ByadminRequired theoretical training courses during the postgraduate internship: disciplines, payment, examinations
Postgraduate training is a prerequisite for obtaining the right to practice medicine in Poland. We have already talked about the interview with the management of the clinic, which provides places for postgraduate training for foreign doctors; under what conditions doctors undergo training, in which departments and how the acquired knowledge is monitored on the specialized LEK exam.
This time, let’s talk about the required theoretical training courses during the postgraduate internship. They are organized by regional doctors’ chambers. The list of compulsory disciplines is the same for all medical chambers and includes the following disciplines:
- blood donation and hemotherapy (transfusiology);
- medical law and jurisprudence;
- emergency medicine;
- HIV/AIDS: prevention of infection, diagnosis and treatment.
Before quarantine, lectures on these disciplines were held in lecture halls of medical chambers or in departments in clinics. However, with the introduction of restrictive measures, courses are being held online on the platforms Zoom, GoToMeeting, Google Meet, etc.
After each course – test results. From experience, we can say that the most difficult course is blood donation and hemotherapy (transfusiology). Its duration is 5 days; it includes topics such as safety of blood and its components, rational transfusiology, principles of blood sampling and determination of group affiliation, adverse reactions, etc.
In Poland, Transfusiology is a highly developed and regulated part of medicine, and all doctors, to one degree or another, have to work with blood and its components. Therefore, great attention is paid to this discipline already at the stage of postgraduate training. Doctors are required to know all the legal intricacies of placing an order for blood and its components, as well as everything that relates directly to the transfusion process.
Medical law and jurisprudence are also important for the Polish doctor of discipline, especially in the light of the increasing criminal liability for medical errors. In addition, basic knowledge of emergency medicine is required for physicians of all specialties. This 2-day course includes lectures on topics such as glycaemic disorders, renal failure, emergency cardiology, etc.
In some cases, you will have to pay for the required courses. The point is that medical chambers have the right to collect payments for the training they organize. The employer, the clinic, where the doctor undergoes an internship, can pay for the courses, but it often happens that the doctor has to pay from his own funds. Moreover, only foreign doctors pay. For those who have a Pole card, all courses are paid by the Ministry of Health.
Cost of theoretical training courses during the postgraduate internship
The cost of the courses varies from 100 to 300 PLN. But still, most of the courses are provided by medical chambers free of charge. Information about completing the compulsory course and passing the exam is noted in the trainee book, which each doctor receives in the medical ward before starting the postgraduate internship.
If the doctor does not pass the exam, then he can retake it. The second time the exam will most likely take the form of an interview, and, as a rule, teachers are very loyal. That is, exams in compulsory theoretical disciplines included in the postgraduate training course are passed by the trainee doctor in any case. However, of course, it is better to pass it the first time, so you need to take the compulsory theoretical courses seriously, because this knowledge will be useful later in your work.
