Now postgraduate training for a doctor-foreigner has the same conditions as for citizens of Poland

Byadmin

Now postgraduate training for a doctor-foreigner has the same conditions as for citizens of Poland

The Polish Government and the Seimas seriously intend to solve the problem of personnel shortage in the health care system. Therefore, if you are a doctor and are thinking about the possibility of professional immigration to Poland, then do not waste time – stop thinking, start actively preparing!

The fact is that at present, foreign doctors, who have received nostrification and successfully passed the language exam, have the same opportunities for postgraduate training as Polish citizens. This means that there are no more problems with finding a base for an internship, and volunteering is a thing of the past.

Previously, the Law on the Professions of Doctor and Dentist contained a provision according to which foreign doctors could only undergo internships at university clinics, on a volunteer basis, since the state did not pay for their studies.

On 8 August 2020, new provisions of the Law on the Professions of Doctor and Dentist came into force. They radically changed the situation with the postgraduate training of foreign doctors. Now, according to paragraph 2 of Art. 15 Sec. 3 a doctor who is not a Polish citizen is doing an internship under the conditions applicable to Polish citizens.

Thus, foreigners can undertake postgraduate training at any authorized clinic. It can be either a university clinic or a district or city hospital. The main condition is that the clinic must be on the list of the authorized to organize and conduct the internship. Such lists are posted on the websites of regional medical chambers.

Whereas earlier doctors were trained on the basis of an internship agreement, now clinics must conclude an employment contract with them for a specific period for the purpose of professional training, including the implementation of a postgraduate practice program. We draw your attention to the fact that an employment contract is one of the most important documents that is submitted to the provincial office for obtaining a temporary residence permit.

As for the payment of internships for foreign doctors, now it is taken over by the state. According to paragraph 4 of Art. 15i, the trainee doctor receives a basic monthly salary in an amount determined by a special law and approved by the Minister of Health no later than March 30 of each year.

As a reminder, the salary in the Polish health care sector is increasing every year. Today the salary of a trainee doctor is PLN 2,900 before taxes. In addition to the base rate, the doctor receives an additional remuneration for duty. So that’s another 40 hours a month. Thus, a trainee doctor currently receives about PLN 3,000. These funds are enough to rent a house, eat and dress properly.

Let us note a few more important points regarding the postgraduate internship. Its minimum duration is 12 months. However, as a rule, for doctors it is 13 months. The duration can be increased due to illness, pregnancy and childbirth, as well as if the doctor did not complete the program in total, for example, did not have a sufficient number of duty hours.

The regional medical chamber refer to the internship, approving the corresponding decree previously agreeing it with the marshal of the voivodeship. To obtain such a referral, a physician must first apply to a regional medical chamber to be eligible for a limited professional practice for the purpose of a postgraduate internship.

Then the regional medical council, by its decree, in agreement with the voivodship marshal, using the electronic medical education system (SMK), refers doctors and dentists who have been granted the right to practice the profession to the place of postgraduate training.

There are indicated in that referral:

1. name and surname;
2. date and place of birth;
3. citizenship;
4. PESEL number, if it is not available – the details of the identity document (name and number, country of issue);
5. place of residence or current residence;
6. professional title;
7. number and date of issue of the Doctor’s / Dentist’s diploma;
8. the name of the university where the applicant received higher education in medicine or dentistry, as well as the name of the Polish university where the doctor received nostrification, or the date of issue of the LEW or LDEW certificate;
9. average score of the diploma;
10. offered place of internship.

Thus, at present, a foreign doctor does not need to look for an internship. Still, it is necessary to find out the availability of vacancies and the possibility of filing an application in the regional medical chamber. This is best done in person, for example by calling regional doctor’s chambers.

The document confirming the completion of the postgraduate internship program is the electronic postgraduate internship card (EKSP). The Regional Medical Council, with the help of the SMK, confirms the completion of the postgraduate internship and, upon the trainee’s request, issues an SMK certificate.

P.S.: The new provisions of the Law on the Professions of Doctor and Dentist have significantly changed for the better the situation with postgraduate internships for foreign doctors. It is expected that this will facilitate the influx of personnel into the Polish health care system, including from abroad. Do not miss your chance, take action!