Why Does Charles University Have 5 (or Even 6) Medical Faculties?

When going to study in the Czech Republic, future doctors are usually surprised by the large number of medical faculties at Charles University. How come there are so many? We decided to tell you why it is like this and explain how the faculties differ from each other. 

A little bit of history of Czech Medical Faculties

Studying and teaching of medicine at Charles University began from the day it was founded by Charles VI in 1348. The Faculty of Medicine was one of the first four faculties of the university. This was until 1945, when branches of the Faculty of Medicine were established in Pilsen and Hradec Králové, which became independent faculties in 1958 and 1959, respectively. 

Meanwhile, the Faculty of Medicine, located in Prague, in 1953 was divided into the Faculty of General Medicine, the Faculty of Hygiene and the Faculty of Pediatrics. 

Later, in 1969, the Faculty of Pharmacy was established in Hradec Králové. 

But that’s not all of it! Three faculties in Prague changed their specialized names to ordinal numbers in 1990 and became the First, the Second and Third Faculty of Medicine. 

Current state of Medical Faculties

If you are confused, here is a list of all six modern medical faculties at Charles University: 

First Faculty of Medicine (1. lékařská fakulta)
Second Faculty of Medicine (2. lékařská fakulta)
Third Faculty of Medicine (3. lékařská fakulta)
Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen (Lékařská fakulta v Plzni)
Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové (Lékařská fakulta v Hradci Králové)
Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové (Farmaceutická fakulta v Hradci Králové) 

First Faculty of Medicine (1. lékařská fakulta) 

Located in Prague 

Official website: www.lf1.cuni.cz 

The oldest medical faculty with a long tradition, with the widest clinical base (at five hospitals in Prague), with the largest number of teachers per each of the students. To enter the First Faculty of Medicine, you have to pass an exam for the C1 level of Czech language proficiency. 

What is taught at the faculty: 

1. General Medicine (Studium všeobecného lékařství)
2. Dentistry (Studium zubního lékařství)
3. Degrees in the field of health care without medical qualifications (Studium zdravotnických nelékařských studijních programů): 

• Addictology (Adiktologie)
• Ergotherapy (Ergoterapie)
• Nutritional therapy (Nutriční terapie)
• Obstetrics (Porodní asistence)
• Physiotherapy (Fyzioterapie) 

Read more about programs at the First Faculty of Medicine 

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Second Faculty of Medicine (2. lékařská fakulta) 

Located in Prague 

Official website: www.lf2.cuni.cz 

Unlike at the other faculties, students can learn in detail about pediatric specialties: pediatric hematology, pediatric cardiology, pediatric neurology, pediatric psychiatry, and pediatric surgery and orthopedics. 

What is taught at the faculty: 

1. General medicine (Všeobecné lékařství)
2. Physiotherapy (Fyzioterapie), including: occupational therapy, social rehabilitation, balneotherapy, exercise therapy, etc. 
3. Nursing (Všeobecné ošetřovatelství) 
4. Nursing in Pediatrics (Pediatrické ošetřovatelství) 

Read more about programs at the Second Faculty of Medicine 

Third Faculty of Medicine (3. lékařská fakulta) 

Located in Prague 

Official website: www.lf3.cuni.cz  

In terms of professional training, the Third Faculty of Medicine has included some of the often overlooked issues in its curricula, such as hygiene and prevention, including workplace medicine and travel medicine, medical law, medical ethics, nursing and scientific methodology, the faculty also offers a wide range of optional courses. 

What is taught at the faculty: 

1. General medicine (Všeobecné lékařství) 
2. Intensive care (Master’s degree)
3. Physiotherapy, dental hygiene, medical nutrition, nursing. 

Read more about programs at the Third Faculty of Medicine 

Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen (Lékařská fakulta v Plzni) 

Located in Pilsen 

Official website: www.lfp.cuni.cz 

For almost 80 years of its history, the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen has developed into a modern university, that has trained almost 10,000 doctors working all across the country and abroad. Currently, the faculty has more than 2000 students, about 500 of which are foreigners. 

What is taught at the faculty: 

1. General Medicine (Studium všeobecného lékařství) 
2. Dentistry (Studium zubního lékařství) 

Read more about programs at the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen 

Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové (Lékařská fakulta v Hradci Králové) 

Located in Hradec Králové 

Official website: www.lfhk.cuni.cz 

Science and research, together with educational activities, are the main priority of the faculty. Research activities include all major areas of biomedicine. In addition to basic research, the faculty develops applied research, including integration of knowledge and technology into the commercial sphere. 

What is taught at the faculty: 

1. General medicine (Všeobecné lékařství) 
2. Dentistry (Zubní lékařství)
3. Nursing (Ošetřovatelství) 

Read more about programs at the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové  

Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové (Farmaceutická fakulta v Hradci Králové) 

Located in Hradec Králové 

Official website: www.faf.cuni.cz 

The faculty is considered the most important center for pharmaceutical research in the Czech Republic and, in terms of scientific activity, one of the leading research institutes in the country. 

What is taught at the faculty: 

1. Pharmacy (Farmacie) 
2. Laboratory diagnostics in healthcare (Laboratorní diagnostika ve zdravotnictví) 
3. Bioanalytic laboratory diagnostics in healthcare (Bioanalytická laboratorní diagnostika ve zdravotnictví) 

Read more about programs at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové 

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