Transfer from Academy of Silesia Katowice: Where to Continue Medicine in 2026

Is a transfer from the Academy of Silesia possible in 2026?

Yes. A transfer from the Academy of Silesia in Katowice to another university in Europe is possible in 2026 for students of the Medicine (lekarz), taught in English programme, provided the transcript, the syllabi and the passed examinations are prepared properly and the receiving faculty has a place in the matching year. Medschool Experts checks every case individually and free of charge.

The programme lasts twelve semesters, follows the Polish lekarz curriculum of around 360 ECTS and is offered in Polish and in English. The first two years cover the preclinical sciences with anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and histology alongside Polish language courses; from year three the clinical subjects are taught at partner hospitals in Katowice, Zabrze and the surrounding region, and the sixth year is a full clinical training year. That structure matters for a transfer, because receiving universities compare exactly these stages with their own curriculum. Here is the faculty at a glance.

Failed exams at the Academy of Silesia: what now?

Students who failed exams at the Academy of Silesia in 2026 have three realistic options: resit within the faculty rules, repeat the year in Katowice, or transfer to another university in Europe where the passed courses are credited and the failed ones are retaken in a different teaching environment. None of these ends a medical career. The third option is the one we deal with every week.

In Katowice the pattern we hear about most is a difficult first-year examination block, above all anatomy and biochemistry, followed by the Polish language examinations that open the door to the wards. Polish universities allow a limited number of failed subjects to be carried into the next year; beyond that limit the year has to be repeated. Because the Academy admits students in February as well as in October, some students also arrive mid-cycle and find that their study rhythm does not line up with the rest of the cohort. None of this cancels the courses you passed. Every passed examination with its ECTS value remains recognisable elsewhere.

What matters now is your transcript. Every passed course with its credit value is an asset that travels with you. Before you decide anything, request an official transcript of records and the syllabi of all passed courses. Then speak to Marcel or another experienced consultant on our team. We look at the documents, not at the failed exam, and tell you which routes are open to you.

Why do students consider a transfer from the Academy of Silesia?

Students consider a transfer from the Academy of Silesia for four recurring reasons: the Polish language required for patient contact from year three, a failed examination or a repeated year, tuition that climbs from 14,400 EUR in the first two years to 16,500 EUR in the last two, or a wish for a larger, older faculty with a long research tradition. Each reason has a matching solution, and a transfer is one of them.

The tuition structure comes up early in most conversations. Over six years the fees add up to 93,600 EUR before living costs, and because the semester fee rises at each stage, the last two years are the most expensive ones. Families who calculated with the first-year fee sometimes look again in year three and ask whether the remaining years can be completed for less. A transfer answers that question with real numbers instead of estimates.

The second reason is the profile of the institution. The Academy is a young university in its current form, and some students prefer a faculty with a long clinical history and a large university hospital of its own. That is not a judgement on Katowice; it is a statement about fit. Students who reach that conclusion after year two are in the best position, because their preclinical courses are complete and easy to compare.

Does the February intake change a transfer from the Academy of Silesia?

It changes the timing, and it can help. Most European faculties admit transfer students for the autumn term, so a student who started in February at the Academy of Silesia and has just finished the second semester has a full year of credits, but is one term out of step with the calendar of the receiving faculty. A well-planned application bridges that gap, usually by aiming for the next autumn intake rather than an intermediate date.

Students who started in October are on the standard calendar, and their transcript maps directly onto the academic year of the target university. In both cases what counts is the number of passed courses and their ECTS value, not the month in which the studies began.

We plan the calendar backwards from the application deadline of the receiving faculty. In the consultation we tell you which intake is realistic, and we say plainly if waiting one term produces a better placement than moving immediately.

How are credits from the Academy of Silesia transferred to another university?

Credits from the Academy of Silesia are transferred through ECTS. Each passed course carries a credit value and a grade in the transcript of records, and the university issues course descriptions in English for its international programme. Polish medical curricula follow the Bologna structure, so receiving faculties across Europe recognise the format immediately. Subjects taught in Zabrze and in Katowice appear in one transcript, which keeps the comparison straightforward.

The receiving faculty compares your passed courses with its own curriculum course by course. Subjects with matching content and comparable hours are credited; subjects that exist only in the new curriculum are added; failed or missing subjects are retaken. The result is the placement year. A student with two complete years often enters year three, sometimes with two or three additional modules to catch up in the first semester. Medschool Experts prepares this comparison before any application is sent, so that no faculty sees an incomplete file.

Two documents decide the outcome: the official transcript of records with grades and credits, and the syllabi of the passed courses. Faculties want to see hours, content and examination form for each subject. Students who collect these papers early, while they are still enrolled, save weeks later.

Which universities accept transfer students from the Academy of Silesia?

Which universities accept transfer students from the Academy of Silesia depends on the individual profile: the number of passed semesters, the grades, the language of the target programme and the year in which a faculty has free places. Medschool Experts checks these options individually for each student and does not publish lists of accepting universities, because such lists are outdated within a semester and mislead more than they help.

That is how transfers actually work. A faculty with three free places in year three in 2025 may have none there in 2026 and two in year four instead. Our consultants know current capacities because Medschool Experts places students at its partner universities every year.

A study transfer is a complex undertaking. Our experts have almost 10 years of experience in study transfers worldwide, which is why they plan and carry it out confidently. The consultation is free.

How is a degree from the Academy of Silesia recognised, and what changes after a transfer?

A degree from the Academy of Silesia is a Polish lekarz degree awarded in an EU member state, and the programme is state-accredited. Under Directive 2005/36/EC Polish medical degrees are automatically recognised throughout the EU and the EEA. After a transfer to another EU university the final diploma is an EU degree with the same automatic recognition.

What changes is where you graduate, in which language the clinical years take place and how much the remaining years cost. The passed Katowice courses are credited into the new programme, and the diploma at the end is issued by the university where you finish.

Students who already know where they want to practise should raise this early. Licensing authorities across the EU require professional-level language skills, and a transfer can be timed so that the clinical years happen in the language of your future workplace.

What does a transfer from the Academy of Silesia cost compared with staying?

A transfer from the Academy of Silesia changes two budget lines: tuition and living costs. In Katowice a student pays 14,400 EUR per year in the first two years, 15,900 EUR in years three and four and 16,500 EUR in years five and six in 2026, plus roughly 500 to 700 EUR per month for rent, food and transport. In total, one year in Katowice adds up to roughly 20,400 to 24,900 EUR.

Katowice is inexpensive to live in, so students who transfer to save money usually do so because of tuition rather than rent. Several EU universities with English-taught Medicine charge less per year, and because the Academy's fee rises in the later stages, the saving is largest for students who move in year three or four. Students who move to a larger Western European city should expect the opposite effect on rent, and we put both scenarios side by side before the decision.

Whether a transfer saves money or costs money therefore depends on the receiving university and city. We put the real numbers side by side in the consultation, including one-off costs such as application fees, a deposit for accommodation and the move itself, so that the decision rests on a complete budget rather than on a tuition figure alone.

Can I transfer from the Academy of Silesia without losing a year?

A transfer from the Academy of Silesia without losing a year is possible when three things line up: your passed courses match the receiving curriculum closely, the application reaches the faculty before its deadline for the coming academic year, and the faculty has a free place in the year you are aiming for. Timing is the part students underestimate most.

Most European faculties decide on transfer applications for the autumn intake between spring and late summer. A student who contacts us in January or February has the whole window available. A student who starts in August often has to choose between a late-decided place for the same autumn and a well-prepared application for the following year. Medschool Experts does not quote a cap on recognised years and regularly achieves placements in year 3, 4 or 5 when the documents allow it.

Can I continue from the Academy of Silesia towards the USA and the USMLE?

Yes. A student of the Academy of Silesia can pursue the USA route in 2026 in two ways: graduate in Katowice and apply for ECFMG certification once the degree and the accreditation of the awarding institution meet the ECFMG criteria, or transfer to another European university whose graduates take the same USMLE path. Both routes lead to Step 1, Step 2 CK and the residency match.

Timing is the practical question. Students who plan the USA route usually want to sit Step 1 after the preclinical stage. A transfer that lands you in year three or four of a new programme should therefore be planned around your Step 1 schedule, so that the move and the exam do not fall into the same term. We map this out with you in the consultation.

How does a transfer from the Academy of Silesia work with Medschool Experts, step by step?

A transfer from the Academy of Silesia with Medschool Experts follows six steps over roughly four to seven months: free consultation and transcript check, document collection in Katowice, credit-recognition assessment, application to the matching faculties, admission decision, and finally visa or registration, housing and enrolment. Marcel or another experienced consultant on our team accompanies each step personally.

Step one is a conversation. You send us your transcript and tell us what you want: a lower budget, a different teaching setting, a fresh start after a failed year, or a degree that fits your career plan better. Within a week or two you get a realistic picture of the years and routes that fit your documents.

Step two takes place in Katowice: you request the official transcript of records, the course syllabi in English and a certificate of enrolment, and we tell you exactly what each paper must contain. Steps three to six are ours to carry. We prepare the credit comparison, submit the applications, follow up with the faculties, secure the admission letter for the matching year and guide you through registration, housing and enrolment. Students who started in spring are usually sitting in their new lecture hall by autumn. Read how others experienced this on our student stories page, and then book your free consultation.