Jagiellonian Medical English Univ Q/A Thread

[plunderisley]

I am a current student on the 6year program here in JAG. If anyone has any questions, comments, or needs any help with JAG or Krakow in general, post your questions below, and I will try my best to answer them!

[jojo07]

what r the prospects for canadian studyin in Jag (poland). what gpa is required for admission and how r the studies overall?

thanks

[plunderisley]

Originally Posted by jojo07

what r the prospects for canadian studyin in Jag (poland). what gpa is required for admission and how r the studies overall?

thanks

4 year or 6 year program?

[Mister]

6 year thanks plunderisley, what year are you? where are you from? how do you find it at Jag? please let me know I am very interested. also what are the pros and cons of Jag?...

[plunderisley]

Originally Posted by Mister

6 year thanks plunderisley, what year are you? where are you from? how do you find it at Jag? please let me know I am very interested. also what are the pros and cons of Jag?...

Ah, so popular PMs and posts after a few hrs of joining
I am from Chicago, on the 3rd year of 6th.
Actually I found out from my parents as they finished here as well (but the Polish side many many years ago)

Honestly, I love it. I had my doubts in the beginning, well being so far away from home, friends, family. But honestly, the first year you'll make plenty of new friends from around the world and you won't really have time to worry about home a lot of reading
Studies are not easy. All the questions we get on our tests (MCQ but they arn't easy) are USMLE style. They do prepare you well for the USMLEs (well haven't taken mine yet, but I do study from Step 1 for the tests here soo...)
Class wise currently I believe Ithere are 54 of us (or 53, can't remember). First year anatomy we were 10 per professor. Other classes as small as 3. In Peds now there are 3 of us per doctor. Internal medicine groups of 2. You really don't get that 1 on 1 in the USA or Canada.
The university is very old with a lot of history, but then again they do have many new buildings. There are many computer labs, student study rooms with wifi, etc.
There are always cons to everything, but for me the only thing is as a foreign medical graduate I need to do better on my USMLE than USA students to get accepted into residency in the USA.
GPA I am not sure what is needed, but I had a A- average with 6 years of science in HS with AP courses and 1 year of night college science, and a 33 on my ACT.
Admission is also now based on a entrance exam. We didn't have to take that. But don't get discouraged! They do look into any extra curricular activities, and how "well rounded" you are in other fields. It never hurts to apply!
But overall
Very small classes and great student to professor ratio
Saving 2 years of study
No MCAT to take (for the 6 year)
All in English
and 1/4 the cost of a USA med school are all pros


If you have any other specific questions, please ask!

[plunderisley]

Some other questions I was asked

Do you guys have clinicals in US like Caribbean schools after the 1st two years(as long as the student pass step 1). Do we have to take the USMLE after the 1st two years in order to get into 3rd year like American and Caribbean schools. What about preparations for USMLES as far as the Curriculum goes, like any MCQ based questions?
I am on the 6 year program and heres what I do. Every summer i have 1 month of clinicals to complete to go onto the 2nd year. I have done them every year in the USA.
You do NOT need to pass USMLE to go onto the following year or even to pass Jag. Its optional. Everything is prepared on USMLE style questions. All my tests are MCQ and all are based similar to USMLE questions, if not more difficult than those.

Are they approved for Fafsa(student aid for Americans) their english 4 year program esp?
Not too sure, but I did get a loan from student loan network (which was a ripoff) They do help you with the paperwork. Actually, come to think of it, yes they are as a student in my class is doing fafsa

Are their any foreign students like American, Canadian, Indian-Pakistani, Chinese students etc., How are the living conditions racism, food, electricity, study condition dorms for off campus base etc.,
Well 4 year program is mostly USA and Canadians. 6 year for my class its about out of 54 student 45 Norwegian (school has a contract with Norway) a few from USA and Canada, a few from Saudi, and 1 from Pakistan.
Living conditions is how good you want it to be
You can live in a apartment with other students for practally nothing, or for about 1500PLN/month you can rent a nice 70SQ M apartment near the city center. Internet is as cheap as 100PLN/month, cell phones are a tad pricy for calls but texting is cheap. Food is also cheap with student cafes making great home cooked dinners averaging about 12PLN. Thats soup, dinner with a side and a drink. Dorms are ****. I would really recommend you come in a month earlier and find a apartment.
There is a new building built near where most of the classes I have are (actually a lot of my classes are held there) with a bunch of computer workstations, wifi, and study rooms. There are school computer labs around town you can use.
We have electricity Again depending on how much you use, is what you'll pay. I have a lot of **** running at my apartment, and I pay about 50USD/month.

Again, it depends on how tight of a budget you are on. One can live like a king here for about 1500USD or so a month. Restaurants full dinners on weekends for instance is about 30USD. Pint Beer is 2.5USD
Its cheaper than Chicago or UK, for sure. Fafsa wise, I think they give you 11000USD for cost of living, etc. plus the cost of school. 11000USD is a good amount of money, and like I mentioned if you can budget well then you should be fine!

and like in Hungarian med school if you fail 1 subject they make you repeat the whole year is that true to Poland as well?
Yes and no. If you fail anatomy for instance, yes. If you fail biochemistry yes. If you fail something like medical polish or ethics, then no. Depending on the importance of the class. You do get a makeup in September. And I do not know the new rules but for our class if you fail biochemistry for instance, you only make that up, not all the other classes.


Do a lot of students(foreign) repeat any year of medical school at JU, so the school can make more money? Does the English program have 100% english-speaking capable professors. In other words is JU just out there to rip off money from foreign students like the Hungarian universities.
Very few foreigners make up the year. They really only make it up if they deserve to, like if they really do fail. we started with 60 students, 3 failed 1st year, and 4 I believe dropped out.
All professors speak english to some degree. All the professors giving lectures and seminars speak english well, helpers though may not speak the best english (then again you really dont see them much) But they all have ascents.
Are they out to get money? Well yes. The school is a lot more per year than the Polish side, and for the EU it is a expensive university, but is it after ripping off foreigners by failing them, making them pay extra? NO. I have never heard anyone who got ripped off by the school.
Only thing I can see happening is if you show off to the professors. I.e. drive a BMW or some expensive car and brag about how rich and mighty you are.
As long as you study and pass your tests, you should be fine!

[MDPWR]

Great dude,

Appreciate all your inside stuff from JU.

Cool!

Keep up the good work!

[plunderisley]

How do you find the cost of living in Krakow, compared to other places in Europe?
Well Krakow is a fairly affordable city. I am from the USA, and compared to many other cities I visited, I find Krakow very "cheap". Cost of living is cheaper thn for instance a apartment in Chicagoland area. A average apartment, can run as low as 1000PLN (about 400USD/CAD) upwards of 2000PLN a month, depending on the size, location, etc. One thing that people do is rent real close to the town center, forgetting the excellent tram/bus connection in Krakow. For instance I live (own apartment) about 1.5km from Kopernika St (most of the basic classes are there) and where I am at compared of getting a apartment on Kopernika can be as much as 500+PLN/month difference. I got 4 trams which go every 5 min by my apartment and it takes me 5-8min by tram to get to the stop near Kopernika. then a 3min walk (I got it all timed down for those early mornings ) A monthly student tram pass is 48PLN for all lines incl night and weekends.
Food wise, actually I find it more expensive shopping than USA. I'm used to Costco/Sams Club for those bulk purchases. Food wise, you can of course cook yourself, or there are many student cafes for dinner around town from good home cooked dinners averaging about 12PLN (5USD) for soup, main with side, and a drink.
Its hard in other cities to come by prices so low including with the euro and how crappy the US dollar is doing.
Dinner wise also there are fine restaurants where you can have a gourmet dinner for about 30USD.
Alcohol wise, Poland is affordable. There are tons of clubs and pubs in the city and all have many student discounts. There are other tricks of the trade, but you'll figure that out when you get here.


Is the winter weather dismal? Krakow looks like a beautiful city, I have to say, and I'm excited to see it up close.
Its hard to say. Krakow in the city center is beautiful no matter what time of the year it is. Outside the city though, we still have many of those "communism" style buildings so when its cold, and slush, its not very good. Then again no city is. But it depends on the weather. Like the other day it was sunny and 45F. A very nice day, including for Jan!

Do you know if Jag will let me interview in person if I am going to be in the city, rather than over the phone? I will only have a couple of days there because I am visiting some other schools, as well, but Jag is my top choice.
You can of course email the school. Their email is on the school website medschool.cm-uj.krakow.pl I'm sure something can always be arranged. And if you ask, you might get a tour of campus.
School office is closed on weekends. I think Mon-Fri 9-4PM

[MDPWR]

How safe is Poland for foreigners? Do you see Chinese, Indian/Pakistani, Africans etc.,

Does JU have any history of crimes against foreign students?

God bless you for your sincere help.

Thanks.

[plunderisley]

Originally Posted by MDPWR

How safe is Poland for foreigners? Do you see Chinese, Indian/Pakistani, Africans etc.,

Does JU have any history of crimes against foreign students?

God bless you for your sincere help.

Thanks.

How safe is Poland for foreigners? Do you see Chinese, Indian/Pakistani, Africans etc.,

I think its safe. It is a city, so basically every city in the world has crime. Knock on wood I have never been mugged or robbed and am on my 3rd year. Very few of my friends have been robbed. It does happen, but its usually their fault. Just use common sense. Don't carry thousands of dollars on you. Even when I walked around the town center many times at night (and night is like 3am) I never was even stopped. I have a few classmates that do stick out as a foreigner, and they never had any problems.
One thing though there are burglaries in the apartments over the summer. It happened to a few classmates. Once again, they let themselves known by renting nicer apartments will all foreigners in the building. Just use some common sense. Its a overall safe city. Take London for instance. You'd be amazed how much pick pocketing goes on in that city. I would say a lot more than Krakow.

Does JU have any history of crimes against foreign students?

Not sure I understand this question. The actual school? No. Well, Krakow is a student town with over 250,000 students I believe, so can it happen you get pick pocketed by another student if that is what you meant.