Guide for First-Year Students in General Medicine

Dear freshmen, welcome to the Second Faculty of 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.

Study Department

The Study Department has administrative responsibility for your studies and is the best way for you to communicate with the faculty.

  • Mrs Kateřina Flodinová cares about the smooth progress of your first steps at the faculty and in the first three years.

224 435 868

Student support services

Our international students' coordinator, Mrs Petra Fabingerová, is always ready to answer all your questions, to care for your needs and help you to solve everyday student-life problems. You can contact her at

224 435 851

How the faculty and university work
  • 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. 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.
  • 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 Prof. Milena Králíčková. 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.
How to get here
  • 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: Get off at the Motol tram stop (tram no. 9, 10, 16) or at the Motol bus stop (no. 168, 174, 180, 184); from the bus stop walk down to Plzeňská street (a wide, four-lane road with tram lines). Walk along the street towards the city center, after about 100 meters turn right, go a little uphill, you will pass the Czech Technical University and several private companies and you will see the entrance to the area of theoretical departments. 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.
What events await you at the beginning of the academic year
What IT services can you use?
  • Office 365

More (guide CZ)

  • Cesnet: Internet connection, transmission, processing, storage and data security, services for collaboration between users and teams (ownCloud – secure storage and sharing of up to 100 GB of data; FileSender – sharing and storing large files; Web conferencing – online meetings and seminars in web browser environment; eduroam – WiFi connection free of charge at school; metacentre – computational calculations). Details in the guide (pdf, 250 kB) and on the provider’s website. 

More (details)

Faculty website and social media
Where you can eat
Charles University refectory network
Motol University Hospital canteen (jídelna FN Motol)
  1. You can pick up your FN Motol meal card against a refundable deposit of CZK 150. Place of issue: Second floor of the headquarters building – the main central corridor to the cinema, here on the left and at the end of the corridor there is the Supplier and Customer Records Department Office.
    Opening hours: Daily 8.00–10.00 and 13.00–14.00.
    For capacity reasons, please use the Motol canteen after 1 p.m. (at that time, you take advantage of a higher student discount).
    Necessary documents: Student ID card of the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University.
  2. Before you start paying with your card, deposit cash into your account at the FN Motol canteen cash desks, preferably at cash desk number 3. Tell the cashier in advance before you put the card on the reader. Each time you place the card, the display will show your account balance. The recommended minimum deposit is CZK 200.
  3. You can use the card to buy any products in the FN Motol canteen and cafeteria. Price list: The Catering software will provide you with one subsidy from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports for the main meal on weekdays in the amount of CZK 17.95. The price of the meal includes tea. Other additional assortment will be charged at the regular price without subsidy.
  4. The FN Motol canteen, including the cafeteria, is open Monday–Friday 11.00–15.00 and 17.00–18.30.
  5. If you lose your card, you can block it either in person at the card issuing point, i.e. at the office of the Supplier and Customer Records Department, or by calling extension 1895 or +420 224 431 895.
  6. You can return the card at the place where the card was issued, i.e. at the office of the Supplier and Customer Records Department. If the card is not damaged, we will refund you the deposit of CZK 150 and at the same time we will issue you with the existing deposit in your account.
Bistro on Plzeňská
  • It is located on the ground floor of block A of the building of theoretical and preclinical departments.
  • The student subsidy covers one main meal per day.
  • At the checkout, attach your CU student card to the reader, the subsidy will be deducted when paying.
  • In case of problems, contact Mr Zdeněk Procházka.
Libraries
How about subjects in the winter semester of the first year of General Medicine
Anatomy, Histology and Embryology

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.

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).

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.

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.

Informatics and Biostatistics
  • Teaching is provided by the Department for Scientific Information, Second Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital. Address: V Úvalu 84, Praha 5, 150 06, pavilion no. 7; map; website.

Informatics and Biostatistics course takes place in the winter semester in the form of lectures 1× in 14 days and seminars. Lectures take place in the Great Lecture Hall, seminars in the headquarters of the institute. The course is concluded with a credit.

The main objective of the course is to teach students about various information systems and biostatistics. After completing the course, the student will navigate databases, search efficiently in quality sources, apply the rules of publication ethics, correctly quote and use citation managers, think critically in a wider context when evaluating biomedical information and independently work on their medical portfolio. To know basic concepts from medical statistics and to know specific statistical methods including contexts.

Sylabus and more information about successful completion of this course can be found in the Student Information System (SIS) and Moodle.

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.

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.

Czech I

The aim of the course Czech I is to lay the foundations for everyday communication in the Czech language, to acquaint students with the grammatical system of the language, and to equip them with the essential vocabulary. After the first semester, students continue practising everyday communication in the Czech language, go deeper into the grammatical system of the language and expand their vocabulary. The course is focused on practising everyday communication and prepares students for the study of Czech medical terminology in higher years. 

We strongly recommend completing the optional course Freshers‘ Week Czech Language Course, since the syllabus of the course Czech I begins with the 3rd lesson of the Czech Step by Step textbook.

Timetables and the Student Information System

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.

Where to get a Charles University student identity card
  • With a Charles University card, you are entitled to a number of benefits and discounts, including, for example, travel or travel health insurance.
  • You can get it at the point of sale, UK Point in Celetná Street 13.
  • You can find detailed information about the student ID, issuing etc. on the Charles University website.

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Last update: 21. 5. 2024 / Mgr. Petr Andreas, Ph.D.
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