Department of Family Medicine of the Medical University of Lodz has been created to meet undergraduate education needs. Its goal is to familiarise future doctors with family medicine, which is gaining importance in the Polish healthcare system. In order to fully acquaint the students with this area of medicine, the Department strives to join high level of education with the most recent practical information concerning family doctors’ everyday routine such as the realities of contracting their services by the National Health Fund or having private medical practice. Thanks to a well developed co-operation with practising doctors, the Department also enables students to directly familiarise themselves with family doctors’ work. Special role of the Department is related to the fact that nearly half of the Medical Faculty graduates will choose family medicine as their career track.

Along with teaching the Department is also involved in research directly related to family medicine such as care for chronically ill patients in family doctors’ practice, preventing hospitalization in case of elderly people or patient compliance. High level of these research allows the Department to find support in public institutions such as National Research Committee (KBN) and Lodz City Council, as well as to take part in international projects realised as part of European Union Framework Programmes.
Basing on its educational and scientific experience, the department strives to play the role of a centre promoting family medicine both in the medical environment and within the local society. Conferences, trainings and publications prepared by the Department contribute to this aim.