The Department of General Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice represents a modern academic and clinical institution built upon more than thirty years of tradition. Its history began in 1993 with the establishment of the Institute of Family Medicine. Over the following decade, this institute evolved into the Institute of General Medicine, and later into the Department of General Medicine, reflecting the shift in the primary healthcare system and the growing importance of general practitioners in the Slovak healthcare landscape.
Since 2008, the department has expanded its activities to include postgraduate education in the specialization of general medicine, becoming a key institution not only for the education of medical students but also for the professional development of young physicians within the residency training program.
A significant milestone in its history came in 2013, when teaching was relocated to the modern facilities of Nemocnica AGEL Košice-Šaca, where the department remains to this day. This relocation enabled students to receive training directly within outpatient clinical practice. The department has since firmly established itself as a teaching base that combines hands-on clinical experience with academic excellence.
A longstanding guarantor of education at the department and one of its most distinguished figures is Prof. MUDr. PhDr. Peter Kalanin, PhD. et PhD., MHA, who has made substantial contributions to the development of teaching and the implementation of bioethical principles in the department’s curriculum.
As of May 15, 2025, MUDr. Lukáš Olšavský was appointed Head of the Department. He has been actively involved in the department for many years as a lecturer and coordinator of educational activities. His appointment represents a smooth transition of leadership and brings new momentum for further strengthening of teaching, research, and the role of general medicine as an equal medical specialty.
Today, the department stands as a dynamic and professionally respected academic- clinical center that educates future physicians in both Slovak and English study programs, while simultaneously shaping a new generation of specialists in the field of general medicine.
