I am delighted that you are becoming part of the academic family of Charles University and the Third Faculty of Medicine, which carries on the nearly 700-year-old tradition of Charles University’s founding medical faculty. Our faculty builds upon this shared foundation and, throughout its history, has further enriched its mission by emphasizing preventive medicine and public health—fields whose importance is rapidly growing today. Medicine and the other health-related disciplines you will study here cover the entire spectrum of modern diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and are based on the latest scientific findings and current best practices. In our teaching, we emphasize the development of critical thinking and practical skills, but we also encourage students’ interest in science and research, without which modern healthcare could not continue to advance.

Although studying healthcare disciplines places considerable demands on students, it also offers an opportunity for personal growth and for building professional and personal relationships. Get involved in student activities, help shape the faculty’s atmosphere, participate in study abroad programs, get to know your peers from other fields, faculties, regions, or countries around the world, run for the Academic Senate, take advantage of elective internships—in short, don’t let the opportunities that university study offers slip away. In doing so, uphold and strengthen the university’s values of openness, tolerance, critical thinking, and civic engagement.

The Vademecum you hold in your hands is intended to serve as your guide through your first steps at the faculty, where you’ll initially encounter terms, procedures, and tools that may seem complicated and confusing at first glance. Don’t panic! The handbook will help you quickly find your bearings, and if you’re still unsure, the professionals at the Registrar’s Office, your senior peers, and your instructors are here to gladly advise and assist you.

I’m confident you’ll enjoy your time at our faculty and get the most out of it!

Prague, Czech Republic

August 13, 2026

prof. MUDr. Jan Trnka, Ph.D.

The Dean of the Third Faculty of Medicine of Charles University