Study Medicine and Veterinary Medicine in Poland

Poland Becomes Ireland's No. 1 Choice for Students Heading Abroad to Study Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

After 14 years guiding Irish students abroad, StudyMedicinePoland.com (SMP) reports record demand from Leaving Cert families — driven by English-taught degrees, a safe and booming economy, and an alternative to the CAO points race

As Leaving Certificate results land and Irish families weigh their CAO options this week, one trend is impossible to ignore: Poland has overtaken every other destination to become the most popular choice for Irish students pursuing medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry abroad with 850 Irish students reported in Poland, almost 400 studying veterinary medicine.

The shift is being driven by a simple reality — CAO points for medicine, dentistry and veterinary science remain among the highest and least predictable in the country. Poland's English-taught, EU-recognised degree programmes are giving capable students a direct path in, just based on their sciences, not all subjects.

“In 14 years that I have been supporting Irish students into medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry abroad, Poland has become, without question, our students' number one destination. It's no longer a fallback option — for a huge number of families, it's the first choice abroad, for an increasing number - first choice in general.”
— Artur Banaszkiewicz, Founder, StudyMedicinePoland.com

Despite new vet schools opening in Ireland, Polish vet school in Wrocław, for which SMP is a sole recruiting partner this and next year, has consistently been admitting around 30 Irish students per year that led to establishing a GAA team. For just one medical school, some 40+ students are expected to enroll this year.

Why Irish families are choosing Poland

• Fully English-taught medicine, dentistry and veterinary programmes, recognised across the EU and Ireland
• Realistic entry requirements
• Course fees and cost of living substantially lower than the UK or private routes
• An established, welcoming Irish and Polish-Irish student community across leading university cities

A safe, stable and fast-growing country

Safety and economic stability matter to parents sending a child abroad — and Poland scores strongly on both. As a long-standing EU and NATO member, it is consistently ranked among Europe's safer countries for international students.

Its economy has been transformed. Poland's national statistics agency confirmed in March 2026 that GDP passed $1 trillion for 2025, edging past Switzerland to become the world's 20th-largest economy. Growth has run at nearly double the EU average since Poland joined the bloc in 2004, and it is now widely described by economists as Europe's standout growth story.

Get advice this results weekend

StudyMedicinePoland.com is running a free online webinar, “Medicine and Study in Poland,” on Thursday 20 August, covering university options, entrance exams and application deadlines for 2026/27 entry.

A dedicated Helpline is also open 8am–8pm throughout the Leaving Cert results weekend for one-to-one guidance: 083 134 5788.

About StudyMedicinePoland.com

StudyMedicinePoland.com has spent 14 years helping Irish students apply to study medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine at leading Polish universities, offering guidance on university selection, entrance exams, applications and life abroad, for students studying in both English and Polish.