Current UMED student here.
After reading so many posts about this school (good or bad), living in Poland, and the different complaints, I feel the need to give my opinion on studying at this university and in general, ANY university abroad.
First I want to discuss the curriculum at this school. If your a student coming from North America, you will find that the curriculums here in Poland are not so similar to the ones in North America. Not to mention if you compare the 6MD program with the 4 year medical programs in North America, you better expect there to be several differences in the courses and the time allotted to the courses in these programs. Don't think you will get the same education in Poland as you would in the States for example. That being said, the medical Universities in Poland are directed to train people to be able to practice IN POLAND. THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO BACK HOME AND PRACTICE THERE. The university gives you the resources that you need in order to build a resume to go back to your country (eg. NBME exams, Steps, electives abroad), but they do not force this on their students, so it is up to the students to take the initiative themselves in their learning and direct themselves to their goal (whether it is to go back home or stay in Poland or in Europe etc). In fact, in the english division, most students are planning to return to their homes to practice and you will find the students that are serious about their post-graduate plans are taking the time and effort needed to reach their goals, and because of that effort, they end up reaching them. This is called "self-learning" and is a necessary skill to have in the field of medicine. Just remember, it is always recommended to study medicine in the country in which you wish to practice in. Do your research before attending a school, and don't expect to receive the same level of education anywhere for that matter.
TO ALL THOSE LOOKING TO STUDY MEDICINE:
As a student at this university (almost graduating), I've come to learn that I must take my education in my own hands. That means if I wish to change something, I do my best to get that done. If I wish to take my STEP 1 USMLE exam I'll put in the extra hours to study for it even if the curriculum isn't directed towards taking this exam. If I'm planning to return to North America, I'll put in the effort over the summer months to make connections and gain experience that would help better my resume. No matter which school you go to, if it is out of the country in which you wish to practice in, you must put in the effort to be competent enough to compete with those studying in that country (hope this makes sense). As a student here, I know what is coming for me when I apply back home. No matter what school I would have attended, I knew that I would have to do whatever it takes to make myself a competent candidate in the country I want to practice in. I know people who have attended this university and graduated, and are matched in the US and Canada. I know students who are practicing surgeons in Ireland and several doctors in the UK. I also know how hard working each one of those graduates are, and I know now what it takes to make it and I definitely know that it's possible.
I also want to address some of the posts that sound quite defaming to the Medical University of Lodz. Every university differs in how they teach, their teaching conditions, and their curriculum in general (from country to country). Don't just listen to rumours as those are easy to start and spread and are just that - rumours. Everyones experience in university is dependant on them and how they make of it. You can choose to come up with hundreds of reasons as to why you shouldn't have come here, or you can choose to look at why you decided to come here and what you can do to get out of here with what you want. If your not enjoying the experience here at the university, you are not forced to stay. If you find that going abroad was not the right decision for you, it's never to late to change your path, trust me. Medicine is a life-long career and if you don't put in the time to find out your path, you may find yourself regretting the field overall.
In the end I want to say that no matter what school you choose to attend abroad, just know that if you wish to practice at a prestigious hospital anywhere around the world (e.g US, Canada, UK,) you will have to go above and beyond what any university offers you in order to appear as a competent candidate. Do your research, choose a university that suits you, put in the time, put in the effort and you will be surprised what you can achieve no matter where you go. If you want it bad enough, you will get it.
Also, it is one thing to give facts about a university by stating your honest opinion and it is another thing to defame a university by repetitive posts that state rumours and untrue facts that are purely directed at discouraging people from attending this school. That doesn't help anyone, including yourself.
P.S. maybe the reason why you are not satisfied or are not going in the direction you want to go is because you spend so much time on forums trying to convince the internet not to attend this university??
After reading so many posts about this school (good or bad), living in Poland, and the different complaints, I feel the need to give my opinion on studying at this university and in general, ANY university abroad.
First I want to discuss the curriculum at this school. If your a student coming from North America, you will find that the curriculums here in Poland are not so similar to the ones in North America. Not to mention if you compare the 6MD program with the 4 year medical programs in North America, you better expect there to be several differences in the courses and the time allotted to the courses in these programs. Don't think you will get the same education in Poland as you would in the States for example. That being said, the medical Universities in Poland are directed to train people to be able to practice IN POLAND. THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO BACK HOME AND PRACTICE THERE. The university gives you the resources that you need in order to build a resume to go back to your country (eg. NBME exams, Steps, electives abroad), but they do not force this on their students, so it is up to the students to take the initiative themselves in their learning and direct themselves to their goal (whether it is to go back home or stay in Poland or in Europe etc). In fact, in the english division, most students are planning to return to their homes to practice and you will find the students that are serious about their post-graduate plans are taking the time and effort needed to reach their goals, and because of that effort, they end up reaching them. This is called "self-learning" and is a necessary skill to have in the field of medicine. Just remember, it is always recommended to study medicine in the country in which you wish to practice in. Do your research before attending a school, and don't expect to receive the same level of education anywhere for that matter.
TO ALL THOSE LOOKING TO STUDY MEDICINE:
As a student at this university (almost graduating), I've come to learn that I must take my education in my own hands. That means if I wish to change something, I do my best to get that done. If I wish to take my STEP 1 USMLE exam I'll put in the extra hours to study for it even if the curriculum isn't directed towards taking this exam. If I'm planning to return to North America, I'll put in the effort over the summer months to make connections and gain experience that would help better my resume. No matter which school you go to, if it is out of the country in which you wish to practice in, you must put in the effort to be competent enough to compete with those studying in that country (hope this makes sense). As a student here, I know what is coming for me when I apply back home. No matter what school I would have attended, I knew that I would have to do whatever it takes to make myself a competent candidate in the country I want to practice in. I know people who have attended this university and graduated, and are matched in the US and Canada. I know students who are practicing surgeons in Ireland and several doctors in the UK. I also know how hard working each one of those graduates are, and I know now what it takes to make it and I definitely know that it's possible.
I also want to address some of the posts that sound quite defaming to the Medical University of Lodz. Every university differs in how they teach, their teaching conditions, and their curriculum in general (from country to country). Don't just listen to rumours as those are easy to start and spread and are just that - rumours. Everyones experience in university is dependant on them and how they make of it. You can choose to come up with hundreds of reasons as to why you shouldn't have come here, or you can choose to look at why you decided to come here and what you can do to get out of here with what you want. If your not enjoying the experience here at the university, you are not forced to stay. If you find that going abroad was not the right decision for you, it's never to late to change your path, trust me. Medicine is a life-long career and if you don't put in the time to find out your path, you may find yourself regretting the field overall.
In the end I want to say that no matter what school you choose to attend abroad, just know that if you wish to practice at a prestigious hospital anywhere around the world (e.g US, Canada, UK,) you will have to go above and beyond what any university offers you in order to appear as a competent candidate. Do your research, choose a university that suits you, put in the time, put in the effort and you will be surprised what you can achieve no matter where you go. If you want it bad enough, you will get it.
Also, it is one thing to give facts about a university by stating your honest opinion and it is another thing to defame a university by repetitive posts that state rumours and untrue facts that are purely directed at discouraging people from attending this school. That doesn't help anyone, including yourself.
P.S. maybe the reason why you are not satisfied or are not going in the direction you want to go is because you spend so much time on forums trying to convince the internet not to attend this university??