, and progess to the 2nd year???
Look at your situation again, if your grades are good enough to get you into a school in the US, well thats great. You just want to study in poland, to be with family, its understandable. Although if your grades wouldnt get you within 10 miles of a US university, you need to seriously reconsidder, as if you just arn't good enough at chemistry and biology, you simply wont have a chance at passing the 1st year, as this is the time where the students who are no good at science, stick out like a sore thumb.
If you have great grades, you will do well where ever you go, solong as you play hard, and study harder.

Thats the fact of it my friend.

[Miklos]

Well now i can try and anser your question directly.
As you have probably discovered from sifting through the millions of posts on this site, East european schools are renowned for having very bad admissions requirements. They may not seem bad to you people, as you can apply and become a doctor, but the fact of the matter is, even though you are accepted onto the 1st year of medicine, do you think with grades which arnt good by any stretch of the imagination will be able to get you through the 1st year, and progess to the 2nd year???
Look at your situation again, if your grades are good enough to get you into a school in the US, well thats great. You just want to study in poland, to be with family, its understandable. Although if your grades wouldnt get you within 10 miles of a US university, you need to seriously reconsidder, as if you just arn't good enough at chemistry and biology, you simply wont have a chance at passing the 1st year, as this is the time where the students who are no good at science, stick out like a sore thumb.
If you have great grades, you will do well where ever you go, solong as you play hard, and study harder.

Thats the fact of it my friend.

The OP may be one of the few who has the proper language and cultural skills to succeed in a "foreign" (seen from outside anyway) environment.

As to whether he has the proper science background, that is precisely the reason for his post.

[LUGANSK_STATE_MEDICAL_UNI]

Hello

Does anyone possess any information regarding the "competetiveness" and minimum criteria required for entry into the 6-year M.D. program at the Jagiellonian University?

P.S. Any insight will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Daniel
mathman987@yahoo.com

The minimum criterium for enterence to the medical faculty will be at the universities discresion, although i SUSPECT that a GPA of 3.0 - 3.5 would be enough, and the MCAT (30 ish) would no doubt be a bonus, i recommend that you contat the admissions department of Jagiellonian University, and ask them directly, as i can safely say that i have never heard of that establishment, they can give you the precise enterence requirements.

Hope this helps.

[opuscule]

A few confirmations/clarifications of information given after my 1st post:

1. Being a Polish citizen is not a barrier to acceptance in and of itself. Rather, it seems to be a requirement that you also possess citizenship in a country other than Poland. I would estimate that well over half my class are dual Polish and US/Canadian citizens. I assume your dual citizenship is Polish/US, in which case there shouldn't be an issue. I know a couple people in the 6 year program with the same status as you. Just don't dwell on the Polish part when you contact the office.

2. MCAT is certainly not a requirement for the 6 year program, as I can't imagine anyone sitting the MCAT without having completed at least part of an undergrad degreee.

3. As seems to be the case for most Central European programs, the real challenge isn't getting into the program (as the process isn't very competitive), but staying in. The academic years are quite rigorous, but you are given every chance to rise to the challenge. You sound like you are academically comfortable with the sciences, in which case I see no reason to worry.

4. You should consider carefully the pros and cons of the Polish vs Enligsh programs. As a start, the Polish program has about 200 students/year, while the English has about 40. You can imagine which offers a more personal experience. Also, the English program has more emphasis on multiple choice examinations, whereas the Polish program still relies heavily on oral exams. One anecdote that may or may not mean anything as to the relationship between students and school in the two programs: in Anatomy, gloves are provided for the English students whereas the Polish students must provide their own.

Since you are more then a year away from graduating, I suggest you visit Krakow sometime soon, sit in on some classes in both programs, and talk to some of the students. It would be interesting to hear your opinion on how the two programs compare.

Also, if you receive any specific entrance requirements from the office (eg. minimum marks), please post them for the benefit of others; the school's website doesn't go into such specifics.

[TheSoulofMedicine]

Hello

Regarding the participation in both programs, how does the procedure for entry into these programs operate? Whom do I specifically contact?, and when can I take part in them?

Thanks,

Daniel

[opuscule]

For the English programs, check out www.medschool.cm-uj.krakow.pl, or email the office at the address I gave above. Absolute deadline is May 15th. For the Polish programs, you should be able to find more information at www.cm-uj.krakow.pl. All I can tell you is that the procedure and contacts are different, as the English program is independent from the Polish one.

[TheSoulofMedicine]

Hello

For the 2006-2007 academic year, are the applications due by the end of May, 2006 or earlier?

Thanks

Daniel

[Miklos]

Hello

Does anyone possess any information regarding the "competetiveness" and minimum criteria required for entry into the 6-year M.D. program at the Jagiellonian University?

P.S. Any insight will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Daniel
mathman987@yahoo.com

The minimum criterium for enterence to the medical faculty will be at the universities discresion, although i SUSPECT that a GPA of 3.0 - 3.5 would be enough, and the MCAT (30 ish) would no doubt be a bonus, i recommend that you contat the admissions department of Jagiellonian University, and ask them directly, as i can safely say that i have never heard of that establishment, they can give you the precise enterence requirements.

Hope this helps.

Just what this forum needs....

An agent making comments without any knowledge.

The OP asked about the six year program, not the four year program. Neither university degrees nor MCAT scores are required for the overwhelming number of six year programs.

Next time, do us a favor and read the post. If you don't know anything about the subject (like on your post in the Main forum), I recommend that you don't bother commenting.

Miklos

[LUGANSK_STATE_MEDICAL_UNI]

Thats rather funny, as i don't remember it being the OP who asked the question in the 1st place, i thought it was thesoulofmedicine? :s Well i am very confused.

Well anyway, basically i can assure you that for any 6 year MD course, the entery requirements are that you have to have had 12 years of education (10+2) british equivilent to A levels, and the US students need no PhD or any undergrad degree, just a pass in science and 3 other subjects. and thats a fact.

On the other hand, 4 year courses need a GPA of about 3.0-3.5 and MCAT is not a minimum enterance requirement at all E European medical universities.

[blueeyes]

Thats rather funny, as i don't remember it being the OP who asked the question in the 1st place, i thought it was thesoulofmedicine?

The OP was TheSoulofMedicine.

[opuscule]

May 2006 for 2006-2007. I expect the Polish program will be earlier though; I have heard rumors that it is as competitive as US/Canadian programs.

[TheSoulofMedicine]

Hello

Are there any entrance examinations administered for the 6-year M.D. program in Polish or English?

Thanks,

Daniel

[opuscule]

I'm pretty sure there isn't, but please don't take my word for it. I strongly enourage you to contact the school office about the specifics of the process. This way you'll get the full and complete picture straight from the source.

[Peterpan]

Im in 6 year english program at KMU Poznan, Im thinking about trasnfering to Krakow UJ, is it good idea or bad????

[opuscule]

Well, that's a question that ultimately only you can answer. Perhaps though you could share some of the reasons why you're considering a transfer? The more we know about your specific circumstances, the more likely someone will be able to provide relevant advice or experience.

[kungfoo_UJ_PL]

I'm in the 4yr program at UJ but our associations with the 6yr program run deep. There have been a few transfers from posnan into both the 6 year as well as 2 into my class at the beginning of this year. They have all been pleased with their decision but then again personal preference comes into play.
I have yet to visit posnan so i can't quite comment on the city itself...but krakow is definately a student town with a decent night life and a large english speaking sector. There are a handful of english speaking bars and clubs in the center so there are quite of few spots to hang out at where you'll feel quite at home.
I would recommend a visit to the city and a tour of the facilities...maybe even sitting in on a few classes and talking to the students before making your choice.

We'll be happy to welcome you here

[Rico]

Just to let u know the English version hasn't approved by CA.

Rico

[ASarz]

Does anyone now how competitive admissions for the four-year program is? Is it about the same as other Polish med schools? I understand that there are about 30 spots available for the program but based on the photos of graduates on the website the numbers are much smaller. Is this due to attrition?

[opuscule]

The lower number you see in graduation pictures is a combination of attrition, and the fact that the school has only recently been filling all 30 spots (the realiance on word-of-mouth marketing means that growth is steady, but measured).

Regarding competitiveness, in short, Central European programs are not competitive for admissions, although most are quite academically challenging once you're in (and thus some attrition happens). I spewed a few more words on the subject here. (http://valuemd.com/medicine-191122.html#191122)