Wrocà Âaw Medical University (Polish: Uniwersytet Medyczny we Wrocà Âawiu, Latin: Universitas Medicus Vratislaviensis) is an institution of higher medical education in Wrocà Âaw, Poland.
It consists of six faculties: Medicine, Medicine and Dentistry, Pharmacy, Health Sciences, Nursing and Midwifery, and Physiotherapy. There are nearly 200 chairs, departments, and clinics. Altogether, about 6,400 students study there, and 300 PhD students.
Wrocà Âaw Medical University has 22 international agreements of cooperation signed with other universities abroad. There is a wide exchange of students and teaching staff within the framework of the Socrates and Erasmus programmes of the European Union, especially with France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands and England.
Wrocà Âaw is a city with a rich medical tradition. The first hospital was founded in the 13th century. Medicine was first taught in 1745 by the establishment of the Collegium Medico-Chirurgicum. It was the first medical school in the city.
The traditions of Wrocà Âaw Medical University date back to 1811, when the Viadrina University (Brandenburg University of Frankfurt) in Frankfurt (Oder) was relocated to Wrocà Âaw by order of Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III. It merged with the local Leopoldine Academy, which did not have a medical faculty, to create the University of Wrocà Âaw. Among its five faculties was the Faculty of Medicine, transferred from Frankfurt (Oder) and headed by its dean, Prof. Dr. Karl Berends, who became the rector of the Royal University of Wrocà Âaw in 1811. This connection traces the university's origins back to 1506, when the four-faculty Brandenburg University of Frankfurt, including medicine, was established.
Many famous doctors lived and worked in Wrocà Âaw such as Alois Alzheimer - neurologist and psychiatrist, who presented his findings regarding degeneration of the brain cortex (Alzheimer's disease), Robert Koch - creator of modern bacteriology (Nobel Prize in 1905), Paul Ehrlich - pioneer of present chemotherapy (Nobel Prize in 1908).
At present Wrocà Âaw is an active centre of medical education. The Medical University also performs a wide range of scientific activities and provides the whole region of Lower Silesia with highly specialised medical care.
After World War II, significant efforts were made to restore and rebuild university buildings, as 70% of the city was destroyed. The Faculty of Medicine was established in 1945 as part of the University of Wrocà Âaw and Polytechnic of Wrocà Âaw. Professor Ludwik Hirszfeld served as the first dean and delivered the inaugural lecture. Initially, 467 students enrolled in the faculty.
On January 1, 1950, the Faculty of Medicine became part of the newly established Wrocà Âaw Medical University, then a Medical Academy, which included the Medical and Pharmaceutical Faculties. Professor Antoni Falkiewicz served as the dean during this transition, with student enrollment increasing to 2,100.
The Faculty of Medicine is the oldest faculty at the Medical University of Wroclaw, established on November 14, 1945. The scientific staff consisted mainly of professors from the Jan Kazimierz University in Lviv.
The Faculty of Medicine has seen several structural changes, including the establishment of the Department of Dentistry in 1948 and the Department of Pediatrics from 1954 to 1966. In 1992, the Faculty of Postgraduate Medical Education was created, followed by the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry in 2000. In 2003, the English Division was established to educate international students.
Notable achievements at the Faculty of Medicine include the first open-heart surgery in Poland, performed by Professor Wiktor Bross on February 12, 1958, and the first kidney transplant from a living donor on March 31, 1966 together with Prof. Wladyslaw Wrezlewicz. The faculty has also made significant contributions in microbiology, biochemistry, enzymology, and experimental surgery, earning state prizes for its research. A great number of prominent scientists have conducted research at the Faculty of Medicine, including Professors Ludwik Hirszfeld, Zygmunt Albert, Edward Szczeklik, Witold Orà Âowski, Stefan à Âlopek, as well as Hugon and Zofia Kowarzyk.
The Faculty of Pharmacy at the Medical University of Wroclaw began operations shortly after World War II, with a group of scientists from the Jan Kazimierz University in Lvov leading the initiative. The Pharmaceutical Department was established in 1946 as part of the Faculty of Medicine of Wrocà Âaw University and Polytechnic, becoming an independent Faculty of Pharmacy in January 1950 under the Medical Academy.
Professor Tadeusz Baranowski served as the first director, with Professor Bogusà Âaw Bobraà Âski as his deputy. The faculty initially operated from a reconstructed building on Szewska Street, formerly the German Pharmaceutical Institute.
In the 1979/80 academic year, the Department of Medical Analytics was established to train laboratory diagnosticians. In 2012, the faculty moved to new, modern facilities on Borowska Street.
The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry was established on May 24, 2000, and began operations on October 1, 2000. It was created from the former Faculty of Dentistry within the Faculty of Medicine. The faculty received accreditation for its dentistry program in June 2003, renewed in October 2008, and was authorized to confer doctoral degrees in dentistry and medicine. The faculty introduced English-language classes in the 2005/06 academic year. The first English Division graduates received their dental diplomas in the 2010/11 academic year.
The Faculty of Health Sciences traces its roots to the post-war establishment of the University and Polytechnic in 1948. Initially part of the Faculty of Medicine, it became part of the Medical Academy in 1950. The faculty was originally located on Worcella Street and is now situated at 5 Bartla Street.
In response to national demands, higher nursing studies were established across Poland, leading to the creation of the Faculty of Nursing at the Wroclaw Medical Academy in 1978. The faculty initially comprised four departments and introduced a master's program in 1979. In 2008, it was renamed the Faculty of Health Sciences and expanded its educational offerings to include nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, public health, and emergency medical services.
On July 31, 2024, structural changes were implemented, establishing the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery and the Faculty of Physiotherapy, along with adjustments to the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Wrocà Âaw Medical University is governed by a rector and six vice-rectors. Each faculty is led by a dean and one to four vice-deans.
The university's Senate, comprising 30 members, is the key decision-making body, responsible for approving statutes, setting strategy, and granting academic degrees. The Senate includes professors, academic teachers, students, doctoral students, and non-academic employees. It ensures the university operates in accordance with laws and statutes.
The university has three councils for scientific disciplines:
These councils oversee research, education, and quality evaluation within their respective fields.
Additionally, the university has:
Wroclaw Medical University also has a branch in Waà Âbrzych that offers a Medicine programme.
Acting rectors:
The Biobank of the Medical University of Wroclaw was established on December 15, 2017. It operates within the Laboratory for Biological Activity Screening and Collection of Biological Material. The biobank holds accreditations and certifications, including EN ISO 20387:2021-01 and ISO 9001:2015.
The biobank's resources are listed in the European BBMRI-ERIC Directory and the Polish directory.
The University Clinical Research Support Center offers support in planning, coordinating, and managing clinical trials. It focuses on non-commercial trials and is funded by the Medical Research Agency. The Center also provides training for new researchers through postgraduate studies in collaboration with the Medical Research Agency and the Association for Good Clinical Research Practice in Poland.