“It was a perfect hit” — this is how Gabriela Krokosz and Sylwiusz Kontek describe the “Student as a Doctor’s Assistant” program, in which they worked for six months at the University Clinical Hospital. During that time, they gained practical professional skills and learned how to communicate with patients. Recruitment for the second edition of the program is now open, aimed at fourth- and fifth-year medical students at Wroclaw Medical University. Applications can be submitted until April 1, and an organizational meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 31.
“Student as a Doctor’s Assistant” is a joint initiative of the university and the hospital. It was created for students who want to experience the realities of clinical work earlier than the standard curriculum allows. The idea is based on gradually involving young people in the daily functioning of the hospital—first through volunteering, and later through paid positions.
Thanks to this, future doctors can not only observe the work of medical teams but also become part of them. They develop skills related to ward organization, diagnostic and care processes, documentation management, interprofessional collaboration, and—crucially—communication with patients. This allows them to build competencies that cannot be fully developed through regular coursework. The practical nature of the initiative makes it more than just an extracurricular activity—it becomes an important stage in preparing for the profession and a real support for hospital staff.
Valuable learning and skill development
Gabriela Krokosz is a sixth-year medical student. She joined the program, among other reasons, to see whether cardiology—the field she plans to pursue—would be the right choice. Today, she has no doubts.
For six months, she worked at the Institute of Heart Diseases, in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and the Heart Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support Unit.
“Thanks to this, even before my postgraduate internship, I know what I want to do in life,” she says. “That’s incredibly valuable, because neither hospital classes, which start in the third year, nor internships offer such a perspective, the ability to observe patients, and to test yourself in daily work.”
Participants are required to work 50 hours per month. Balancing this with studies is not easy, but the advantage is the flexibility to create their own schedules—morning shifts, night duties, different rhythms of hospital life.
“I was a bit afraid that there wouldn’t be tasks for me, that I might be more of a burden than help, but it was quite the opposite,” Gabriela adds. “There was plenty of work, and doctors, nurses, and paramedics were very supportive and encouraged us to learn new things.”
In the cardiac intensive care unit, she practiced hands-on skills such as drawing blood, assisting in cardiac catheterization procedures, administering medications via infusion pumps, placing central lines, and performing peritoneal and pleural punctures. In the transplant unit, she focused more on patient interaction—admissions, medical interviews, and communication with patients and their families.
Testing yourself in real clinical work
Sylwiusz Kontek, a fifth-year student, already has a clear career path—he plans to specialize in neurology and is the head of the Neurology Student Scientific Club at the university. What fascinates him most is the rapid progress in the field. For example, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), once considered incurable, can now—thanks to modern therapies—allow patients to maintain function, live longer, and improve their quality of life.
“I was and still am determined to choose this specialty, and six months in the Neurology Department allowed me to see how I function in a clinical setting, which is extremely important, especially with plans to shorten the postgraduate internship,” he explains.
He values participating in morning briefings, ward rounds, patient interviews, examinations, and team discussions on treatment decisions.
“I also completed stroke questionnaires, handled medication requests, and learned how to use the electronic medical documentation system,” he says. Like Gabriela, he emphasizes that patient contact during the program was very different from that during classes: “I could spend more time with patients, without being accompanied by a group of classmates. It was real learning in patient communication.”
He also highlights the support from senior colleagues: “I felt that we were genuinely helping, and that was one of the program’s goals. Even though I’m not yet a doctor, they treated me as an equal. That was very empowering.”
Value for the university, hospital, and future doctors
Andrzej Mrożek, a sixth-year student and program coordinator, is pleased that the initiative continues. Recruitment for the second edition is now underway, and an informational meeting for interested students will take place on March 31 at 2:15 PM at the Faculty of Pharmacy (Borowska 211, room W4).
“We wanted students to enter the clinical environment in a structured way, under the supervision of experienced mentors and with clearly defined responsibilities. The project is meant to teach responsibility, independence, and good organization, while also showing the realities of the medical profession,” he says. “These goals have been achieved. Even during recruitment for the first edition, the number of applicants exceeded the number of available volunteer positions. Most importantly, assistant contracts were signed and completed in every participating clinic, confirming the strong engagement of both students and hospital staff.”
The first edition included five units: the Institute of Heart Diseases, the Department of Vascular, General and Transplant Surgery, the Department of Nephrology, Transplant Medicine and Internal Diseases, the Neurology Department, and the Emergency Department. Four more units have now joined: Neurosurgery, Pediatrics and Endocrinology, Dermatology and Oncology, and the University Center for General and Oncological Surgery. The number of assistant positions has increased from 15 to 18.
“This is the best proof that the initiative brings real value to the university, the hospital, and future doctors,” adds Andrzej Mrożek.
This is what modern medical education should look like
How does the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine assess the program?
“‘Student as a Doctor’s Assistant’ is one of those projects that best demonstrates what modern medical education should look like: close to the patient, close to the clinical team, and close to the real challenges of everyday hospital work. Thanks to it, students not only expand their knowledge but also learn responsibility, organization, and teamwork in a medical environment. It is an experience that pays off both during further studies and later in professional practice,” emphasizes Prof. Robert Zymliński.
Student as a Doctor’s Assistant” – page
Photo. Tomasz Walów/ private archive