Medical Final Exam passed with flying colours

This year, medical students from the University of Opole took the Medical Final Examination for the first time.  Among the "debutants", they came fifth in the country!  They were ahead of their colleagues from many renowned medical universities in terms of results.

The Medical Final Examination (LEK) is a state exam that must be passed in order to obtain full rights to practice medicine.  It can be taken twice a year: in February and in September.

“8,483 people took the exam in the spring session across the country this year. The average score obtained by all those who passed was 161.9," reports Jacek Jóźwiak, M.D., PhD, Assoc. Prof., Dean of the UO Faculty of Medicine. “Students in the final year of medicine at the UO took the examination for the first time since the launch of the medical programme at our university. It was therefore the first verification of the learning outcomes and quality of education for us. In a comparison of universities and students who took the exam for the first time, our students came fifth in this ranking. The result absolutely satisfies us.”

A total of 77 UO medical students registered for this year's spring LEK session. Of this group, 76 took the exam and 75 passed it.  The average score achieved by the UO students was 162.7, and the maximum score achieved was 186 out of 194 points possible.

“Our students thus outperformed students from many highly regarded medical universities. This is a good sign for future graduates studying now at our Faculty," emphasises Prof. Jacek Jóźwiak. “It also proves that academic teachers at the Faculty of Medicine are excellent and well-chosen professionals, and that the infrastructure used by students, developed through the efforts of the University of Opole, local authorities and the broader socio-economic environment, fully meets the needs of education.”

The medical programme at the University of Opole was launched in the 2017/18 academic year and currently has 804 students. In its first year, 100 students were enrolled, and this academic year 170 students began their studies.

“The launch of the medical faculty hit the spot,” says Prof. Marek Masnyk, Rector of the UO. “We have no problems with enrolment, students are getting better and better, and the faculty and the university have a good reputation. We have a good medical and hospital base, as we are one of the few young universities that provide education in this discipline having our own university hospital, which is a big advantage. The high level of education is confirmed by both the results of the Medical Final Examination and the result of the evaluation, in which the discipline of medical sciences received a B+ category. It gives us full promotion rights.”

At present, the Faculty of Medicine has 25 professors and habilitated doctors, 55 PhDs, including many Doctors of Medical Sciences, and 200 other research and teaching academics. “20 per cent of staff are employed in research and teaching positions, and 80 per cent are engaged solely in teaching," notes Prof. Jóźwiak. “The competences of our staff have been positively evaluated by the State Accreditation Commission twice, which is extremely important as it is one of the factors that defines the quality of medical education.”

One of the most important reasons for launching a medical programme was the need to secure the health of the population of Opole and the region. The Opole Voivodeship is in the last but one place in Poland in terms of the number of physicians per 10,000 or 100,000 inhabitants. The authorities of the UO, the Faculty of Medicine, as well as the regional government hope that many medical graduates will choose hospitals in the region as their workplaces. To encourage them to do so, the regional government has funded scholarships for the best students of the fourth, fifth and sixth years of their medical studies for three years now. The first edition was launched in the 2020/2021 academic year, and 27 students were awarded scholarships this year. A total of 71 students are currently receiving them. A scholarship amounts to PLN 2,000 per month. The recipients undertake that, after graduation, they will work in medical institutions in the region for as long as the period during which they benefit from the scholarship.

“We hope that many of our students have now become part of the university community in Opole, see themselves working at institutions in the region and will want to become permanently associated with Opole and the Opole region," concludes Prof. Jacek Jóźwiak.