An Endocrinologist’s guide to Poland

Academia
Maintaining a state-funded University system, Poland has the fourth highest participation in higher education in Europe (over 70% of 15-24 year olds were in education in 2011, according to figures obtained from Eurostat).

Major discoveries made in Poland include the isolation of the hormone progesterone, the identification of the myenteric plexus (both taking place in ECE 2014 host city Wrocław), and prothoracicotropic hormone which regulates insect metamorphosis. The blue laser, with several medical diagnostic and analytical applications, was made possible by advancements in chemical engineering carried out in Poland.

Although largely disrupted by war, Poland’s research legacy is still well-represented by displaced Polish nationals including Tadeus Reichstein who helped to first isolate cortisone and aldosterone in Switzerland, Marc Feldmann who published a new hypothesis for the role of cytokines in autoimmunity from Australia, and Andrew Schally (born Vilno, Poland, now Vilnius, Lithuania) who helped to discover several hypothalamic hormones whilst working in the USA. Others include Leon Konrad Glinski who (simultaneously with Simmons) described in 1913 “pituitary cachexia” known as Gliński-Simmons disease, as well as Napoleon Cybulski and Władysław Szymonowicz (Krakow) who discovered adrenaline in 1895.
And of course twice Nobel laureate Marie Skłodowska-Curie (born Warsaw, Poland, 1867) gives her name to the mobility grants that helps many scientists across the world establish long-lasting partnerships with their international colleagues.

Healthcare
Achieving a universal healthcare system in 1999, Poland operates a referral system placing the family doctor squarely at the centre of patient care. Data from the World Health Organisation identifies tobacco use as one of the biggest problems facing Polish public health, and cardiovascular diseases top the mortality rates despite being on the decline. Non-communicable diseases are the leading causes of healthcare problems, followed by malignancy.

Useful words you probably won’t find in any phrasebook:
Endocrinologist – Endokrynolog
Gland – Gruczoł
Adenoma – Gruczolak
Genome-wide association study - Badanie związku całego genomu
Adipose tissue - Tkanka tłuszczowa
Obesity - Otyłość
Bone – Kość
Aging – Starzenie
Circadian rhythm - Rytm okołodobowy
Epigenetic – Epigenetyczne
Thyroid – Tarczyca
Pituitary – Przysadka
Pancreas – Trzustka
Adrenals - Nadnercza
Parathyroids – Przytarczyce

Are you an endocrinologist who speaks Polish? Facebook or tweet us with the hashtag #ece14 with any more useful endocrine words for your international colleagues.