The Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz is the medical school of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. It was established in 2004 through the merger of Medical Academy in Bydgoszcz (founded in 1984) and Nicolaus Copernicus University. It is named after Ludwik Rydygier, who in 1880 performed the world’s first successful pylorus resection for gastric cancer in Chełmno, marking a milestone in the development of abdominal surgery.
Faculties It comprises three faculties: Faculty of Medicine Faculty of Pharmacy Faculty of Health Sciences
Network Clinical training and research are supported by a regional hospital network, including the Antoni Jurasz University Hospital, the Biziel University Hospital, the Franciszek Łukaszczyk Oncology Center in Fordon, the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Pulmonology Center, and the Sanatorium in Smukała, as well as institutions in Toruń such as the Ludwik Rydygier Provincial Specialist Hospital (Wojewódzki Szpital Zespolony im. L. Rydygiera w Toruniu) and the Regional Children’s Hospital.
UMK, and by extension the Collegium Medicum, is a member of the Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN), which also includes the University of Ulm, Paris Dauphine University, Sorbonne Nouvelle University, Maastricht University, and the University of Antwerp.
Rankings
Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) in Toruń, including its Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, is consistently ranked among the top medical and academic institutions in Poland:
In the Uniranks 2025 ranking, NCU is placed 6th nationally.
In the Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking 2025), NCU is positioned 5th nationally among Polish universities.
The Collegium Medicum of NCU in Bydgoszcz achieved 1st place in the Spring 2023 edition of the National Medical Final Examination (LEK), both in the overall ranking and in the category of first-time examinees.
CM UMK students regularly achieve podium positions in the Golden Scapula competition. In 2023, they secured 1st and 2nd place in the English Division individual category and 1st place in the English Division team category.
In 2025, the Collegium Medicum team won 1st place among 14 universities in the national Medical Simulation Contest SimChallenge.
Characteristics The Collegium Medicum is a separate branch of the "Nicolaus Copernicus University" in Toruń located in Bydgoszcz: with three faculties it provides education in eleven departments with several specialties within these departments. Two University Hospitals of Bydgoszcz are associated with the Collegium Medicum: No. 1-Dr. Antoni Jurasz; No. 2-Dr. Jan Biziel.
Furthermore, the institution operates other centers in the city: the Oncology Center-Prof. Franciszek Łukaszczyk; the Hospice-Blessed Father Jerzy Popiełuszko; the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Pulmonology Center; the Hospital for Infectious Diseases-Tadeusz Browicz in Świętego Floriana Street. and also facilities in Toruń: the provincial Hospital-Ludwik Rydygier; the provincial Children's Hospital. Additionally, the university conducts teaching activities at the 10th Military Hospital in Bydgoszcz.
The Collegium Medicum manages two university dormitories: one downtown, at 13 Jagiellońska street and one in the eastern district of Fordon at Bartłomieja z Bydgoszczy street.
The instruction is organized according to the three stages of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA): undergraduate studies (); MA degree studies (); doctorate studies-Faculty of Medicine/Faculty of Health Sciences (); There are also opportunities to conduct postgraduate studies.
In 2020/2021, 4870 students study at the Collegium Medicum, including 551 doctorates and more than 300 foreigners (mainly from Norway, Ireland and India). The same academic year, 857 teachers were employed at the Collegium Medicum, comprising 188 professors or habilitated doctors and 5 assistant professors. The university employees in Bydgoszcz represent nearly a third of the overall UMK personnel and a third of the UMK students are working in Bydgoszcz.
In addition to a large spectrum of activities (teaching, education, research and development), the medical university conducts highly specialized therapeutic tasks for the entire Voivodeship.
Collegium Medicum takes part in many international research and teaching programs, organizing national and international academic conferences. Regular scientific contacts are exchanged with other centers in Germany (Wuppertal, Berlin, Kiel), Switzerland (Aarau), Netherlands (Amsterdam), France (Paris), Sweden (Lund), Norway (Sandvik), Belgium (Antwerp, Liège) and United States (Houston).
The university also conducts operations for the local community, such as the medical science festival "Medicalia" organized periodically at the end of the year in Bydgoszcz.
In 1991, the UMK-Collegium Medicum was registered into the World Health Organization database.
History Origins The origin of Bydgoszcz Medical Academy, present day UMK-Collegium Medicum, dates back to 1951, when the "Institution for Training of Physicians" () was established at then-Voivodeship Hospital in Bydgoszcz (the contemporary Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1).
As a branch of Warsaw academic institutions When the Institute for Continuing Education and Specialist Training of Physicians ( — the contemporary Centre for Medical Postgraduate Education, ) was established in Warsaw in 1953, the Institution for Training of Physicians in Bydgoszcz became a part of it, resulting in nine of clinical and diagnostic units of the new institute being located in hospitals of Bydgoszcz. During 4 years (1953–1957), the local branch of the Institute was chaired by prof. Jan Szymański, his successor was prof. Jan Małecki. In 1959, the Institute was transformed into a "Medical Training Center" and incorporated in the Medical University of Warsaw. At that time, the 2nd clinic of otorhinolaryngology was established in Bydgoszcz and the postgraduate training of doctors in other medical disciplines was entrusted to the heads of hospital departments. A year later, the Voivodeship National Council in Bydgoszcz adopted a resolution to establish a Medical University in Bydgoszcz, using the basis of the "Physician Improvement Study Department". This decision was reached with the consent of the representatives of the "Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń" and the minister of higher education.
In 1962, the institution was awarded by the same assembly the edifices located on the 30 Chodkiewicza street (nowadays owned by the UKW) as well as some edifices of the Institutes of Agriculture complex, previously occupied by the Academy of Technology and Agriculture. The number of employees with a doctorate was not high enough in the 1960s to establish an undergraduate curriculum, but by 1970 five doctors and one pharmacist obtained their postdoctoral habilitation while over twenty scholars got their doctorates; these nominations helped to create what would become the nucleus of the medical teaching team. When the Warsaw parent institute became the Medical Center for Postgraduate Education in 1972, Bydgoszcz also became the seat of its new "Pharmaceutical Training Unit", tasked with postgraduate training of pharmacists from all over the country.
As a branch of the Medical Academy in Gdańsk In 1971, a branch of the Medical Academy in Gdańsk was established in Bydgoszcz, comprising the Clinical Teaching Team conducting classes for 5th-year students. In 1974, full-time studies for 5th-year were introduced and a House of Science () was erected, housing dormitory for students and apartments for academic teachers. On September 1, 1975, the branch started to teach also the fourth-year students. In 1977, a building for the Department of Pathomorphology and Forensic Medicine was commissioned.
In 1979, the Bydgoszcz branch was elevated to a second Faculty of Medicine of the parent Academy. The Ministry of Health allowed the tentative build-up of an integrated medicine course (from the first year on) in Bydgoszcz, under the patronage and via the financial aid of the WHO. In order to achieve this goal, the provincial authorities handed over in 1980, a building to house six theoretical facilities. However, the political situation at the time thwarted these efforts. Nevertheless, the very same year marked the commissioning of the building for the future "University Hospital nr.2".
Medical Academy in Bydgoszcz
In 1984, the branch became independent as the Medical Academy in Bydgoszcz, modelled after the Faculty of Medicine in Gdańsk. Its teaching team was led by: prof. dr Jan Domaniewski as rector; prof. dr Bogdan Romański, dr. Zygmunt Mackiewicz and dr. Stanisław Betlejewski as vice-rectors; dr Anna Balcar-Boroń as dean. The same year, by the decision of the Minister of Health, a Department of Pharmacy was also established in the city.
At that time, the Faculty of Medicine had been operating 15 clinics and 13 dispensaries. The staff consisted of 189 academic teachers including 6 professors and 12 docents. In 1985, the academy took over the management of the "Hospital No. 2" (renamed after Dr. Jan Biziel in 1992), transforming it into a teaching hospital. Simultaneously, buildings for theoretical teachings of 1st- and 2nd years were completed and a further expansion of the "Academic Hospital No. 1-Dr. Antoni Jurasz" was under way.
The Faculty of Medicine was awarded the right to confer: doctor of medical sciences degrees in the field of medicine (1986) and medical biology (1987); habilitations of medical sciences in the field of medicine and Medical biology (1987). In 1987, the Faculty of Pharmacy including a department of Laboratory diagnostics was launched.
On January 31, 1989, the Medical Academy in Bydgoszcz was named after Ludwik Rydygier. It also took over the responsibility for the "Academic Hospital No. 1-Dr. Antoni Jurasz", where new clinics and departments were opened. A surgery Department and Clinic was also established in Toruń.
In 1990, the Medical Academy purchased the building at 13 Jagiellońska street formerly occupied by the Provincial Committee of the PZPR: there were located the offices of the rector and the dean, faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy, the academic administration, lecture rooms, a canteen and an additional dormitory. In 1992, at the Ciechocinek Health Resort Hospital were opened a chair and a clinic of balneotherapy and Metabolism Diseases.
In 1994, the growing institution numbered 445 academic teachers including 48 professors, associate professors and habilitated doctors. Students were educated within two faculties comprising two departments. In 1996, the Psychiatry and Clinic division moved to a facility at Kurpiński street and an Intercollegiate Center of Medical Physics was established. Two years later, a "Nursing Department" was established as well as a new building for Rehabilitation medicine and a modern facility at the Clinical Hospital. In 1999, a doctorate studies cycle opened and a teaching center of the nursing faculty set up in Włocławek.
In 2000, the Faculty of Nursing became the "Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences", introducing the study of public health with three specialties: emergency medicine a pioneering field in Poland; dietetics; health care organization and management. The latter was established in cooperation with the private "University of Management and Finance in Bydgoszcz" ().