Post-graduate Internship in English
Medical and dental graduates of Polish universities planning to practice their professions in Poland, as well as in some EU countries like Germany, Sweden, or Spain, are required to undertake additional steps to become eligible to apply for professional licensing: undergo the post-graduate internship ("Staż"), pass the Polish licensing examination: LEK/LDEK, and (in case of Poland only) pass the Polish language proficiency examination. PUMS now offers the option to complete the post-graduate internship at the University in English language. The training is paid by the participants and takes 6/7 months.
Internship for Medical Graduates
Duration: 7 months.
Course contents - practical training in: Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Neonatology, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Family Medicine, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Psychiatry, Traumatology, Emergency Medicine, a Course in Blood Donation, and 4 weeks of chosen elective practice.
Location: PUMS Clinical Hospitals and family medicine practice in Wieluń.
Cost of participation: per person cost of the internship will be calculated based on the overall number of participants.
Next intake start: September/October 2025.
Application deadline: April 30, 2025
Registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdGZlahtF-FbjoxWFnG6uNuB8yXiQqrgkLx8Y7XRVfIqmfocA/viewform
The internship must be completed within 2 years from the date of graduation (according to the date on the diploma).
All documents related to the internship must be submitted to the Ministry of Health, which issues a decision on the completion of the internship (the CMEE office assists in this proces).
Completion of medical studies and internship, passing the LEK national medical licensing exam, following the decision of the Ministry of Health, grants the right to apply for the professional practice of the medical doctor within the European Union. In order to obtain the unlimited license to practice in Poland, doctors also have to pass the Polish-language proficiency examination with the Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists.
Internship for Dental Graudates
Duration: 6 months.
Course contents - practical training in: Conservative Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry, Dental Prosthetics, Dental Surgery, Orthodontics, and Periodontology) as well as Emergency Medicine
Location: PUMS Dental Clinical Hospital Collegium Stomatologicum and Medical Simulation Center
Cost of participation: per person cost of the internship will be calculated based on the overall number of participants.
Next intake start: September/October 2025.
Application deadline: April 30, 2025
Registration: TBA
The internship must be completed within 2 years from the date of graduation (according to the date on the diploma).
All documents related to the internship must be submitted to the Ministry of Health within 3 months of completing the training, with assistance provided by the CMEE office.
Legal Basis
The amendments to the Law on the Professions of Physician and Dentist (Journal of Laws 2022, item 2770, Article 1), which took effect on January 1, 2023, provide a specific and exceptional pathway for graduates of English programs to complete their internships in a shorter duration of 6 months, without the need for confirmation of Polish language proficiency. This 6-month practical training, conducted in English, should be organized by the university issuing the diploma and completed within 2 years after graduation, in accordance with the graduation date stated on the diploma.
According to these provisions, the Minister of Health, through a formal decision, will acknowledge the completion of a postgraduate traineeship. This decision is considered equivalent to fulfilling the postgraduate internship requirement necessary for obtaining the right to practice as a doctor or a dentist. Consequently, such a decision is deemed equivalent to the postgraduate training certificate referenced in Annex V (points 5.1.1 for doctors, 5.3.2 for dentists) of Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of September 7, 2005, on the recognition of professional qualifications.
This implies that a holder of a Polish diploma, upon receiving the Ministry of Health's decision recognizing the completion of their postgraduate internship and after passing the LEK/LDEK exam, can obtain the right to practice in Poland, provided other statutory requirements are met. These requirements include having full legal capacity for legal actions (with an appropriate declaration submitted); maintaining good health (evidenced by a current certificate from an occupational medicine physician); upholding an impeccable ethical standard; and possessing adequate knowledge of the Polish language (confirmed by graduating from medical studies in Polish or passing a Polish language test administered by the Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists, or, for EU citizens, passing the Polish Baccalaureate exam or the LEK/LDEK exam in Polish).
After fulfilling these conditions and passing the LEK/LDEK exam, the diploma holder's professional qualifications should be automatically recognized in other EU Member States, regardless of whether they choose to practice in Poland.
To ensure proper supervision by English-speaking teachers, candidates must pay the internship fee. This reflects the voluntary nature of the training, as it is one of several available options. Another option is the traditional postgraduate internship conducted in Polish, which lasts one year and requires confirmation of Polish language proficiency.
Additionally, there are two other options for international training, both of which require recognition by the Ministry of Health. The first option allows students to complete an internship abroad after finishing their studies. The second option involves undertaking a practical training program that lasts for a year, conducted abroad in a country where there is no obligation to complete a postgraduate internship, and must also be validated and recognized by the Polish Ministry of Health.
All documents related to the internship must be submitted to the Ministry of Health within 3 months of completing the training, with assistance provided by the CMEE office.