Kraków Medical Society was the third medical organization of its kind founded by Polish physicians. The activity of Kraków Medical Society was disrupted by World War II. Once the German occupation had come to an end, the society resumed its operation. Since 1951, Kraków Medical Society has been a branch of the Polish Medical Association. The main goal of Kraków Medical Society is the facilitation of continuous medical education and professional development of physicians. To this end, the society has been mainly focusing on producing medical publications and organizing educational events, such as training sessions, scientific meetings and medical conferences. Every year Kraków Medical Society awards a prize named in honour of Professor Marek H. Sych for the best doctoral thesis in medicine. Since 2003, Professor Igor Gościński has been the President of Kraków Medical Society.
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This goal is being fulfilled by:

• producing and distributing up-to-date and reliable information useful in everyday medical practice
• teaching the skills necessary for efficient use of medical information
• initiating and providing methodological support for creation of clinical practice guidelines and disseminating them within the medical community
• conducting research activity in the field of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
• facilitating cooperation between Polish medical professionals and foreign experts in the field of evidence-based medicine

An undisputed leader both in terms of the number of publications and collaborating authors, it has attracted a great community of readers and conference participants.

The Scientific Board of Medycyna Praktyczna comprises prominent experts in various medical fields from Poland and abroad.

An independent national survey has showed that over 95% of Polish physicians rely on the publications of Medycyna Praktyczna when making diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.

What we do

1. Medical journals

• Medycyna Praktyczna – 9 medical journals, which include a Polish monthly addressed to all physicians, with the highest circulation among professional medical journals in Poland, as well as an array of other journals covering different fields of medicine, such as paediatrics, surgery or obstetrics and gynaecology
• Polish Archives of Internal Medicine – an official journal of the Polish Society of Internal Medicine, published in English, with the impact factor of 2,121.

2. Medical textbooks

including Interna Szczeklika (Szczeklik’s Internal Medicine), an evidence-based and continuously updated textbook available in print and electronic versions (currently in Polish and Ukrainian, soon also in English and Spanish).

3. Electronic publications:

• a web portal MP.PL (www.mp.pl), which contains a drug database and a number of topical, regularly updated websites (Diabetes Mellitus; Intensive Care; Medical Law; and many more)
• newsletter for physicians (sent 3 times a week)
• educational multimedia programmes for physicians
• websites with medical information tailored to patients
• an office administration software for physicians.

4. Educational events: conferences, symposia, courses and workshops.

The spiritual patron of Medycyna Praktyczna is the late Professor Andrzej Szczeklik, who passed away in 2012. One of the most prominent Polish physicians and world-renowned scientists, for 20 years he closely collaborated with Medycyna Praktyczna. Professor Szczeklik was famous for his humanistic and holistic approach to medicine. The influence of his work has been reflected in a number of our initiatives, including:

• publications on ethics: a regular series of articles in Medycyna Praktyczna as well as books discussing ethical issues in medicine, addressed to both physicians and general readers
• an annual symposium “Ethical dilemmas in medical practice”
• a national literary contest for physicians, dedicated to the memory of Professor Andrzej Szczeklik.

Medycyna Praktyczna has initiated and supported Polska Misja Medyczna (the Polish Medical Mission), an NGO which offers humanitarian aid in various parts of the world.

Since its very beginning, the Jagiellonian University has been an international institution. Poles, Ruthenians, Lithuanians, Hungarians, Germans, Czechs, the Swiss, the English, the Dutch, the French the Spanish, Italians, and even Tatars studied here in the old days. Further development of the University has been inextricably bound with the turbulent and often tragic history of Poland. The institution managed to survive both the partitions of Poland by Russia, Prussia and Austria, and the two world wars, serving as a guardian of Polish culture and identity and educating successive generations of Poles, as well as members of other nations, significantly contributing to the intellectual heritage of Europe. Some of the Jagiellonian University students and academics have been major historical figures, including world famous scholars, such as Nicolaus Copernicus or Karol Olszewski, as well as Karol Wojtyła, the future Pope John Paul II.

Today, the Jagiellonian University comprises 15 Faculties, where 4 thousand academic staff conduct research and provide education to almost 50 thousand students, within the framework of more than 80 different fields of study. The eminent researchers and state-of-the-art infrastructure make the JU one of the leading Polish scientific institutions, collaborating with major academic centres from all over the world. The Jagiellonian University is also home to about 150 student societies, where young researchers pursue their academic interests and develop friendships with people who share their passion.

The university's prestige in both Poland and abroad is illustrated by its widely recognised research achievements. The scientists and physicians from the JU Medical College carry out pioneer studies, e.g. in cardiac surgery, urology and neurology, often leading to the development of novel treatment methods. Their findings have been published in some of the most prestigious international journals, for instance European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Medicine, New England Journal of Medicine, and Lancet. JU archaeologists explore the secrets of ancient sites in various parts of the world, including Egypt, Cyprus, Central America, South Asia and Altay. The astronomers take part in the most important international projects in their field, including H.E.S.S. and VIPERS, whereas the results of research by JU biotechnologists have been published in such reputable specialist journals as Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Molecular Ecology Resources or European Journal of Human Genetics. These are only some examples of remarkable successes for which the Jagiellonian University has been famous in recent years. The current position of the JU is also reflected in the growing number of patent applications and the growing number of patents granted to its academic staff members – there were 8 applications and 2 patents in 2007 and as many as 60 applications and 11 patents in 2013. Unsurprisingly, the Jagiellonian University staff have been honoured with a number of prestigious distinctions and awards, including the elite awards of the Foundation for Polish Science ("Polish Nobel Prizes") bestowed upon JU professors: Jan Woleński, Tomasz Guzik, and Jan Potempa during the years 2010–2013.

The most unique large-scale projects run by the Jagiellonian University include the Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics, Małopolska Centre for Biotechnology, Molecular Biotechnology for Health, OMICRON, and Synchrotron Radiation Centre "Solaris". Yet another advantage of the Jagiellonian University is its location in the historic city of Kraków, the former capital of Poland and a great cultural centre, visited by millions of tourists. Some of the University buildings are major historical sites themselves.