Plan for WAM

You request more medics in uniform.

A fewer weeks ago, a new, refreshed version of the bill on the restoration of the Military Medical Academy appeared on the pages of the Government Legislative Center. It takes into account current need for military wellness services and the challenges facing her. The main nonsubjective is to rebuild the education strategy for the army of candidates for individual medical professions. The task covers not only the issues of medical safety of the Armed Forces of Poland and NATO, but besides the support of the national wellness system. The proposals are besides intended to respond to the increasing shortages in the military wellness service. Although medical studies begin about 200 medical candidates each year, it is not adequate to cover the real needs of the army. According to the representatives of the MON, 1 of the main problems is the departure of military doctors to civilians. The reason is not only additional duties in the military, specified as missions, but besides the specificity of the service itself, requiring greater availability than in the case of civilian doctors.

Currently, in Poland only about 800 doctors are military doctors, and in the structures of the armed forces there are just over half of the medical posts. Therefore, as the Ministry of Defence points out, the establishment of WAM is intended to strengthen the strategy of training future doctors-soldiers and to increase the prestige and attractiveness of service in uniform.

What's the fresh WAM?

According to the project, the university will be based in Łódź, where the Military Center for Medical Education is operating today. The facility has a large deal of experience in conducting trainings including combat field medicine, teacher training courses, etc. respective thousands of soldiers are trained annually in the center, including medical students at the University of Lodz. It will so become the foundation of the fresh university, both in terms of teaching, staffing and infrastructure. – The Centre takes part in training future military doctors and medical personnel. As an academy, we will prepare personnel for military health. It is simply a immense challenge, but besides a privilege – says Colonel Jacek Narloch, Chief of WCKMed. Experienced instructors and practitioners from the Łódź Centre will have a immense role. – Even the best and most advanced equipment will not replace the cognition and experience of WCKMed lecturers and instructors. The Centre staff is medical personnel working in the State Medical Rescue System, as well as veterans of abroad missions. The competences of all of them will be the perfect basis for the improvement of future military medics, says Colonel Narloch.

The first students are to start studying at WAM in the academic year 2026/2027. In the first place, education is to be conducted in the field of medical sciences and wellness sciences, and in subsequent years, appropriate to the needs of the military, activities will be extended to include further disciplines, e.g. nursing or emergency medical services. In the future, the Łódź Academy will survey not only candidates for military doctors or rescuers, but besides military pharmacists, nurses, psychologists or physiotherapists. – The armed conflict in Ukraine showed how crucial education and training of medical personnel in the army is. The establishment of the Academy will actually form the place of military medicine within the structures of the armed forces. Moreover, the anticipation of professional development, technological development, together with preparation for military service, will affect the restoration of the prestige of the military doctor – says Lt. Katarzyna Pękal, lecturer from the Faculty of Education, conducting classes in the WCKMed Medical Field Simulation Cycle.

Also for allies

Doctoral and postgraduate studies are besides to be conducted on WAM. The military depends on its own technological background, which is why the task involves rebuilding the military-medical staff not only for the university itself, but besides for military medical investigation institutes and military clinical hospitals. Chairs related to field medicine or medicine on disaster victims are to be developed.

The WAM task besides assumes that the Academy will be able to educate medical personnel for NATO troops and European Union military structures. The university is besides expected to carry out teaching activities for the interior safety of the state, including training staff for the formations of the Ministry of abroad Affairs.

In the first year there will be 250 teaching posts at the Academy (including 127 for soldiers and 123 for employees), and yet 1149 people (666 soldiers and 483 employees) will be employed in the WAM.

The bill is at the interministerial stage.