University of Rzeszów

The University of Rzeszów is a young comprehensive university, founded in 2001, with Medicine added to its portfolio even later. The first cohort of Medicine students — around 100 in total — began in 2015. In 2019 the College of Medical Sciences was established, and on 1 January 2025 this was reorganised into the Medical College with its own Faculty of Medicine. This makes Rzeszów one of the newest medical training locations in Poland. The region had long campaigned for its own medical education, as the Subcarpathian area is far removed from the country's traditional university cities; the faculty is a direct response to that regional need. There were earlier precedents: a clinical teaching unit was set up at the regional hospital as far back as 1970, medical courses ran there intermittently during the mid-1970s, and from 2000 onwards the university steadily built up health-related programmes — physiotherapy, nursing, and midwifery — before Medicine itself was introduced.

The English-Language Programme

The Faculty of Medicine offers a single-cycle six-year Master's programme taught entirely in English, awarding the medical degree and accredited at 364 ECTS. It is a full-time programme with a general academic profile. The curriculum progresses from foundational subjects through clinical disciplines to hospital-based practical training, supplemented by simulation-based skills training. The faculty is located on Warzywna Street and uses the newer buildings A2, A4, and A5 on campus, along with their associated laboratories. The university explicitly states that graduates are prepared to sit the Polish state medical examination, pursue specialist postgraduate training, and work in general practice, hospital medicine, emergency medicine, and research.

Opportunities and Limitations of a Young Institution

Rzeszów is a manageable city, year groups are smaller than at the large medical universities, and the faculty is visibly still expanding its offering. This can be an advantage — distances are short and the administration remains accessible. However, there are drawbacks: few graduating cohorts to date, a small international alumni network, limited first-hand accounts from German students, and less publicly documented detail than at established institutions such as Białystok or Katowice. Applicants should be prepared to seek out information themselves, for example regarding fee levels, course plans, and examination arrangements. The faculty does publish curricula and syllabi for the individual training cycles — the current one covering 2025 to 2031 — so the structure can at least be traced in some detail. For applicants with a German Abitur, the location is nonetheless attractive, as the selection process is based on school-leaving grades and does not require a separate entrance examination. Medschool Experts is on hand to help you assess whether this profile is a good fit for your situation.

Selection Process

Rzeszów selects applicants for the English-language Medicine programme on the basis of school-leaving certificate grades. Two subjects are assessed from among Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics, each at standard or advanced level; in the conversion, one percentage point at standard level counts as one point, while one percentage point at advanced level counts as two points. In addition, the university requires English proficiency at B2 level. An entrance examination is only required for applicants whose qualifications are not from an EU, OECD, or EFTA country; it consists of 20 multiple-choice questions — ten in Biology and ten in Chemistry — to be completed online within 30 minutes. Applicants with a German Abitur are therefore generally exempt from this test. For the 2026/2027 academic year, registration in the application system was open from 2 March to 25 September 2026.

Costs

Tuition fees are set each year by rectoral decree and published as an annex; the official Polish study portal study.gov.pl most recently lists €7,250 per semester for Medicine at Rzeszów. As the amount is reviewed annually, you should confirm the current figure directly with the faculty before applying. For living costs in Poland, the DAAD cites €300 to €500 per month.

Programme Structure and Language of Instruction

The programme is a single-cycle six-year Master's degree worth 364 ECTS, taught entirely in English. After the foundational and pre-clinical subjects, students progress to clinical disciplines, hospital-based practical training, and simulation training. Polish is nonetheless required: patients in the Subcarpathian region do not speak English, and without some knowledge of the language you will lose direct access to history-taking and ward rounds during your clinical rotations.

Degree and Recognition in Germany

The qualification awarded is the medical degree — in Poland lekarz, designated as MD in the English-language programme. As an EU degree, it falls under the Professional Qualifications Directive 2005/36/EC and is in principle automatically recognised in Germany. Two points are worth noting honestly. First, Poland reintroduced the state medical examination (LEK) and the 13-month postgraduate internship (staż podyplomowy) in 2019 and anchored these in Annex V of the Directive; German licensing authorities subsequently began requesting corresponding proof, a matter that was publicly disputed in 2019 and 2020. Second, the formal licensing procedure with the competent regional authority must be completed in any case, including proof of German language proficiency — which is generally unproblematic for applicants who completed their schooling in Germany. It is advisable to clarify the exact process early, ideally while still studying.

City and Accommodation

Rzeszów is the capital of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship in south-eastern Poland — a medium-sized university city with a compact centre and comparatively low cost of living. The university offers student halls of residence; the private rental market is also a common option and is considerably more affordable than in Warsaw or Kraków. The Faculty of Medicine is located on Warzywna Street, while the university's main campus is on Rejtana Avenue.

Daily Life and Getting There

Day-to-day life is calm and manageable, though the study programme itself is demanding and tightly scheduled. A large German-speaking community is not to be expected at this young institution; the English-language programme cohort is small and international. On a practical note, Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport is situated just outside the city, and there are also rail and motorway connections towards Kraków. That said, the journey to Germany is still fairly lengthy, as Rzeszów lies in the far south-east of the country.

When did Rzeszów begin training doctors?

The first cohort of Medicine students began in 2015, with around 100 students. The College of Medical Sciences followed in 2019, and since 1 January 2025 the Medical College with its own Faculty of Medicine has been in place. Rzeszów is therefore one of the newest medical training locations in Poland.

Do German applicants need to sit an entrance examination?

Generally not. The entrance examination is intended for applicants whose qualifications are not from an EU, OECD, or EFTA country. It consists of 20 multiple-choice questions in Biology and Chemistry, to be completed within 30 minutes. For applicants with a German Abitur, grades in two subjects from Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Mathematics are assessed instead.

How much does studying in Rzeszów cost?

Tuition fees are set annually by rectoral decree and published as an annex. The official Polish study portal study.gov.pl most recently lists €7,250 per semester. Confirm the current amount directly with the faculty before applying.

Is the degree recognised in Germany?

The Polish medical degree, as an EU qualification, falls under Directive 2005/36/EC and is in principle automatically recognised. Since Poland reintroduced the state examination LEK and the postgraduate internship staż podyplomowy in 2019, German authorities frequently request proof of these in practice. The formal licensing procedure with the regional authority, including proof of language proficiency, remains required in all cases.

What are the drawbacks of Rzeszów?

The institution is young, has few graduating cohorts, and a small alumni network. In addition, many details — such as the precise fee level — are less publicly documented than at established universities, meaning you will need to seek out information yourself. Applicants looking for a large, long-established English-division programme would be better served by Białystok or Katowice.