Guide for First-Year Students in General Medicine

This guide presents an overview of important tips and links that contribute to your better orientation at the faculty at the beginning of your study.

Faculty

The faculty is led by the Dean, who is elected by the faculty academic senate and appointed by the university Rector for a four-year period. At present, the Dean is Prof. Dr. Marek Babjuk. He is supported by the Dean's Advisory Board. You can contact members of the Board by e-mail or arrange a meeting via the relevant division of the Dean’s Office.

The largest self-governing body of the faculty is the Academic Senate. It has 24 members, of which 12 are teachers and 12 students, and it is elected every two years. It elects the Dean, ratifies internal regulations, the faculty budget and manages finances. The Scientific Advisory Board is another of the governing bodies.

University

Charles University has 17 faculties (14 of which are in Prague) and more than 7,000 employees, 4,000 of whom are academics and scientists. Over 42,000 thousand students study here (almost a fifth of all students in the Czech Republic) in more than 270 accredited study programmes with almost 600 departments. Charles University is a public university, i.e. an autonomous scientific and educational institution. It is led by the Rector, who at the time of writing is Professor MUDr. Tomáš Zima DrSc., MBA. The university's highest self-governing body is the Charles University Academic Senate; elections for the Senate take place every three years, and each faculty elects two representatives from its teaching staff and two students.

Accommodation

How to arrange your accommodation in the university dormitories step by step:

  1. Send an e-mail to @email and state your planned date of arrival. Without the date we cannot arrange your accommodation.
  2. Our students are usually accommodated in Kajetanka, Komenskeho or Hvezda dormitories, all of which are very close to the faculty. Please see the university Dormitories and Refectories web page for more information. You can tell us your preferred choice however we cannot guarantee it; you will get whichever dormitory is available at the time you ask. If you end up in a dormitory you didn't want, don't panic. Just come, stay there for few days and then ask in the dormitory you wanted whether any places have become available.
  3. As soon as the Study Department arranges your accommodation you will get an e-mail with all the details. Please read this email carefully.
  4. It is necessary to pay a deposit of 1,800 CZK otherwise your reservation will not be valid. This deposit will be returned to you when you leave the dormitory. You have to pay October's rent (3,800 CZK) at the same time, so please send 5,600 CZK plus the bank transfer fees. We recommend you to overpay the first month's rent and deposit in order to ensure you cover the full amount and to avoid any problems this might cause with the dormitories. The extra money you pay will be used to pay part of your rent for the following month. 
  5. You can arrive anytime during September. In case you have already arranged your accommodation and need to arrive later, please inform directly your dormitory.
  6. Be ready to pay September's rent at the time of your arrival. You can pay in cash at the reception desk anytime or by card in the dormitory office during office hours. If you don't pay, you can't be accommodated in your booked room. Instead, you will be temporarily accommodated in another room and will move into your permanent room after you pay.
  7. Anytime when you send an e-mail to any dormitory and do not receive a reply within two days, please contact Mgr. Petra Fabingerová at @email. The dormitories' e-mail inboxes sometimes identify foreign e-mail address as spam and automatically delete them.
  8. It is recommended to arrive at least two working days before the start of term, so that you can handle the necessary paperwork in the dormitory office.

Public transport to faculty buildings

  • The Dean's Office at FN Motol: Nemocnice Motol station on Metro line A, and the bus stop of the same name for bus nos. 167, 168, 174, 180, 184. The bus stops at Šafránecká (nos. 174, 180, 184) and Na Šafránce (nos. 167, 168) can also be used. Google Maps.
  • Theory departments (incl. the Department of Anatomy) and the Department of Languages on Plzeňská Campus: Motol tram stop (tram nos. 9, 10, 16) and bus stop (nos. 168, 174, 180, 184); then walk down to Plzeňská St. (a wide, four-lane road with tram lines), turn left, heading towards the city centre, passing Motol tram stop, and cross the road roughly 100 m down Plzeňská St. In front of you you'll see the entrance to the Theory department complex here (other than our departments, those from ČVUT and a few private firms are also located here). Google Maps.
  • Department of Physical Education: Gercenova bus stop; take metro A from the Dean’s office to Skalka station, change to bus no. 125 to Gercenova bus stop or no. 175 to Řepčická stop. If you get out at Gercenova, cross the road and go down Gercenova St. to the Sports Centre. If you get out at Řepčická, cross the road and go down Golfová St. to get to the Sports Centre. Google Maps.

You can find detailed information on the MHD timetables.

Events at the beginning of the academic year

Faculty website

All essential information about your studies can be found under the Students banner on the title page (leading to the Study section in the main menu). Under the banner (i.e. in the section) you will find up to date information for students (see picture above; the title page only shows the most important announcements).

Useful links

Apart from the faculty web pages, further information about the faculty and what’s going on can be found at:

Student canteens

Students can use:

Libraries

Subjects in the winter semester of the first year of General Medicine

Anatomy, Histology and Embryology I.

Due to the load of study, this is the most difficult subject in the first year, in which a thorough continuous preparation from the first day of study really pays off, as it will significantly increase the anticipated chances of success in the final exam. In addition to the considerable amount of morphological knowledge, it is necessary to master the applied Latin nomenclature of individual structures of the human body. Emphasis is placed on systemic, topographical, imaging and clinical anatomy, structure and function of human body tissues, development of the human individual before birth and basic developmental defects. It is essential to understand and be able to clarify what a given structure looks like, how it develops, how it can be visualized, what is its function and clinical significance.

Teaching takes place in the winter and summer semesters (3 lectures and 2 practicals per week) and ends with an exam. The histology and embryology lectures take place in the Great Auditorium of the Faculty in Motol, but the anatomy lectures in the Great Hall of the building of the Department of Anatomy of the First Facutly of Medicine, U nemocnice 3 (metro station Karlovo náměstí – yellow line B / tram station Moráň – tram 10 and 16). Practical trainings take place in “Žížala” building at Plzeňská Street, in the designated classrooms, the dissection hall and the histology slide room. During the winter and summer semesters, a one week dissection course closed with a practical exam is included in the syllabus. During the semester, students are continuously and repeatedly tested in a written or oral form. Senior students take part in the teaching process to a large extent. The websites of the departments contain the syllabus of lectures and practicals, credit and exam conditions, including exam questions, study materials, a list of recommended literature, links to study resources and current information of education and life of the departments. For the practical training, it is necessary to carry the name badge with you (will be provided at the first practical session), a white lab coat and slippers. Additional equipment for the anatomy practical training are forceps and gloves, and a special set of instruments for the dissection course. If problems arise at the beginning or during the semester, it is necessary to immediately consult with the lecturers or teachers or directly with the head of the department. We operate based on the belief that at a university, communication should flow not only from teachers to students, but also in the opposite direction. Further details are found on the websites of the departments and will be presented at the beginning of the course.

Bioethics and Psychology
  • Teaching is provided by the Department of Medical Ethics and Humanities, Second Faculty of Medicine; Address: Theoretical and Preclinical Departments of the Second Faculty of Medicine, Plzeňská 221/130, 150 00 Praha 5, map; presentation on faculty web pages.

Teaching consists of lecturers on various bioethical and psychological topics and takes place in the Pelouch lecture hall (in “Žížala”) in the winter semester. The aim of the course is to get students  acquainted with bioethical and psychological thinking in medicine, especially in medical practice. In the summer semester, education continues as a Bioethics and Psychology II. Students will have presentations on bioethical and psychological topics and their understanding will be verified by an oral exam. Syllabus and more detailed information about the exam is available in the Study Information System (SIS) and Moodle.

Biophysics
  • Second Faculty of Medicine Department of Biophysics. Address: Teoretické a preklinické ústavy 2. LF, Plzeňská 221/130, 150 00 Praha 5. Map; Presentation on faculty web pages

Biophysics lessons only take place in the winter semester. They consist of a lecture and practical exercises every week, and there is a final exam. The syllabus is available on the departmental web pages. Lectures take place in the main faculty lecture room; seminars and practical exercises mostly take place in the department (C4).

Cell

Cell is a new subject in the winter semester of the first year. Teaching of the subject is jointly provided by the Department of Histology and Embryology, the Department of Medical Chemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, and the Department of Biology and Medical Genetics. The aim of the subject is to present (in one two-hour lecture per week in the Pelouch Hall) the basics of cell and molecular biology, genetics and biochemistry. The course concludes with a credit and an exam. During the first two years of study, Cell is followed by specialised subjects Anatomy, Histology and Embryology (in the winter and summer semesters of the first year), Biology (in the summer semester of the first year and winter semester of the second year) and Biochemistry (in the winter and summer semesters of the second year), which will return to many of the themes at a higher level and from a different perspective.

Czech Language

Czech classes take place twice a week at the Department of Languages and at the lecture rooms and halls at Motol University Hospital and Plzeňská Campus. We learn basic components of the language and learn to talk about common topics – daily routines, family, work, free time, culture, food, etc. Czech is not easy to learn, but all our teachers are ready to help you and do their best for you to enjoy the classes and learn as much as possible.

As a medical student, during the course of your studies, you are in frequent contact with Czech patients and need to be able to speak with them.

Latin Terminology

Latin Terminology is a two-semester course in the form of two-hour sessions, with a final exam at the end of the summer semester. Seminars take place at the Department of Languages and in the lecture rooms and halls at Motol University Hospital and Plzeňská Campus. Syllabuses and more detailed information regarding the exam are available on the Study Information System (SIS).

Nursing
  • Second Faculty of Medicine Department of Nursing; V Úvalu 84, Praha 5, 150 06, Motol University Hospital, Building U. Map; Website

There are three semesters of nursing classes. The first year concludes with a credit, the winter semester of the second year with a credit and an exam. In the winter semester of the 1st year, teaching takes place in the form of lectures. In the summer semester, lectures are complemented with practical classroom exercises, and with clinical practice. The subject is conceived of as being both theoretical and practical in nature. Nursing is defined as a modern scientific discipline with its own philosophy, value system, research topics and methodology. It enables students to understand the main purpose of professional nursing practice, which is safely and satisfactorily meeting the health requirements of patients, their families and the community. From a practical point of view, emphasis is put on the teaching of nursing principles and interventions in laboratory conditions and in clinical practice. Practical exercises enable students to obtain the basic manual skills and confidence for the safe and high quality implementation of nursing procedures and patient interventions. One key requirement for implementing clinical practice in the first year (April–May) is the physical fitness to carry out practical teaching in health care, including up to date vaccinations against infectious diseases (viral hepatitis B) in accordance with current legal guidelines.

The subject syllabus, an overview of the basic study materials and conditions for successfully completing the subject can be found on the departmental web pages.

First Aid
  • Second Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital Department of Anaesthesiology and ICM. Address: V Úvalu 84, Praha 5, 150 06, Motol University Hospital, Blue building. Map; Website

Teaching takes place in the winter semester in the form of lectures and practical classes, and it concludes with a final exam. Syllabuses and exam questions can be found on the departmental web pages. The basic text for teaching is První pomoc pro posluchače 2. LF [First Aid for Students at the Second Faculty of Medicine], published by Carolinum, 2010.

Informatics and Biostatistics

More information will be published soon.

Physical Education
  • Second Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physical Education. Address: Bruslařská 10, Praha 10. Map; Website

Most of the Physical Education teaching takes place in the university sports centre in Hostivař, where there is a large sports hall, two inflatable halls, a swimming pool, rooms for aerobics, judo, a fitness centre, athletics and football pitches, tennis courts and a softball court. Teaching takes place in both semesters and concludes with a credit. In the first week of lessons in the winter semester students sign up, according to instructions from the Department of Physical Education, for individual sports that they choose for the whole academic year. The typical selection is as follows: aerobics, aqua aerobics, athletics, basketball, boxing, cycling, disc golf, floor ball, football, canoeing, kick boxing, physical conditioning, swimming, weightlifting, softball, sports games, volley ball, physical education for health, beach volley ball, squash, climbing wall and golf. In the first year, students in the Physiotherapy Health Specialisations undergraduate program complete the ‘physical activity in primary prevention’ topic over two semesters, and in the second year they complete the ‘physical activity in secondary prevention’ topic during one semester.

Timetables

You can find all timetables in the Student Information System (SIS). Teaching schedules will also gradually appear in SIS, and the ability to sign up for electives via SIS is also under preparation.

Credit system

Every subject is allocated a certain number of credits and the student can only move on to the next stage of study (or next year, in our case) if he or she receives an adequate number of credits. In order to enter the second year, you will need 60 credits from mandatory subjects (Anatomy (16), Biophysics (7), Medical Biology I (6), Histology and Embryology I (6), Latin Terminology (4), Nursing (6), First Aid (5), Introduction to Human Medicine (4), Czech I (6). You can find details in the description of the credit system.

Charles University Student ID

The university name and seal (in holographic form) on the Charles University student ID show a student's affiliation to Charles University and also their affiliation with a faculty (by name) or other part of Charles University. The ID looks like a chip-and-pin card bearing personal information, a bar code, a photograph and a signature strip; they are also distinguished by colour. You are supposed to arrange your ISIC after enrolment and should wear it when being at the faculty and at the hospital. You can find detailed information about the student ID, issuing etc. on the Charles University website.

Last update: 27. 3. 2023 / Responsible person: Mgr. Petr Andreas, Ph.D.