ByadminAnswers to the most frequently asked questions about employment in Poland by healthcare professionals
For a year now, a simplified employment procedure for doctors from outside the EU has been operating in Poland. The EUROMED Foundation helps doctors from the eastern border of Poland to find a job in this country in their speciality. In the course of our work, we are faced with several questions that doctors have due to the large amount of erroneous information they receive from the media. In this post, we will answer the most frequently asked questions.
Is it true that in Poland the need to confirm a medical diploma obtained outside the EU has been abolished?
No that’s not true. The simplified employment procedure implies the conclusion of a contract with a certain Polish healthcare institution for a maximum of 5 years. During these 5 years, the doctor must pass a language exam at the Main Medical Chamber and confirm the diploma through nostrification or verification.
What is the difference between nostrification and verification?
Nostrification and verification are alternative procedures, that is, to confirm a diploma in Poland, a doctor can choose one thing – nostrification or verification.
Nostrification is carried out in accordance with the legislation on higher education. The nostrification exam is conducted by medical universities, each according to its own rules: in most Polish universities it is conducted in the form of tests (the number of test questions and the duration of the exam differ in different universities), and in Warsaw universities, it is conducted orally.
Verification is carried out in accordance with the law on the profession of a doctor and dentist, such an exam is organized by the Center for Medical Exams in Poland (Centrum egzaminów medycznych – CEM) twice a year. This is a test exam that includes 200 questions with 5 possible answers, one of which is correct.
If a doctor receives a nostrification, then in the future they can not only work as a doctor in Poland but also pursue science and teach. And after 3 years of working in their speciality in Poland, they can work as a doctor in any EU country and the UK without the need to confirm a diploma, it will only be enough to pass an exam for knowledge of the language of the country where they want to work.
With verification, the doctor has fewer opportunities. Diploma verification gives you the right to work as a doctor in Poland, and that’s all, you can’t pursue science, you can’t teach. As for work in other EU countries, everything depends on the rules of a particular state. Perhaps, somewhere the Polish verification will be recognized, but somewhere not. So far, there is no exact information about the recognition of Polish verification in other EU countries, since this procedure has been introduced in Poland recently.
In 2022, the cost of nostrification is PLN 3,200, and the cost of verification is PLN 700.
How long does it take to prepare for the language exam from scratch and for the confirmation exam?
On average, it takes 6-8 months to prepare for a language exam from scratch with the help of EUROMED Foundation courses. In many ways, success depends on the motivation of the participant and the time spent on preparation. The Polish language is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. As with learning any foreign language, regularity is important when learning Polish.
We recommend practising daily, practising writing dictations provided to students of the EUROMED Foundation language courses, for example, one per day, memorizing dialogues, and reading texts. In a word, follow all the recommendations of our teachers.
As for the diploma confirmation exam, success here largely depends on how long ago the doctor graduated from the university. For doctors with extensive experience, but who have long since left the student’s bench, it will take 4-6 months to prepare for the confirmation exam in the courses of the EUROMED Foundation. For young doctors who have just graduated from the university and their knowledge is still fresh, 1-2 months of training will be enough, provided that they know the Polish medical language well.
Can a doctor who is employed in Poland under a simplified procedure change jobs?
Often, a healthcare institution that accepts a doctor from outside the EU under a simplified procedure invests in them – rents housing for them, pays for language courses. It is clear that the hospital management wants to have guarantees that the doctor will work out the funds invested in them. Therefore, contracts with our doctors often include an obligation to work in the hospital for at least 6 months.
After fulfilling the obligations stipulated in the contract, the doctor can find a job elsewhere, but for this, they must first terminate the current contract, find another hospital that will agree to hire them, receive a document confirming employment from it, and apply to the Ministry of Health for a new permit. The Minister’s permit gives the right to work in only one health care facility.
Here it is important to pay attention to the fact that in addition to a permit from the Minister, the doctor must obtain the right to practice in Poland in the Regional Medical Chamber. Therefore, if a doctor decides to find a job in another hospital, which is located in another voivodeship, then in addition to a new permit from the Minister, they will need a new right to professional activity from the Regional Medical Chamber located in the voivodeship where they decide to go to.
Thus, the process of changing jobs for a doctor who got a job in Poland under a simplified procedure looks rather troublesome. Therefore, we recommend working where the doctor initially got a job and preparing for exams to confirm the diploma and gain access to the labour market on an equal basis with Polish colleagues.
What salary can a doctor who is employed under a simplified procedure earn?
The salary is determined by the results of an interview with the hospital management. The higher the qualification of the doctor and the better they speak Polish, the higher the basic rate offered. Thus, for doctors with extensive experience in their homeland, who speak Polish at a level sufficient for communication, the hospital management offers 1,500 euros of the base rate at the start.
The base rate is wages for a working day without overtime (in Poland it is 7 hours 35 minutes on weekdays). Duty and work on weekends are paid separately. In addition, our doctors are often offered part-time jobs in emergency departments (Szpitalny Oddział Ratunkowy – SOR) and night clinics (nocna i świąteczna opieka zdrowotna).
Thus, the income of a doctor who is employed under a simplified procedure largely depends on how much and where they are willing to work. The only caveat is that in the first few months our doctors work under the supervision of Polish colleagues, and the opportunities for part-time jobs are somewhat limited.
How long the doctor will work under the supervision depends on the Ministry of Health, but, as a rule, we are talking about several months. If during this period the doctor proves themselves and shows that they are ready for independent work, they will be able to work as much as they want. Therefore, in the end, the doctor’s income is determined by their ability and desire to work more.
