IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: All information hereinafter is given to the best of our knowledge, but without warranty. The rules keep changing. Some countries adhere to the EU directives more closely than others, as you will learn when you start your own research. We hope to provide you with basic understanding so you can join the discussion.

• LEK – Lekarski Egzamin Końcowy, Poland’s national medical state exam.

• Staż podyplomowy – Poland’s compulsory internship.

• PWZ – Prawo Wykonywania Zawodu (licence to practise). Ograniczone PWZ = limited licence (for staż); pełne PWZ = full, unlimited licence (after LEK + recognised staż).

• NIL – Naczelna Izba Lekarska (Polish Supreme Medical Council).

• CEM – Centrum Egzaminów Medycznych (exam centre that runs the LEK).

• SMK – System Monitorowania Kształcenia (portal where you register for LEK, etc.).

What is the LEK? And do I need it?

LEK is Poland’s national medical licensing exam. It can be written in Polish and English. Together with the postgraduate internship (staż podyplomowy), it is required to obtain the full, unlimited Polish licence to practise medicine (pełne PWZ).

Do you need it? Depends on where you’ll practise:

• If you want automatic EU recognition of your full Polish qualifications, NIL can certify this only if you have BOTH LEK and a recognised postgraduate internship (staż or its approved equivalent).

• If you don’t have LEK and/or staż, NIL can only certify completion of basic medical training. Many EU/EEA/CH countries (e.g., Germany, France, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands) can then still require you to pass LEK and complete/recognise an internship before granting full registration. Others may let you enter their own supervised internship/foundation track instead.

Bottom line: unless you are certain that your destination country will accept you without the Polish staż/LEK (e.g., because they offer their own internship), plan to finish both.

When can I write the LEK and what are the deadlines?

You can enrol after completing the 10th semester. Most students do their first attempt during their 6th year.

There are two sessions per year: September and February. Typical registration deadlines: July 15 (for September) and November 30 (for February). But verify that on the CEM/SMK sites for the current year.

How do I enroll for the LEK?

1. Create an account and apply via the SMK portal. You may enrol after completing the 10th semester.

2. After the account has been created, the Dean’s office confirms your student/graduate status in SMK usually automatically within a few days. Then, you can sign up.

3. Choose an exam session (Sep/Feb) and sign up.

4. Pay the fee to the personalised account number emailed to you by CEM. Don’t miss this step — you’re not fully registered until it shows as “paid” in SMK.

5. Final details (exam number, venue) arrive by email about 2 weeks before the exam.

Does the test cost money?

Yes, at the time of writing the exam costs 340 PLN (non-refundable).

What does the test look like?

• Format: 200 MCQs (one correct), 4 hours. 

• Answer card: optical scanner sheet — use a 2B/3B pencil to fill bubbles. No crossing.

• Pass mark: 56% (112/200).

• Retakes: unlimited; previous attempts don’t penalise your certificate.

• Location: In February 2025, all English Division candidates were seated together in Gliwice (previous years: Warsaw), regardless of their original choice in the registration form. You can expect one centralised place for all ED students, too.

Most students finished before the full 4 hours passed; many actually left after the earliest allowed exit (after 2.5h). You’ll be asked to arrive ~1.5h early for registration; in practice 30 minutes was enough, but queues (especially to the toilets) were long. Once through the registery, you are not allowed to leave, and have to use the toilets and coathangers inside. Also: no toilet access for the first ~2.5h of the exam.

How do I prepare, what do I bring?

There is a question bank with official former LEK questions to practice available (link above) for purchase. The same website also provides access to their mobile application. Our school has refunded this for students in the past but please have your class representative contact the Deans Office about the latest policies. 

We, February 2025, found the test to be a 50/50 mix of old and new. Definitely doable, as nobody failed, however, far from the claimed "it is all old, don't worry!". They are definitely reviewing their catalogue. 

You must bring the following items to the test on your own:

• your personal code, given by the CEM via email

• your country's ID (or passport, depending with which number you signed up)

• sharpened pencil, hardness 2B or 3B

• eraser

• a pen

• optional: drinks and snacks

Topics are listed here: https://www.cem.edu.pl/english_lek_struktura.php

When do we get results?

Results will be uploaded to the CEM website (https://www.cem.edu.pl/lep_results_eng_h.php) Tuesday or Wednesday evening after the exam. "It takes a few days", they said. You can check results after entering your personal details on the portal. 

The actual certificate will be sent by post to the address you provided. Signature on delivery required — missing it and not collecting it at the post office can cause delays/problems.

What is Staż?

Staż podyplomowy is the mandatory postgraduate internship for doctors who want to practise independently in Poland. Currently available are:

• 13‑month Polish‑language staż — paid employment. 

• 6‑month English‑language staż (6 months + 7 days) — tuition‑paid by the intern. 

• 12 months of postgraduate internships completed abroad (EU/EFTA/CH) that the Polish Minister of Health recognises as equivalent; details are available in our clerkship guide.

Do you still need it if you won't practice in Poland?

Often, yes—because many countries will only automatically recognise your Polish qualifications if you have the right to work independently (pełne PWZ), which requires both LEK and a recognised staż (Legal basis: Act of 5 December 1996 on the Professions of Physician and Dentist (Polish law), and Directive 2005/36/EC (as amended by 2013/55/EU) on recognition of professional qualifications in the EU). Some countries, however, let you enter their own supervised internship/foundation year/residency without finishing the Polish staż. Examples:

• If you’re targeting UK, Ireland, US, Canada, Norway or Sweden, you can plan to skip the Polish staż and complete the destination country’s supervised year/training instead.

• If you’re targeting Germany and other continental EU/EFTA/CH states like Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, etc., plan on finishing LEK + staż to make your approbation smoother or even automatic.

Always confirm directly with the authority you’ll apply to—rules keep changing (e.g., UKMLA rollout in the UK, Swedish transition from AT to BT, provincial changes in Canada). Give them concrete details: graduation date, whether you sat LEK, whether you did any internship, etc., and ask what registration class you’d be eligible for.

How is Staż done?

UMB offers two primary options:

1. 13-month Polish-language Staż (you get paid): You independently coordinate your schedule with mandatory and optional departments at clinics and hospitals in Poland.

2. 6-month English-language Staż (you pay): Our university provides a set schedule. After finishing, you must apply to the Ministry of Health to have it recognised as equivalent to the Polish 13‑month staż (typically within 3 months). 

A third option involves completing 12 months of clerkships independently from UMB in EU/EEA states during your studies, and you'll coordinate your Staż directly with the Polish Health ministry; details are available in our clerkship guide.

Do I need to have passed the LEK to get my Staż certificate?

To start staż: No. After graduation, you apply to your regional Medical Chamber for an ograniczone PWZ (limited licence) and can begin the internship without having passed LEK yet.

To receive pełne PWZ: Yes — you must both complete Staż and pass LEK.

The staż completion certificate is issued independently of your LEK result (it’s based on completing rotations & internal assessments).

How to apply for Staż at UMB?

You must request and submit the paperwork through the Deans Office, but they will also reach out to you in due time.

What does the Staz training look like? What do you do?

It honestly looks just like another semester. It's 6 months of rotations between departments such as Internal Medicine, the Blood Bank, Pediatrics, Neonatology, General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Emergency, Psychiatry, and Family Medicine.