The Faculty offered studies in medical program and in medical-dentistry program as the first Faculty in Upper Silesia. In year 1948, 135 medical students and 96 dentistry students commenced their studies. As the first Faculty in Poland the Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze offered first-degree studies in the field of emergency medicine in year 2000.
Current educational offer of the Faculty includes medical program, medical-dentistry program, emergency medicine program, and additionally medical-dentistry program in English language since the academic year 2014/2015.
Constantly modernized teaching and clinical facilities as well as high qualified and experienced Faculty staff members make great possibilities for successful conducting of specialist trainings and improvement courses for a large group of medical doctors and dentists at the Postgraduate Training Centre. Market needs and ongoing changes in health care system are considered in the Faculty dynamic activity. When basic health care was supposed to be based on family medicine, as planned back in year 1992, a 3-year postgraduate training for medical doctors in this specialty was implemented at the Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze the very next year in 1993.
Clinical activity is a substantial part of Faculty’s operation. Its departments and units provide medical services at the highest reference level taking significant position on both domestic and international health care market. The first successful heart transplant in Poland supervised by Professor Zbigniew Religa, MD, PhD, dr. h.c. multi was performed right here in 1985. Since year 1998 hundreds of heart transplant as well as many lung transplant surgeries were led at this site by Professor Marian Zembala, MD, PhD.
The Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze consists of 52 teaching and scientific units, including: 43 units (with their departments, clinics, and clinical departments) and additionally: 3 clinics, 3 clinical departments, and 2 departments as well as Department of Foreign Languages. Students and doctors can also use a modern Medical Simulation Centre in Zabrze where medical professionals, dentists and paramedics can be trained in simulated environment, with the use of virtual reality technology.
The developed scientific and didactic potential, along with constantly expanded modern infrastructure allow 2,500 students a year to take advantage from our educational resources.
Professor Tadeusz Pawlikowski, MD, PhD (1948–1951) was the first Dean of the Faculty and Professor Mieczysław Jankowski, MD, PhD was the first Vice-Dean for dentistry programme affairs.
In subsequent years the Dean’s authority was held by:
- Professor Stefan Ślopek, MD, PhD (1951–1953);
- Professor Witold Niepołomski, MD, PhD (1953–1954, 1960–1962);
- Professor Stanisław Jóźkiewicz, MSc, PhD (1954–1955);
- Professor Stanisław Kohmann, MD, PhD (1955–1958);
- Professor Stanisław Szyszko, MD, PhD (1958–1960);
- Professor Karol Szymoński, MD, PhD (1962–1964);
- Professor Józef Japa, MD, PhD (1964–1969);
- Professor Mieczysław Krauze, MD, PhD (1969–1972);
- Professor Marian Sośnierz, MD, PhD (1972–1975);
- Professor Bronisław Kłaptocz, DDS, PhD (1975–1981);
- Professor Zbigniew Szczepański, MD, PhD (1981–1987);
- Professor Zbigniew Szczurek, MD, PhD (1987–1990);
- Professor Jan Wodniecki, MD, PhD (1990–1996);
- Professor Kazimierz Oklek, MD, PhD (1996–1999);
- Professor Lech Poloński, MD, PhD (1999–2005);
- Professor Wojciech Król, MSc, PhD (2005–2012);
- Professor Maciej Misiołek, MD, PhD (2012–2019).
