Transfer from Medical University of Silesia Katowice: Where to Continue Medicine or Dentistry in 2026

Is a transfer from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice possible in 2026?

Yes. A transfer from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice in Katowice to another university in Europe is possible in 2026 for students of the Medicine (lekarz) or Dentistry (lekarz dentysta) 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 university runs two English-taught programmes: Medicine over six years (around 360 ECTS, degree lekarz) and Dentistry over five years (around 300 ECTS, degree lekarz dentysta), the latter taught at the campus in neighbouring Zabrze. Years one and two are preclinical with anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and histology alongside compulsory Polish courses; from year three the clinical subjects follow at the university's hospitals across Upper Silesia, 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 Medical University of Silesia in Katowice: what now?

Students who failed exams at the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice 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 subjects most often named by students who contact us are anatomy in year one, biochemistry and physiology in year two, and the Polish language examinations that gate the clinical phase. Polish universities apply conditional progression rules: a student may carry a limited number of failed subjects into the next year, but beyond that limit the year must be repeated. Students in that situation often assume their passed years count for nothing. They do not. 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 Medical University of Silesia in Katowice?

Students consider a transfer from the Medical University of Silesia for four recurring reasons: the Polish language requirement for patient contact from year three, a failed examination or a repeated year, the annual tuition of 15,360 EUR for Medicine and 16,020 EUR for Dentistry, or a wish to study closer to home or in a different clinical system. Each reason has a matching solution, and a transfer is one of them.

The language question comes first in most conversations. Polish is a compulsory subject in the preclinical years because the wards in Katowice, Zabrze and the other Upper Silesian hospitals work in Polish. Students who take to the language do well. Students who do not, and who see the clinical years approaching, sometimes decide to complete the degree in an environment whose language they already speak. A transfer after year two is the classic timing for this.

The second reason is the setting. Upper Silesia is an industrial region with several campuses, and daily life can involve commuting between them; dentistry students in particular study in Zabrze rather than Katowice. Some students want a single-campus university in a city with a large international student community. The third reason is the budget, which over six years adds up to more than 130,000 EUR including living costs, and which some families can no longer sustain after the first years.

Do I need the Polish LEK exam if I transfer away from Katowice?

No. The Polish state examination LEK and the postgraduate internship are requirements for practising in Poland, not for the degree itself, and they play no role in a transfer to another country. Students who leave Katowice before graduation never take them, and students who graduate elsewhere in the EU follow the licensing rules of the country where they want to work.

What does play a role is the Polish language certificate that the university requires before clinical placements. If you have already passed it, it is one more line in your transcript; if you have not, it is one of the subjects the receiving faculty simply does not require. Many students find that a transfer removes exactly the requirement that was holding them back.

For students who want to stay in Poland but change city, the picture is different: LEK and the internship remain relevant later, and the Polish language stays part of the programme. We advise on both directions without preference.

How are credits from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice transferred to another university?

Credits from the Medical University 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 syllabi in English for its international programmes. Polish medical curricula follow the Bologna structure, so receiving faculties across Europe recognise the format immediately.

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 Medical University of Silesia in Katowice?

Which universities accept transfer students from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice 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 Medical University of Silesia recognised, and what changes after a transfer?

A degree from the Medical University of Silesia is a Polish medical or dental qualification awarded by a state university in an EU member state. Under Directive 2005/36/EC it is automatically recognised throughout the EU and the EEA, and Poland's state accreditation holds WFME recognition, which keeps the USMLE route open. Nothing about this changes for the worse after a transfer to another EU university: the final diploma remains 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 Medical University of Silesia in Katowice cost compared with staying?

A transfer from the Medical University of Silesia changes two budget lines: tuition and living costs. In Katowice a Medicine student pays 7,680 EUR per semester, or 15,360 EUR per year, and a Dentistry student 8,010 EUR per semester, plus roughly 500 to 700 EUR per month for rent, food and transport. In total, one year in Katowice adds up to roughly 21,360 to 24,420 EUR.

Katowice is inexpensive to live in, so students who transfer to save money usually do so because of tuition rather than rent. At our European partner universities, English-taught Medicine and Dentistry start from €1,750 tuition per semester (2026), noticeably less per year than in Katowice, and the saving over three or four remaining years can be substantial. 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 Medical University of Silesia in Katowice without losing a year?

A transfer from the Medical University 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 Medical University of Silesia in Katowice towards the USA and the USMLE?

Yes. A student of the Medical University of Silesia can pursue the USA route in 2026 in two ways: graduate in Katowice and apply for ECFMG certification on the basis of the WFME-recognised Polish accreditation, 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 Medical University of Silesia in Katowice work with Medschool Experts, step by step?

A transfer from the Medical University 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.