Nicolaus Copernicus University Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz

The origin of Bydgoszcz Medical Academy, present day UMK-Collegium Medicum, dates back to 1951, when was set up in the city the first "Department of Physicians' Development" (Polish: Zakład Szkolenia Lekarzy) in Poland: it was housed by the University Hospital No. 1-"Antoni Jurasz".[6]

Buildings at 30 Chodkiewicza street, now property of the UKW

In 1953, the "Institute of Improvement and Specialization of Medical Personnel" (Polish: Instytut Doskonalenia i Specjalizacji Kadr Lekarskich), today's Medical Center of Postgraduate Education (Polish: Centrum Medyczne Kształcenia Podyplomowego), was established in Warsaw: nine of its clinical and diagnostic units were located in the provincial hospitals of Bydgoszcz. During 4 years (1953–1957), the local branch of the Institute was chaired by prof. Jan Szymański, his successor was prof. Jan Małecki.[6]

In 1959, the Institute was transformed into a "Medical Training Center" and incorporated in the Medical University of Warsaw. At that time, the 2nd clinic of otorhinolaryngology was established in Bydgoszcz and the postgraduate training of doctors in other medical disciplines was entrusted to the heads of hospital departments. A year later, the Provincial Council in Bydgoszcz adopted a resolution to establish a Medical University in Bydgoszcz, using the basis of the "Physician Improvement Study Department". This decision was reached with the consent of the representatives of the "Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń" and the minister of higher education.

In 1962, the same assembly allocated to the nascent university buildings at 30 Chodkiewicza street (which are today the seat of the UKW) as well as other buildings that were under then the property of the University of Technology and Life Sciences and the Institutes of Agriculture.

In the 1960s, however, the university could not yet be established as it had too few independent research workers. At last by 1970, five doctors and one pharmacist obtained their postdoctoral habilitation and over twenty scholars got their Doctorate of medicine. These nominations helped to create what would become the nucleus of the medical university teaching team.[6]

In 1971, a faculty of medicine from the Medical University of Gdańsk was established in Bydgoszcz, as a Clinical Teaching Team, for 5th-year students. At the same time, in 1972 a "Pharmaceutical Study" was set up by the "Warsaw Medical Center of Postgraduate Education", aiming at training pharmacists from all over the country. In 1974, full-time studies for 5th-year were introduced and a House of Science (Polish: Dom Nauki) was erected, housing dormitory for students and apartments for academic teachers.[7]

On September 1, 1975, an additional branch of the Gdańsk Medical University was established, which extended the education also to the fourth year pupils. In 1977, a building for the Department of Pathomorphology and Forensic Medicine was commissioned. In 1979, a second faculty of Medicine was created in Bydgoszcz by the Medical University of Gdańsk. The Ministry of Health allowed the tentative build-up of an integrated medicine course (from the first year on) in Bydgoszcz, under the patronage and via the financial aid of the WHO. To this goal, the provincial authorities handed over in 1980, a building to house six theoretical facilities. However, the political situation at the time thwarted these efforts.[7] Nevertheless, this very year was signed the commission for the building of the future "University Hospital nr.2".[8]

In 1984, a Medical University was opened in Bydgoszcz, on the model of the Faculty of Medicine in Gdańsk.[9] Its teaching team was led by:[8]

Historical Hospital Building of the Medical University of Gdańsk

• prof. dr Jan Domaniewski as rector;
• prof. dr Bogdan Romański, dr. Zygmunt Mackiewicz and dr. Stanisław Betlejewski as vice-rectors;
• dr Anna Balcar-Boroń as dean.

The same year, by the decision of the Minister of Health, a Department of Pharmacy was also established in the city.

At that time, the Faculty of Medicine had been operating 15 clinics and 13 dispensaries. The staff consisted of 189 academic teachers including 6 professors and 12 docents. In 1985, the academy took over the management of the "Hospital No. 2" (renamed after Dr. Jan Biziel in 1992), transforming it into a teaching hospital. Simultaneously, buildings for theoretical teachings of 1st- and 2nd years were completed and a further expansion of the "University Hospital No. 1-Dr. Antoni Jurasz" was under way.[6]

The Faculty of Medicine got the right to confer

• doctor of medical sciences degrees in the field of medicine (1986) and medical biology (1987);
• habilitations of medical sciences in the field of medicine and Medical biology (1987).

In 1987, the Faculty of Pharmacy including a department of Laboratory diagnostics was launched.[6]

On January 31, 1989, the Medical Academy in Bydgoszcz was named after Ludwik Rydygier. The university also received the responsibility of the "University Hospital No. 1-Dr. Antoni Jurasz", where new clinics and departments were opened. A surgery Department and Clinic was also established in Toruń.

In 1990, the Medical Academy purchased the building at 13 Jagiellońska street from the former Provincial Committee of the PZPR: there were located the offices of the rector and the dean, faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy, the university administration, lecture rooms, a canteen and an additional dormitory. In 1992, at the Ciechocinek Health Resort Hospital were opened a chair and a clinic of balneotherapy and Metabolism Diseases.[8]

In 1994, the growing Medical University numbered 445 academic teachers including 48 professors, associate professors and habilitated doctors. Students were educated within two faculties comprising two departments. In 1996, the Psychiatry and Clinic division moved to a facility at Kurpiński street and an Intercollegiate Center of Medical Physics was established. Two years later, a "Nursing Department" was established as well as a new building for Rehabilitation medicine and a modern facility at the Clinical Hospital. In 1999, a doctorate studies cycle opened and a teaching center of the nursing faculty set up in Włocławek.[8]

In 2000, the Faculty of Nursing became the "Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences", introducing the study of public health with three specialties:

• emergency medicine a pioneering field in Poland;
• dietetics;
• health care organization and management. The latter was established in cooperation with the private "University of Management and Finance in Bydgoszcz" (Polish: Wyższa Szkoła Zarządzania i Finansów w Bydgoszczy).[6]

In 2001, the Faculty of Pharmacy introduced specializations of the medical analytics curriculum: biotechnology (the second opening in this area in the country) and biomedicine IT. The Polish Ministry of Health awarded the Medical University of Bydgoszcz with the highest evaluation of all medical academies in Poland. In 2002, the Clinical Hospital capacity was significantly expanded by the commissioning of a 10-level building. In 2004, the university completed the renovation of the edifice at 20 Świętojańska street, donated by the city authorities to research and teaching units.[6]

In the 2000s, scientific research conducted by the institution focused on various domains: neoplasm, injury and their consequences for the body, cardiovascular diseases, allergic diseases, alcohol, nicotine and drug addictions, family health protection, molecular biology and genetics. In addition, many unique research works have been carried out in the field of medicine and medical biology.[5]

In 2004, the Medical University in Bydgoszcz had 115 scientific and didactic organizational units, including 44 at the Faculty of Medicine, 23 at the Faculty of Pharmacy, 42 at the Faculty of Health Sciences and 6 inter-department bodies. The teaching personnel comprised 551 academic teachers among which 113 independent research and teaching staff, 91 professors and 21 doctors. Since 1998, seven people have been made Honorary degree doctors. In 2004, 3720 pupils were studying at the university, more than at the Medical University of Łódź or the Medical Academies of Szczecin, Białystok and Gdańsk.[10]

On October 14, 2003, the council of the Medical Academy in Bydgoszcz agreed upon the merge with the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (UMK), which was ratified by the UMK leading body on October 28. A prerequisite condition was for the medical university to keep its own naming/patron and its own seat in Bydgoszcz. The unification was officially endorsed on November 24, 2004, by a bill from the Sejm, the Senate and the signature of the President of Poland:[11] the Medical University in Bydgoszcz was incorporated into the UKM as the "Collegium Medikum-Ludwik Rydygier" in Bydgoszcz. The previous rector of the university became the vice-rector of the Toruń University in charge of the Collegium Medicum (CM). Three faculties belonging to the CM in Bydgoszcz are an integral part of the UKM but keep at the same time a granted autonomy, which allows for instance the possibility of an independent conduct of the personnel policy by the Vice-Rector for CM within a separate budget.[10]

In 2006, new headquarters of the Pharmacy Faculty were unveiled at Jurasza street and in 2009 an expansion to the "University Hospital No. 1-Dr. Antoni Jurasz" started. Several buildings previously owned by the city were transformed, such as in Świętojańska and Sandomierska streets. Between 2007 and 2011, three new departments were opened, dietetics, obstetrics and emergency medicine. The university launched the first bone marrow transplant center in northern Poland at the Department Clinic of Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology. The Collegium Medicum cooperates to the work aimed at creating a Regional Center for Telemedicine at the "University Hospital No. 1-Dr. Antoni Jurasz".

Former building of the Prussian Eastern Railway Headquarters

In October 2013, the former Prussian Eastern Railway Headquarters located at 63 Dworcowa Street was handed over to the CM UMK in order to install a dentistry faculty. The project is still on hold, as the necessary renovations to adapt and equip the building to the needs of the university are too expensive for its budget (about 30 million zł).[12]

In 2019, an architectural competition was announced to develop an architectural concept for the expansion of the research and teaching facility in the area delineated by Jurasza, Marii Skłodowskiej Curie streets and Cardinal Wyszyńskiego, Powstańców Wielkopolskich avenues.[13]

In 2020, the CM employed over 1,400 personnel (including more than 850 academic teachers) and taught nearly 5,000 students in three faculties: Medicine, Pharmacy and Health Sciences.[14]

Collegium Medicum UMK also offers English studies based on the Polish curriculum: hence the institution welcomed in 2020 around 300 students, mainly from Ireland, Great Britain, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Saudi Arabia, United States, Canada, India and Thailand.[14]

UMK status of "research university" was awarded as one of 10 Polish universities in the competition of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education "Initiative of Excellence - Research University" performed on October 30, 2019.

Each year Collegium Medicum UMK participates in international scientific and didactic programs. As of 2021, the university has joined the following platforms:

• Erasmus +, allowing the teaching staff, students and administrative employees to take part in foreign studies or internships in European countries (e.g. Spain, Portugal, France, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Macedonia);[14]
• Project "Better treatments for breathlessness in palliative and end of life care (Better-B)" under the "EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020";[15]
• Project "Strategic Innovative Educational Network for Healthy Aging".[14]

Doctoral students syllabus, established on May 28, 2019, is also very dynamic. The Doctoral School educates doctoral students in 3 scientific disciplines: pharmaceutical sciences, medical sciences and health sciences. Doctoral students are as well the organizers of the "iMEDIC" (International Medical Interdisciplinary Congress), a professional forum of researchers, where they can share their works and achievements, and expand their knowledge in the field of broadly understood medical sciences.[14]

The Faculty of Medicine was founded in 1984. It is located at 13 Jagiellońska street. The current dean is prof. dr hab. Zbigniew Włodarczyk (May 2021). The faculty is constructed around the following departments or chairs:[16]

The Faculty of Pharmacy was founded in 1989. It is located at 15 Jagiellońska street. The current dean is prof. dr hab. Stefan Kruszewski (May 2021). The faculty is constructed around the following departments or chairs:[17]

The Faculty of Health Sciences was founded in 1997. It is located at 15 Jagiellońska street. The current dean is prof. dr hab. Alina Borkowska (May 2021). The faculty is constructed around the following departments or chairs:[18]

• (in Polish) CM UMK students council
• (in Polish) Academy Rescue Group
• (in Polish) Student Science association
• (in Polish) Student association of laboratory diagnostics
• (in Polish) Polish association of pharmacy students
• (in Polish) Choir of the CM UMK
• (in Polish) Academic Sport Union
• (in Polish) Film Club CM UMK
• (in Polish) International association of medicine students (IFMSA)-Bydgoszcz Branch
• (in Polish) Cosmetology Student organization
• (in Polish) Independent association of students of the UMK-Bydgoszcz branch

• (in Polish) Careers at CM UMK
• 10th Military Hospital
• (in Polish) Bydgoszcz oncologic hospital
• (in Polish) Pulmonary care hospital
• (in Polish) University Hospital Nr.1-"Dr. Antoni Jurasz"
• (in Polish) University Hospital Nr.2-"Dr. Jan Biziel"
• Project "BETTER TREATMENTS FOR BREATHLESSNESS IN PALLIATIVE AND END OF LIFE CARE"
• Project "Strategic Innovative Educational Network for Healthy Aging"