Poland a Medical Exchange Program Links European and American Neurology Training

IN REVIEW

Global Rochester: Poland A medical exchange program links European and American neurology training.

For 20 years, Ralph Józefowicz, professor of neurol- Fulbright Scholarship, the first physician to receive a ogy, has been traveling to Kraków, Poland, as part of Fulbright to Poland. He calls his year at Jagiellonian ROCHESTER AND POLAND a medical exchange program he founded between University a “phenomenal experience.” Rochester and Jagiellonian University. He received The university, which celebrated its 650th anni- People the Polish university’s Merentibus Medal last year in versary in 2014, is central Europe’s second-oldest. In 5 current students recognition of his services to the school. 1993, it established its School of Medicine in English. 15 alumni living in Poland Since the program began in 1995, 111 Rochester Józefowicz was invited to organize and teach the 8 student Fulbright recipients medical students and 58 Roch- since 2002 ester neurology residents have 33 study abroad undergradu- taught neurology in Kraków, while ates in last decade 170 Jagiellonian University students have traveled to Rochester The Skalny Center for clinical electives. The two uni- The Skalny Center for Polish versities have also hosted eight and Central European Stud- medical exchange conferences in ies is celebrating its 20th Kraków and Rochester. anniversary. Founded in “Our students and residents 1994 through a grant from will tell you it’s the best experi- the Louis Skalny Foundation ence they had in school. The and housed in the Depart- future of medicine is interna- ment of Political Science, it tional. And when you go outside offers a variety of programs in your own country, you see that research, education, and com- certain things are very different, INTERNATIONAL MEDICINE: Rochester neurologist Ralph munity outreach, including and some are very similar,” says Józefowicz talks with Jagiellonian medical student Mark Prodger. summer study at Jagiellonian Józefowicz. University, courses by visiting Raised in a Polish-American community in Brook- program’s neurology clerkship; he travels each year faculty from Kraków, the lyn, with grandparents who emigrated from Poland, with Jeffrey Lyness, professor of psychiatry and Skalny Lecture and Artist Józefowicz grew up bicultural and bilingual. He first senior associate dean for academic affairs at the Series, and the Polish Film traveled to Kraków, Rochester’s sister city, in 1989, School of Medicine and Dentistry and now brings 10 Festival, an annual, five-day when he and a colleague were invited to Kraków medical students and six neurology residents. festival showcasing some of Children’s Hospital to explore the creation of an “The European approach to teaching medicine is Poland’s best films and featur- exchange program. In 1992, Józefowicz received a more theoretical,” he says. ing actors and directors who Rochester students function as teaching speak about their work. residents, teaching how to take a medical history, Thirty professors have perform a neurological exam, and present a patient, visited from Poland through while residents perform as teaching attending physi- the Skalny Center, teaching cians. The program brings up to 16 Polish students and doing research for a to Rochester each year for three months of semester or academic year. Gdansk´ mostly clinical work. Among the participants: “I teach them neurology, but they also Grzegorz Kolodko, former learn a lot of clinical skills. Students there prime minister of Poland, and Warsaw don’t have responsibility for patients. We Henryk Szlajfer from Poland’s teach them how to interpret symptoms, Pozna´n Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Łód´z how to work up a patient,” says Józefowicz, In November, Andrzej Mania, adding that these principles are now being Wrocław vice rector of Jagiellonian applied in the Kraków medical school. University, came to Rochester “Poland is a leading country in medical to celebrate the anniversary. Kraków education reform in Europe. We’ve introduced And seven Rochester post- problem-based learning, and the changes doctoral fellows have traveled we’ve made here have influenced medical edu- to Poland for international cation there.” relations research. –Kathleen McGarvey

ADAM FENSTER (PHOTO) January–February 2015 ROCHESTER REVIEW 23

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