Medical University of Bialystok (Białystok)

The Medical University of Bialystok is one of Poland's established medical universities. It was founded on 3 February 1950 by resolution of the Council of Ministers and is still housed in the baroque Branicki Palace from the 18th century — known locally as the Versailles of Podlachia. Over the decades it has grown from a single medical faculty into a full university for health professions: dentistry joined in 1968, pharmacy in 1977, and nursing science in 1999. Unlike Kielce or Rzeszów, you are studying here at an institution that has been doing nothing but medicine for 75 years.

The English Division

The English-language track is not a recent invention: the first cohort of the six-year English-language M.D. programme began in October 2004. Since then an international student body has taken shape; the university lists students from the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Turkey, Qatar, Oman, and Sri Lanka, among others. That shapes daily life more than at smaller locations: the cohort is internationally mixed, and English functions as both the language of instruction and the everyday language. Clinical teaching takes place at the university's own teaching hospital, supplemented by further hospitals in the city.

Research and Reputation

Bialystok positions itself clearly as a research university and points to placements in the Shanghai Ranking and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026. For you as a student this is less a direct quality guarantee for teaching than an indication that laboratories, doctoral structures, and publishing activity exist. Those who want to do research or pursue a doctorate later will find more opportunities here than at a younger institution. You also notice it during your studies: the university places emphasis on extensive laboratory practicals in the preclinical years before clinical rotations begin. Laboratories, clinics, and teaching structures have grown over decades and were not set up from scratch for a new programme.

What You Should Weigh Up

Bialystok is located in north-eastern Poland, close to the Belarusian border, and thus considerably further from Germany than Wrocław or Szczecin. Tuition fees are among the higher ones in the Polish comparison, and the university itself notes that fees may increase by up to 30 per cent over the six years of study. You should calculate both soberly before applying. In return you get an English Division with more than two decades of experience, the university's own teaching hospital, and a location where international students are not an exception. Medschool Experts can help you assess whether this cost-to-structure ratio fits your plans.

Admissions Process

The application window is long: it opens on 1 December and closes on 31 August; the programme starts once a year in October. The prerequisite is a school-leaving certificate showing results in at least two of four subjects: chemistry, biology, physics, or mathematics. Selection is two-stage. School grades are converted according to an internal key and yield up to 100 points; an admissions interview adds a further 100 points. The interview tests knowledge of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics, as well as the level of English required for medical study. An MCAT is explicitly not required. An English language certificate at B2 level is required; for citizens of the EU and EEA this requirement is waived.

Costs

The application fee is 200 EUR and is due before the admissions interview. First-year students must also complete a mandatory three-week online preparatory course in September, charged at 400 EUR. For the academic year 2026/2027 the university quotes per-semester fees of 7,550 EUR in years one to three, 8,100 EUR in years four and five, and 8,300 EUR in year six; the first year therefore costs 15,100 EUR. The university reserves the right to increase fees by up to 30 per cent over the study period. For living costs in Poland the DAAD estimates 300 to 500 EUR per month.

Programme Structure and Language

The M.D. programme lasts six years and is taught entirely in English. The preclinical years with extensive laboratory practicals are followed by clinical rotations, which take place primarily at the university teaching hospital. For patient contact you will need Polish, regardless of the fact that lectures, exams, and seminars are in English. Those who take this seriously and start early will progress considerably further in their clinical placements.

Degree and Recognition

The degree awarded is the physician's qualification, designated lekarz in Poland and listed as M.D. 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. Important is the caveat the university itself passes on to graduates: Poland reintroduced the LEK state examination and the 13-month postgraduate internship (staż podyplomowy) in 2019, and graduates are advised to be able to present both when applying in Germany. This point was the subject of a dispute between German licensing authorities, the Federal Ministry of Health, and Poland in 2019 and 2020. Clarify your individual path early with the responsible Landesbehörde. A certificate of German language proficiency is part of the Approbation process; for applicants with a German school-leaving certificate this is usually unproblematic, but you still go through the procedure.

City and Accommodation

Bialystok is the capital of the Podlachia Voivodeship in north-eastern Poland, close to the Belarusian border and not far from the Białowieża Forest. The city centre is compact; the Branicki Palace with its baroque garden forms the centrepiece of the campus. The university operates student dormitories; the private rental market is considerably cheaper than in Warsaw or Kraków.

Daily Life and Getting There

Student life is strongly international in character — the English Division has existed since 2004, and fellow students come from a wide variety of countries. Do not expect a large, close-knit German-speaking community such as you find at some western Polish locations. The location is the biggest practical drawback: Bialystok is far to the east, the nearest international airport is Warsaw, and from there you continue by train or bus. Trips back to Germany are a full day's journey and not something you squeeze in spontaneously between two exams.

When was the English Division in Bialystok established?

The first cohort of the six-year English-language M.D. programme began in October 2004. The English Division is therefore one of the more long-established in Poland. The university itself was founded in 1950.

Is there a written entrance examination?

No — Bialystok uses a two-part process combining grade assessment and an admissions interview. Grades yield up to 100 points and the interview a further 100. The interview covers biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics, as well as medical English.

What does the programme cost?

For 2026/2027 the university quotes per-semester fees of 7,550 EUR in years one to three, 8,100 EUR in years four and five, and 8,300 EUR in year six. In addition there is an application fee of 200 EUR and a mandatory preparatory course costing 400 EUR. The university reserves the right to increase fees by up to 30 per cent over the study period.

Do German applicants need an English language certificate?

English at B2 level is required. For citizens of the EU and EEA the formal certificate requirement is waived according to the university. Your English is tested in the admissions interview in any case, since the entire programme is taught in this language.

How do you get from Germany to Bialystok?

The city is in north-eastern Poland and has no major international airport. The usual route is via Warsaw and then onward by train or bus. Allow a full day for the journey.