Medical University of Silesia

The Medical University of Silesia is located in Katowice, Poland. Established on March 20, 1948, it is reportedly the largest Medical school in all of Poland.

Originally in Rokitnica Bytomska and simply named "Medical Academy", it received its current name in 1949 and moved to Katowice in 1971.

The Medical University of Silesia, one of the biggest Medical Teaching Centers in Poland and Central Europe was founded in 1948. It employs 3000 professors, independent researchers and academic teachers. In 1995 an agreement with the Hope Medical Institute was signed, which initiated a program of teaching English -speaking students at the Medical University of Silesia. Since then the majority of graduated students started suitable employment in the USA.

The teaching program comprises all branches of modern medicine and is comparable to medical programs of the best medical teaching centers in the USA, which give the opportunity to achieve career rotation in the USA. It also provide a very interesting program of rotation in the best clinical departments of our University. Of special interest is electives program (master - student interaction) which provides the chance to combine theoretical knowledge and clinical practice. The American Medical Students Association is affiliated at the Medical University of Silesia. This is a very active student's association which enables communicating with Polish medical students as well as continuing the national tradition of the students.

History of The Medical University of Silesia
The Medical University of Silesia with its headquarters in Bytom-Rokitnica was established on March 20, 1948. In March 1950 the school was given its official name The Warynski Silesian Medical Academy. The present name, the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice was given to the school by decree of the Senate on February 28, 1990.

The main idea that lay behind the foundation of the school in Upper Silesia was to train and produce broadly educated physicians who would provide the best possible health services to the residents of the largest industrial region of Poland characterized by rapidly increasing air and water pollution and soil contamination. The organizer and first rector of the school was Professor Brunon Nowakowski, a world famous specialist in epidemiology. During the first decade of the life of the school, four towns were considered as its possible seats, namely Rokitnica, Zabrze, Bytom and Katowice. In December 1957 the Regional Council a passed decree establishing the ultimate location of the school in Katowice.

In 1971 the Faculty of Pharmacy was established with majors in pharmaceutical analysis, and environmental bioanalysis and the study ( the letter since 1978). In 1974 the Central Teaching Hospital in Katowice-Ligota started admitting patients. Also, the Nursing Faculty in Katowice-Ligota was established, which awards a master's degree in nursing (in 1990 the faculty was changed into a division of the Katowice Medical Faculty and in 2002 was included in the Faculty of Health Care and Education).

In 1975 the Clinical Teaching Center was opened in Tychy, and the second Medical Faculty was established in Katowice-Ligota. In the same year the Interdepartmental Institute of Anasthesiology and Resuscitaion was established ( presently, Department of Anasthesiology and Intensive Care). In 1977 the Polish Institute of Ophtalmology was established as a Department of the Medical Faculty in Katowice.

In August 1995, the Agreement with the Hope Medical Institute was signed. The first American students came to Katowice in February 1996. This began the new stage in the history of our university associated with the development of the four-year English language program. In 1998, the new medical center, Zabrze-Gliwice Medical Complex, was founded.

The university celebrated its 50 year-anniversary in October 1998. The progress of the school organization was accompanied by simultaneous development in teaching and research methods as well as provisions of health services.

In 2002 the Faculty of Public Health and Faculty of Health Care and Education were established and the Faculty of Public Health was founded. Modern teaching and the clinical Center is located in Katowice -Ligota. Excellent location ( international airport, railway connections to most European capitals: Vienna 400 km, Prague 450 km, Berlin 500 km, Budapest 400 km) makes it very attractive to plan medical education here.